12.1.05

chill

i didn't tell you about my chill, did i? it was awful. i guess it was sunday night. after i'd finished my paper, and i was just typing online. i had the heat turned off, as i had just spent time in germany, and they are all so good at keeping their heat regulated. unfortunatly, my house has no doors, it's mostly a big box with a few walls. and the windows.... don't get me on the windows. and the heater in the studio (read: bedroom/living room/ office) doesn't work. so i can heat the whole house with the one in the dining room no problem, but it takes some time. it's just a mess. anyway, had the heat off all day, which was silly, should have had it on when i was sitting still working. so i'm all distracted online, and all of a sudden, i realize i'm really cold. not unusual, i often need to go put on a sweater. but then i realized i was shivering inside of my thick tights, flannel petticoat, jeans, longsleeved t and ruth's big wool sweater. that awful cold where your joints ache, your nipples hurt, your toes are numb...awful. put on my nightgown but left on the petticoat and sweater, put both duvets on my bed, filled up my hot water bottle, and put on a hat. and turned on the heat, of course. granted, staying up way past my bedtime and not eating dinner prolly didn't help things much, either. i kept waking up all night taking off layers. by morning i was in just a tshirt and a sheet, and completely drenched with sweat. have felt yucky ever since, it's like i'm going through the flu one symptom at a time, instead of all at once. i hope i can hold out until the end of the semester, when i'll have time to take care of myself and recover.

but about today. the notable thing is i got stuck in an elevator. was going up to water the flowers on the 92nd floor. got on the elevator and the outside doors closed, but the inside ones didn't quite. i was afraid it was going to move like that, but it didn't. the security guy answered quickly, and was very friendly. i was all by myself and it was a huge elevator. so it was a very bizzare feeling, knowing how much this would freak so many people out, but i didn't care at all. i'd be terrified stuck in an elevator in my building, knowing it would drop me down 8 floors. but i trust the sears tower elevators, and i was still on the 2nd floor, so i didn't have anywhere to drop to, and there was lots and lots of space,, and i knew the security guy was calling charles and letting him know what was tatking me so long, and there are little tvs with news clips to keep me entertained. apple is planning on selling a 99$ ipod. islamic terrorists were found in munich. a and aa grade of eggs grades shell thickness, not quality. is 50degrees and raining in chicago today. it was maybe 5, 10 min. before the repair person came to let me out. still, it seems like a good ice breaker at a party or something. "well, i was once stuck in an elevator in the sears tower. it was just me, and all i had with me was a little pink metal watering can."

2 comments:

Jamie said...

Heh. Since it all seemed to be nothing more but a moment to remember, it doesn't sound so bad. Reminded me of the elevator I had when I lived in Bonn. Okay, it was only going up to the third (in your world: fourth) floor (where I lived) and it was some old made in the sixties elevator, but after all it was the only one I ever got to know that seemed to have a life of it's own.

Like "Hey, only one task at one time. I'm not willing to multitask. I'll first take that guy and when he's left, please push the button again."

Or "Hey, did you just accidentally push the button for the floor that I'm on. I can't bring you there. We're already on that floor. Yeah, well, I'm going to close the doors nonetheless. And not move. Let's see how you like messing with me now."

I loved that elevator. I knew all his tricks and pecularities and I still kind of miss it.

caitlin said...

the 4th floor? that's a walkup in germany! you should have been taking the stairs anyway (if ruth read here, this is where she would be making a sarcastic comment)!

but i do understand about inanimate elevators having personalities. mine hates going to one. it will open on 2 if it doesn't feel like going down the whole way, and if you don't get out there and walk down it will go back up again. and it wouldn't stop on 8 where i live for weeks- you could get off on 7 or 9, but not 8. or it does this lovely thing where it's almost there, so it opens the doors, and moves the last 15 cm with the doors open....
so it makes the ones in the sears tower seem really ritzy in comparison!