Ah Chu He Say

Something came along only in recent days, but it has become an annoyance of notable concern. Upon arising, the second thing I do is to boot up the computer and check the mailbox. It's a daily ritual, like going outside to pick up the newspaper (yes, we still subscribe for home delivery), but it can extend into a long session of browsing the web and reading the blogs, though now that the election cycle is completed things have become quieter.

The annoyance referred to in the previous paragraph (which is not something you often find in these postings—I mean, the reference to an item in a previous paragraph) is this:

After sitting at the keyboard for a minute, I suddenly explode in a series of violent sneezes, six or seven or even more, which are immediately followed by watery eyes and a runny nose requiring the application of many pieces of absorbent facial tissue.

It may be the allergy season, or dust emerging from the many hiding places in the keyboard or the humming CPU sitting atop the desk, but the annoyance is that the sneezing has itself become a component of the daily ritual. Maybe it's time for a through cleanup with compressed air. Or, maybe it's a sign from the heavens that I had better spend less time reading all those recycled jokes, and going outside for some fresh air.