Blame These Yellow Flowers

Last week I missed a post. By the schedule I try to follow in getting new Webcomics Worth Wreading entries up on this blog, last Tuesday (not yesterday but the one before that) should have had one. But it didn't, and what's more, I remained silent about it here.

I did say something on Twitter, but I don't think I've ever actually linked to my Twitter account from this blog before... which is foolish, as I always post a link on Twitter whenever there's a new post. So here's my Twitter account, for any who are interested (and who didn't find this blog through seeing something on Twitter in the first place). That link is also now featured on the blog's sidebar, right under the link to the archive page. Progress!

I'll warn you, though, that I also tweet about numerous things that are not webcomics recommendations, and I make no guarantee that following me on Twitter will be either entertaining or informative.

Anyway, on to the reason that I missed a post: Allergy season. Specifically, the season when the acacias start blooming. Everywhere I go, I'm surrounded by these things:

That's an image of an acacia that I found on Wikimedia Commons, taken by Fir0002/Flagstaffos, and used in accordance with a Creative Commons license.

Now, there's a good chance the species of acacias that are surrounding me are not identical to the one pictured, but when they bloom all you can see are big trees covered in yellow flowers, and I can't get close to one without feeling as though my airways are shutting down. (It's not that they actually shut down... to the best of my knowledge, my acacia allergy is not dangerous. It just feels like I'm dying.)

I've heard it said that most people who think they're allergic to acacias are actually allergic to a pine tree that blooms at the same time acacias do, but looks less striking while doing so. However, I definitely feel a reaction to being near acacias specifically, as I learned walking home from school when I would pass by my neighbor's house who had a bunch of acacia trees in the yard. So I'm pretty sure it is those yellow flowers that get to me, and not something more insidious but less noticeable.

The upshot is that for several days in a row, I would think "I should work on my blog... but I'm too tired (from lack of sleep due to allergies) and headachey (from clogged sinuses due to allergies) to do it now. I'll do it tomorrow."

But then it kept being tomorrow, and I still felt the same way.

I feel a lot better now than I did last week. The dusty feeling of breathing in acacia-tainted air is still present, but I'm not sneezing every couple of minutes, I got my voice back, and I (mostly) slept through the night last night.

So I'm penciling in next Tuesday for a new Webcomics Worth Wreading entry like I feel I owe you for last week, and apologizing for leaving you in the dark for now. I'm not gone, and I still have a lot to say to you about the webcomics that I like.