Box of kittens out front of the hardware store today as I was running in to grab doggie treats..

My nose currently looks even more bulbous than normal today. I bit the bullet and went to an E.N.T. doctor about my increasing difficulty at breathing through my nose.

Found out my deviated septum (very old fist meeting nose injury) is only partly to blame. I have “droopy” flaps in my nose that are leaning against the bent septum and causing a fair amount of blockage.

I agreed to an experimental procedure today that reinforces the nose in a way similar to an internal breathe-right strip using an injectable calcium formula called Radiesse. It was a simple 15 minute procedure that injected the filler into my nose. I have a few decent bumps from the injections that should smooth out in a week or two.

I’ll return to the Doc in four weeks and decide if the procedure helped enough to call it a success. If not, I’ll schedule a full septoplasty that includes a “shaving” of those problem flaps.

Sarah: Just for the record, ’twas not my fist which met the nose.

So for the past few weeks, I’ve had recurring pain in my right arm, wrist, and hand. When it became obvious that it wasn’t going anywhere let alone away, I-me-moi made an appointment with a chiropractor.

I realize that for the normal person, that’s no big deal. People do it every day. But for me? That’s like raising the dead to walk again. I hate doctors. Ok - not hate. But I definitely have issues with doctors. It probably dates back to when I split my chin open at the age of six. All I really remember is the glare of the light and the doctor leaning over me as he stitched my chin closed again. And then when I was twelve and getting my shots for school, I passed out. In high school I tried to give blood and passed out when they pricked my finger to test my blood. I’ve also sliced my pinkie finger on a cat food can and passed out. I once broke my toe and you guessed it - passed out.

Are you seeing where this is going? Are you?

So - in pain, worried about my hand (what piano player/knitter wouldn’t be), I make this appointment. The doctor seems nice. Very relaxed and friendly. And he has a special interest in injuries like mine. After about 15 minutes of manipulation and wrist/finger popping and some extremely painful working of the arm muscles and elbow, I tell this poor doctor (who is trying his best to be helpful I’m sure) that I need to sit down because I’m going to pass out. That’s the last thing I remember before waking up half on the floor and half on the patient table.

Yes. I passed out at the chiropractor’s. From a combination of nervousness, anxiety about doctors, and the pain from my freshly diagnosed tennis elbow. And when he asks me if I pass out often, what’s the first thing out of my mouth? It’s a doctor thing. So not only did I faint on the poor man, but I insulted him upon waking.

So I’ve been given a regimen of icing, stretches, and rest. And after two weeks if I don’t see improvement, I get to go and do it all over again. I halfway think that he’s hoping never to see me again.

Madeleine L’Engle passed away yesterday at the age of 88. Her books were the first non-fairy tale sci-fi/fantasy books I read as a kid. The first, of course, was A Wrinkle in Time and I was hooked from that moment on. Long before JK Rowling and Philip Pullman, she was one of children’s fantasy fiction greats.

The musical world lost a genius today.

SB: Here’s an AOL Sessions Video from 2003. If you want to see him through the years, a Princeton Student has a wonderful image page of the Maestro…

Here’s one of him as the Duke in Rigoletto:

Saturday was started with Brunch at B&O in Capitol Hill. Even though we had free tickets, I couldn’t get in the mood for Bumbershoot. We decided instead to check out the new Seattle Aquarium.

Capitol Hill Street Art…

Neon Jellyfish….

More neon Jellyfish. The exhibit was a massive circular tank that was embedded in the floor and rotated through several colors…

Can’t remember their names… Odd little fish with horns..

One of the exhibit ceilings…

The main underwater viewing area…

Walked the pier for a bit afterwards, but the crowds were suffocating. Drove back to Snoqualmie and had dinner at Mike’s Cascade Grill. A place I usually avoid as I associate it with work business meetings. I was adventurous and had the Snoqualmie Steamed Clams, and Sarah had the Fried Calamari. We both had a cup of Crab and Corn Chowder. All dishes were great, especially the chowder.