New level of Duh-Huh

I mentioned yesterday that I had a persistent headache, and that my best attempts to get rid of it were lacking. I finally figured out why about 7:00 last night. I hadn't had any coffee since about 8:30 in the morning, and the only other caffeine I'd had was a Diet Pepsi with lunch.

Hi, I'm EJ and I'm a caffeine junkie.

Yes, I did get some coffee. Yes, my headache went away. Yes, I slept just fine last night. No, it hasn't come back today, but not for lack of trying. I zapped it with Sudafed at the first twinge.

I'll be really happy when allergy season is over. Of course, then I'll have the heat to gritch about.

Progress

I just made my word count goal for the month! I'd say that makes for a good Friday the 13th. Time-wise I'm almost four hours behind. Adding an additional 13 minutes to my daily goal will get me where I need to be by the end of the month. I'm thrilled with the word count, though. I thought about adjusting it up, but I'm going to leave it as it is and see if I can double it. That should be pretty easy if I keep going as I have been.

The four day migraine shot everything in the foot. I'm still not feeling great. My sinuses hurt, although I'm doing everything I can think of to prevent a sinus infection. The hot tub helps; the steam and the neck jets help my head, and the sound of running water helps me plot. It doesn't help with day-to-day stuff; I'm struggling to keep up with laundry and dishes, and I find myself thinking, "Man, they're going to want to eat AGAIN tonight!" on a regular basis. We're lucky that God gave me a man who likes to cook!

Speaking of which, I need to check on dinner, and then it's back to work.

Dear Auto Design Engineers,

Cars have come a long way in the last couple of decades. Safety has improved, and who'd have thought we could have our very own GPS and satellite radio? Honestly, sometimes I feel like I'm almost to the Jetsons stage!

While I'm sure you work very hard to integrate really cool stuff into your designs, it's clear to me that none of you spend any amount of time driving teenagers around. You're hard at work, I know. I was an engineer's kid, and I know how many hours you put in, so please allow me to make a couple of suggestions.

You know the window behind the limo driver? The one that goes up and down? The one that blocks out noise? I want one in my van. Teens are loud. They don't necessarily mean to be, but teens are, at heart, large toddlers. They won't throw sippy cups at each other, but they will yell at the person sitting fifteen inches away.

An integrated air filtration system would be nice, too. Sometimes the only warning we get of less than pleasant odors is the untying of a shoe lace or a smothered hysterical giggle. It's hard to get the windows open fast enough in cases like that, and sometimes it's raining. Or snowing. Not fun. Of course, the limo driver window would also be handy in those situations, as long as the kids open their windows for oxygen. Would that be manslaughter or suicide if they suffocate in the back seat?

Some sort of surveillance system might be helpful, too. Not cameras, necessarily, but maybe something more like a motion sensor/electric fence combination for the back seat. I was a teen once. I know what can go on in back seats, and I'm too young to be a grandma. A little electric prod, or even a squirt gun, might be just the thing to adjust the mood. It should probably have a secret shut-off feature. Wouldn't it be a drag to be on a road trip sans kids, stretch out in the back seat for a little nap, and get jolted?

I know these innovations could cause potential liability issues, but I have confidence that anything you can't work out, the corporate lawyers will be able to handle. Isn't that what warning labels are for?