Venturing Out

It has been a year when getting out of the house for anything seems to be a momentous event. This week, I had appointments for a haircut and regular dentist appointment, back to back. Thankfully, it was a decent day and relatively warm for January in Iowa, the upper 30's.

Since my last visit, my barber remodeled her shop. Now, when getting hair done, you sit in front of a floor to ceiling mirror. I commented that such an addition would be nice in my room. However, now I can easily sit and make faces at myself while getting hair shortened. Yes, I'm nearing the start of my fourth decade in life, but I'm very easily amused. My beautician thankfully doesn't require me to wear a mask, but that's not the case for dental work.

After getting screened at the door, my assistant Sara and I sat in the waiting area to be called back. In the five or so minutes I sat wearing my face covering, my nose kept getting more irritated and congested. It quickly became a struggle to breathe and I tried tilting my chair to see if different seating angles would help.

Thankfully, I was ushered back toward a chair and Sara removed my covering as soon as I stopped. I had the dental hygienist give me some time to get air again before he started cleaning my teeth. No cavities were found and I was given a clean bill of mouth health. I dreaded exiting the building with breathing issues again, but with nobody else around on the path out, I could stay free of restriction.

In a hope of optimism, I started mailing grade schools to get scheduled for spring. Within a few days, I already have two on my calendar. It looks like I may need to to adjust my regular routine a little, but I will see what is going on by then.

Now, I don't have any outings scheduled again until late February. It's not unusual for the quad life in winter, but hopefully it doesn't last into the next season. Whatever happens, I'm thankful I can get out and be at least partially active!