Darn Allergies!

If you think back a bit, you'll remember that I cleaned the livingroom the other day. The dust really did a number on my allergies, and because I'm pregnant and can't take anything for it, I haven't been able to breathe through my nose since (almost a week, for those who are counting). Part of the problem is that we live in a very dry area. No lush, green grass for the kids to roll in beside our house. Just lots of rock and dirt. To make matters worse, it's very windy here. So, all the dirt gets brought inside, of course. When you've got kids who won't put their toys away and who throw clothes on the floor, the dust pretty much just gets mixed in with it all. This is all part of the motivation to get the house more organized. I figure that if I don't have toys and clothes to sort through on the floor, I'll get less contact with all that dust. That should help things, but it's not the only solution.

See, we don't even have a working vacuum cleaner, so I have to actually sweep all that dust up with a broom and dust pan (not ideal for the allergy thing). A while back, my mother-in-law let us borrow hers. Unbeknownst to her, I was researching exactly what I did want to buy at the time. Apparently, to save me the time and money, she generously gave us the one we had borrowed and bought herself a new one. It was a kind thing to do, but since it's not equipped with the allergy-essential HEPA filter, I was a little annoyed. She had just taken away my reason for buying a nicer one. So, I was stuck with a functional, yet mediocre vacuum cleaner that I could feel the dust mite-filled air seeping out of when I used it. A little while back, though, it broke. I was annoyed at the time, because it was, afterall, the only vacuum cleaner in the house. That meant I was back to sweeping.

So, the other day when I cleaned the livingroom, I was pretty much bathing in all that dust that I kicked up with the broom. After a week of not breathing through my nose (and I am not exaggerating), because of a bad case of allergic rhinitis, I cried my eyes out yesterday and begged my husband for a nice vacuum cleaner. We really can't afford it, what with the house we're trying to build, but just think of the money we'll save on Kleenex alone. At least, that's what I told him. He was sold on it. Most likely the pitifulness of my constant allergy attacks have gotten to him - finally. So, yesterday after lunch we all hopped in the car and headed for the store to hunt for a vacuum cleaner. I had already done quite a bit of research on the net before going, so I sort of knew what I wanted. After seeing the different models at the store, my decision was made. We (err, I perhaps, but he agreed with me) went with the pricey yet fancy (and supposedly effective) Dyson. This one, to be exact. It feels a little like you're weilding some kind of weapon from a science fiction film when you hold it, but it's said to be the best in bagless technology, and it has great suction. Hopefully, now that the house is getting more organized, and I'll be able to vacuum more often and more easily, I think this will help keep the allergy fits to a minimum.

Oh, and by the way, there was a small catch in all this planning that meant that I didn't actually come home with the vacuum. Like I said, it was pricey. And, I really mean that. And, we just can't spend 500 smackeroos on a vacuum cleaner, so I found it online for a heck of a lot cheaper and will be ordering today. With supposed 48-hour shipping service, I should be sucking up those evil dust mites in no time.

In other, perhaps more interesting news, I have almost finished with that little pink sweater for Lambchop #1. I've only got another mile of i-cord to knit and then some edges to finish with a crochet hook. Good timing, too, because we've apparently got a little cold front on the way for tomorrow. If I'm lucky, I'll actually have it done for school tomorrow. That'll make her day.