Cover, Wash, Repeat

Our school has been getting emails about H1N1 and how to prevent the spread thereof. Part of prevention is covering one's sneezes. Crook of the arm, people--not the hand! Does there need to be a demonstration?

Part of prevention is handwashing. Okay, fine; I have a request: Make handwashing better for the public when it comes to public restrooms.
First, if proper handwashing is lather for 15-20 seconds, replace silly push-top or twist-and hold on faucets. A proper handwasher just gets soap all over the handle. Then if they don't stay on, the germs one has just lathered off gets right back on when the faucet has to be turned back on. In a similar vein, have spigots that are not all hot or all cold. Have a lukewarm setting. After 20 seconds of lathering, the hot often gets too hot, and then one has to germify the hands again to turn on the cold to keep from getting scalded.
Second, please replace the air dryers with paper towels. Proper handwashing indicates turning off the faucet with paper towels. It's difficult to do that when there are no paper towels. I don't care how many trees or landfills are saved. Try replacing the styrofoam containers instead of taking paper towels away.
Third, please make the door push on exiting the bathroom, not a handle to pull. It defeats the purpose of handwashing. Either that or put a trash can near the door so that a proper handwasher can pull the handle with a paper towel and then have a place to properly dispose of it without having to throw it on the floor or do some yoga-like stretching exercises to hold the door with one foot and reach the trash can.
Remember: Only you can prevent the flu. We need to eradicate H1N1 lest healthcare reform impact flu coverage.

I'm Fine, Thanks

I've discovered that telling someone I'm pregnant is rather like when I was in college and told someone I was from California.

Telling someone you're from California always elicits a response such as these: "Oh, my (cousin/brother/niece/sister-in-law's best friend's boyfriend) lives in California in (random town one has never heard of);" or "I visited California on vacation--I hated/loved it;" or "I was stationed there when I was in the military." No matter what, there is ALWAYS a response; but tell someone you're from a random midwestern state and they'll say, "Oh."

Being pregnant elicits a gamut of responses ranging from "when I was pregnant" to some horror story that could curl hair. Nowadays I mostly get more free advice than I can ever process. I am constantly answering the questions, "How are you feeling?" and "Do you know what you're having?" Here are my answers--mark them down--"Fine," and "A baby." Okay, the last answer is a little glib, but we are waiting until birth to find out if it's a boy or girl. Old-fashioned, sure, but hey, if it was good enough for our parents. . .

Maybe I shouldn't be so testy; after all, all this attention cancels out the problem I seem to be having lately: invisibility--but that's another post for another day.

Happy Balemtime's Day.

Rating: MS
It’s strange—I’ve been told I’m a romantic, yet I dislike Valentine’s Day. I mean that over-commercialized, wear red, created-to-sell-cards holiday which falls just before the ides of February. Maybe my bad attitude stems from elementary school when all my classmates gave out paper valentines AND boxes of conversation hearts or the cool Lifesaver suckers while all I gave out was paper valentines because we couldn’t afford more. Perhaps my negativity comes from junior high when we were no longer compelled to give out valentines equitably. We still gave to all, but some people got “better” valentines. Possibly my dislike of Valentine’s Day comes out of my high school experience of “Val-o-grams” where, for a minimal cost one could buy a carnation tied to a pre-printed card and it was delivered to a recipient in the school. It was quite obvious who had friends and who did not. The teachers hated them because they were a disruption; I disliked them due to my lack of receiving them. (Sore Loser Alert!) I suppose it’s silly to dislike a harmless day due to what happened when I was younger. Maybe it is because I am a romantic and yet never had a romantic Valentine’s Day. All I can say is this year, at least we get a Friday the 13th first!