The Dream

I dreamed I felt something odd in my mouth, so poked about with my tongue. That's when I realized I'd grown several more molars in various places throughout my mouth. For some reason, this was not perturbing. Then I woke up.

*cough cough* Can't Hack This *cough*

Since Demeter abandoned the world in a fit of pique and the temperature has plummeted, my lungs have been caught in a hot vise. It feels like two thirds of my lungs have been cordoned off, and I only breathe through their diminutive tops. Temperature changes only make it worse, so going to kung fu seems pointless, and even counterproductive. As long as I stay inside my nice, warm apartment, I can function. But if I trudge outside in subzero temperatures for twenty minutes, then train really hard in a warm room humidified by the clean sweat of athletes, my body shuts off. My vision greys, my hearing trickles down, my heart leaps in my chest like a frightened bird, and my already weakened breathing becomes a Heraklean task. I end up sitting out most of the class, and coming home a trembling, wheezing wreck.

So what do I do? Do I skip any kind of exercise until Demeter decides to resume her seasonal obligations? Do I tear out my lungs and replace them with someone else's? If I had a way of getting to the kwoon without needing to go outside, I might be able to manage a bit more of my training before my asthma kicked in. A drive there might do the trick, but I can't afford taxis. Blargh!

My Balcony is for the Birds

The flock was back, today. Three little pigeons who've lost their mittens were pacing back and forth on a thin dusting of snow. Bird tracks litter my balcony. f00 handfed Scroffy, making sure the other two pigeons didn't get any. I think this was ill-planned on his part. He should have waited until only Scroffy was here. Instead, while Scroffy pigged out on dry bread, two other googly sets of orange eyes stared wistfully. Every now and then, they'd fly to the window sill, only to be rebuffed by f00's big, scary presence.

They won't be afraid for long, though.

Scroffy is the king bird. When he first showed up, a few months ago, he was a sorry-looking specimen. His feathers were in disarray, his colour was dull, and he was quite ugly. Now, his feathers glisten, he looks sleek, and he's no longer ugly. This is what comes from being fed good food on a regular basis. When the other two birds tried to horn in on his food, he chased them away with a growling series of coos. When the three mingle on the balcony, he's the bossy one.

f00 witnessed a funny thing. One of the newcomers stood on the balcony railing. The railing is round, and presumably rather slippery. The bird lost its balance and its legs slipped, leaving it astride the rail, legs dangling on either side. It flailed its wings, but couldn't get enough power to lift off the rail. Instead, it had just enough power to send it scooting on its arse right toward the brick pillar. Finally, it achieved escape velocity and extricated itself from its embarassing predicament. f00 laughed and laughed, and I'm sorry I missed the sight.

f00 told me not to name the other two pigeons, but one of them is Lemmywinks. ( I don't know about the other, yet. )