I'm FESSing up

FESS being Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, that is. I am having it at the end of July. If my head doesn't explode first.

A scope will be shoved up my nose and bone and tissue will be removed creating a conduit through which my profuse nasal fluids hopefully will flow.
It is minimally invasive and there is a 80-90 percent success rate.
I'm psyched. If my head doesn't explode first.

As an added bonus, there is a chance that I may regain a slight sense of smell.

Yes, it may be said that I smell.

I got the CD of my CT scan and looked at it today. I have no idea what I was looking at but it was scary.

Last Sat we went to the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island with Vera and Kelly, my gardening club, an ill-advised excursion for sure. There were way too many people, too much sun and too much ( for me) standing. I was anticipating a hot dog but there were barricades across the street so we couldn't cross to get to the boardwalk, the beach, the rides or my niece Sarah who was herself stuck on the boardwalk.

Seeing Nathan's from afar, I knew how Moses felt coming so close to the Promised Land. Vera, thinking of lost french fries had tears in her eyes. After much travail, walking, dodging of drunken hipsters and more standing, we got to Nathan's. Starving, we waited 1/2 hour on line but finally got a table with an umbrella (shade!) and ate our hot dogs and french fries by the ocean. I don't usually eat that stuff- Oh baby, it was good. Then we all took the train (it was free!) back here, pulled down the blinds, cranked up the a/c and broke out the iced beverages. My migraine had a migraine.

But Sarah fixed my camera problem, as I knew she would.

So the mouse of which I spoke in my previous post left behind many offspring.

We have stepped up to the next level of annihilation- poison.
It is like a grim science fiction story around here.

Of mice and nose

I'm a perfect candidate for sinus surgery, thinks the ENT, which I knew damn well as I was sailing up the river Denial. I've recently been antibiotic'd, scanned, tested, scoped allergy-injected, and probed to within an inch of my life. I've had chronic sinusitis forever and I've been putting this off for years. Deviated septum, polyps, alien invasion, gawd knows what's going on in there, but I did catch the words " bone and tissue" and "removed". I have constant head aches, post-nasal drip, runny nose, congestion and no sense of smell or taste. My sinuses need a conduit in which to drain. See my swollen poor, pathetic face?

But how cute is Steve?
I'm a really lousy photographer, I don't know how to see through a camera and
can't capture my garden. I never get the colors right outdoors- this poppy is actually redder. My garden is greener with magenta rose campion, bright yellow evening primrose, purple salvia and pink wild geranium. What to do?

The slugs got half the strawberries but I got about a pint, not bad.

There were no reported mouse or more importantly, poopie sightings until yesterday when I saw when one go scurrying under the stove where there is an inaccessible hole for the gas connection.
I blame my brother, we were on the phone at the time.
It's really Caramel's fault, she let her dog food sit around too long enticing mousies from I believe, my neighbors to south, one of whom collects and stores cans and bottles in the basement. Charming.
Carmie now has a cotton ball with peppermint oil near her bowl.
And mousetraps on the perimeter!

Snowy on the porch, mice on the kitchen

Who are Grumpy, Sneezy, Dopey and Sleepy? All me!
So much bad news too; earthquakes in China and a cyclone in Burma. So many thousands dead. Jeez.
I slept better last night and today was beautiful so we were hanging out on the porch when Snowy, a dog across the street (one of Caramel's best boyfriends) and owner came over for a visit. He is tiny 8 pound Maltese, and usually sweet as sugar. But he's not altered and is ahem, very attracted to Caramel. He peed all over the porch as a love gift to her. Then I made the mistake of getting my hand between his nose and Caramel's rear end and the little bastard bit me. I can't believe it, he's like a son-in-law!

For weeks we have been waging a mouse war (not like in the Nutcracker) The body count is about 6. Caramel has been only slightly helpful, using her pointing skills. One day as I was cooking, a mouse got caught in a trap behing the fridge. I can't deal, they are too cute, so I had to wait for Steve to come home. But was in the middle of making dinner and had to stay in the kitchen so I turned up the radio as to not hear the mousie screams. It was horrible.
We have taken protective measures and also secured an arsenal of death, screens and steel wool.
It pains me to say this but when we had cats we never had mice. And Miss Caramelly will not tolerate a cat. Snakes or lizards either.

But, my garden is amazing: ajuga, lilacs, azaleas, clematis and iris and chives. All pink and purple. Strawberries and blueberries are in flower. I need to wait for those cursed daffodils to wither so I can plant my peppers, eggplant and tomatoes. If the racoons and sqirrels don't get them.
I've got animal problems.