During our Tech Council meeting this afternoon, I had to leave to answer a “higher calling” for a moment. (Tech Council is a group of faculty and staff members who get together to (ostensibly) steer the direction of technology in our school district. On paper, anyway.) The closest facility was the one in the high school administrative offices. This is used only by adults. When I walked in, I noticed a hand-written sign hanging on the wall that I’d not noticed before: DO NOT PUT PAPER TOWELS IN THE TOILET.
This concerned me on two levels. First, who doesn’t know that? I mean, really? Besides, there’s a trash can right there, so why would you need to? But second, and perhaps more important, you know they wouldn’t put that sign up if someone hadn’t done it. So this leaves me wondering which administrator or administrative assistant brought about the need for the sign.
When I arrived home, I shared this information with Jen and Gracie. After dinner, Jen excused herself to use the facilities, and Gracie shouted, “Mom! No paper towels in the toilet, or we’ll put a sign up!” I burst out laughing. Gracie looked at me and said, “Dad, I’m just kidding.”
Then we candled Jen’s ears. Ear candling is a process I’ve learned of only recently. In fact, as recently as about a week and a half ago, when I came home from work and Jen told me that she had candled her ear with her Mom’s help. Now, I must admit that what I pictured was not what ear candling is really like. I pictured a real candle, with wax and a wick and everything, and I honestly wondered how that would help open up one’s ears. But I was wrong.
An ear candle (we used Wally’s) is like a beeswax tortilla rolled up tight. You stick one end in your ear and light the other end on fire. Sound dangerous? Not to worry! The instructions say to wrap a wet towel around your head first. Fire safety at its best, folks. And these things really flame up, too. Gracie was panic stricken through the entire candling process, and she’s even seen it before. We did two candles in each of Jen’s ears. Apparently, the warm smoke is “guided” into your ear where it softens, um, crud and stuff. Jen’s ears have been blocked lately. Although, according to the instructions, some people do it just for fun or something.
The things we do for love. Jen offered one or two of the ear candles to me, but I declined. My ears are quite fine without being set on fire, thanks. Jen’s always willing to try things like that, but there’s no problem I have that can’t be fixed with Ibuprofen, some allergy medicine, and/or a nap. We had a similar conversation years ago when her family tried to convince me to go to the chiropractor. I told them I wasn’t willing to pay someone to crack my back when I have friends who will do it for free. They persisted, and I told them that unless the chiropractor’s adjustments could make me taller, make me thinner, or bring back some of my hair, I wasn’t interested.
Oh, speaking of ear candling, I need to go put the batteries back in the smoke detector.