I'm beginning to think I'm developing an allergy to things I like a lot. Like gin, for instance. My favorite alcoholic beverage is a gin and tonic. G&T's, as I so fondly call them, have been a favorite of mine for years. Now, suddenly, each time I drink one -- even a sip -- my neck breaks out in a rash and my face turns flaming red and becomes hot. Tonic water and lime alone don't cause this reaction, so I know it's the gin, damn it! Now I have to search for a new favorite drink. Tough work, but somehow I'll muddle through.
Three summers ago, I learned the hard way that I have a sun allergy. I've always been sensitive and have had to be careful due to my white skin, but on a trip to Mexico that year, my feet and ankles swelled up like blistered balloons after a twenty minute stroll down the beach. Not fair! I'm a warm weather girl. A beach bum. An ocean lover. I adore nothing more than feeling the heat of sunshine seep into my pores, sand between my toes, salt water lapping at my feet. I refuse to give all that up, even if it means applying sunblock every ten minutes. And, if that decides to stop working, I'll resort to wearing an old lady swimsuit and a big floppy hat.
Now my newest allergy, apparently, is strawberrys. I love them in ice cream, on shortcake, with cereal. I've never had a problem with them before, but this morning I ate some with my Cheerios and my tongue started itching. Please, no! Not strawberries! What's next? My husband? Will I look at him and break out in hives?
One thing I'm allergic to that I don't like so much is waiting. Waiting for the next visit with my sons, who are away at college. Waiting to get that check in the mail. Waiting to see the cover of my next book, and then for the book to show up in stores. Waiting for those extra pounds to magically fall off, for that new wrinkle cream to start working, for my laundry to wash itself, for the dog to learn to feed herself. You get the idea. Right now I'm waiting to hear what my agent thinks of the two new book proposals I sent her yesterday, checking my email every half hour to see if she's sent me a message. What's the matter with her? Why didn't she drop everything when my proposals showed up in her "In" box? What else could the woman possibly have to do other than read my work? Sigh.
Wish I could stick around and talk about something profound but, alas, I have to go check my email again. And maybe try a martini while I'm at it. A'la' James Bond--shaken not stirred. With Vodka, not gin.
About Me
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- Jennifer Archer
- I write novels for teens and adults. Visit me here & on my website http://www.jenniferarcher.net
9 comments:
Oh no, not strawberries! And Gin? Hmm...I can't imagine what I would do if I suddenly rashed out after tequila. :)
Tequila...I'm allergic to that, too, in a way, though it doesn't give me a rash! You don't want to know...it's not pretty...
I love guacamole. But, for a while there, I was worried I wouldn't be able to eat it anymore...
When I was young (which is too far back to count) I was very excited about making dinner for a guy I was dating. I made guacamole from avocados and a mix I found in the veggie section at the supermarket. About 30 minutes after I ate it, my lips were so swollen it was hard for me to talk. I was SO embarrassed! Of course, we laughed it off later, but at the time I was mortified. I sent in a dramatized version of this story to a radio station about a year later and won a lunch with one of the morning deejays. I think I would've rather eaten the guacamole again. :)
But, I do eat guacamole to this day. I must have been allergic to something in the mix. So, besides whatever was in that mix, MSG, and penicillin, I can indulge in just about anything. ():)
Duchess,
Oh no! The swollen lips reminds me of that movie with Will Smith that was out a while back where he has a food allergy and his lips swell while on a date. Too funny! I love guacamole, too. Oh, please please don't let me become allergic to that!
I worked in an allergy lab for ten years, and the good doctor (PhD) kept reminding me that allergies were often triggered by hormones, i.e. kids becoming allergic during puberty. Nice man said when I got to menopause stage, my allergies might subside. (Okay, sure, I wanted to believe that, and maybe they have - some). Anyway, if you're at that cursed age, allergies might be catching up to you. Just a suggestion, but watch the calendar. Maybe there will be times of the month that strawberries or gin won't be quite so toxic. And keep the Benadryl handy. I loved the movie, Hitch, but the allergy scene should have had him in the E.R. - not swigging bottles and bottles of Benadryl. Benadryl might take care of hives, but I doubt if it would do much for anaphylactic shock.
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I recently started having exactly the same reaction to gin. Bummer. I haven't tested it thoroughly, but I think some brands may cause more of a reaction than others. Gordon's seems OK for me, but Booth's is really bad and so is Tanqueray.
Oh no, not gin, you poor thing! Over the past few years I've started developing allergies, the only fruit I seem to be able to eat now is bananas or grapes. You know that if the fruit is tinned or cooked then it's fine to eat?
If I developed an allergy to gin I'm not sure how I'd cope!
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