Can You Ear Me Now?

First off, I apologize for the pun.  Normally i hate puns, but it's hard to resist using one when I come up with it myself.

I'm entertaining the unfortunate possibility that I may have an ear infection.  My left ear is slightly swollen, has ached since yesterday afternoon, and really hurts when touched or lightly pulled.  It kept me awake until almost four in the morning last night (unfortunately, not the type of insomnia that cures writer's block, and it also sucks because I've been yawning a lot, which just makes my ear hurt more).  I also seem to have gone temporarily and partially deaf in that ear.  I looked up "ear infection" on Wikipedia and have come to the conclusion that it's probably otitis externa (inflammation of the outer ear). (Middle-ear infections are what little kids usually get, and are usually preceded by a cold or caused by allergies.)  The article said it's an inflammation of the skin (hence why it hurts to the touch), usually comes on rapidly and worsens rapidly (true in my case), and the description matches the symptoms I've been having.  It said it's often brought on by people trying to clean out their own ears (which I do, a lot.) (Sorry if this is TMI.).  It sucks.  So I'm just taking ibuprofen and praying.  Ick.

In other (more cheery) news, however, I go to Beechpoint this weekend for a youth retreat!  Yay!  Unfortunately, this will probably be my last official youth-group event.  Sad.  Although even that has its upside, in that I'll get to start going to the College & Career life group once I get my driver's license (which has to be in the next two and a half weeks).  Beechpoint retreat = lots of singing, pizza, games (HUMAN FOOSBALL for the win!), and über-awesome God-time.  I'm excited!  'Tis going to be fantabulous.

Helping my youngest brother Dave make French toast for lunch.  I'm trying to show him how to whisk eggs and he's upset because he got eggshells in the batter.  He's so adorable.  :)  And his cooking is actually quite toothsome.

Anyhow, I must now depart.  Have to leave in 41 minutes and haven't actually packed yet...oops.   I probably won't get another chance to write until Monday, since I will be gone through Saturday night and the zombie I will be on Sunday probably won't have the necessary brain function to do so.