more phlegmy than phlegmatic

In these circumstances, the trick is to:

1. fill a stainless steel bowl with boiled water
2. sprinkle in a few drops of tea tree oil
3. stick your head over it
4. cover your noggin and the bowl with a towel
5. breath as deeply as you can - haul that stuff deep into your lungs and relax even as you begin to suspect that your face is about to melt off

The other trick is to not overwork all week and then have ten people over for the weekend for a massive impromptu Thai curry and multiple bottles of wine sleepover. Do you know that one?

In other news, I found a replacement for the Rat at last. And guess what!? Although I kind of had my eye on anything but a Honda Civic hatchback, I wound up with a Honda Civic hatchback! I blame my deep reluctance to change and the capriciousness of the used car market this week. This slick, rust-free seven-year-old ride is already pimped out: it has power steering, tinted windows and a spoiler - you know, for when I am driving in the Fortune Indy 500 or whatever those races are called, and I need a spoiler to keep the back of my car from flying off into the stratosphere due to sheer torque or powerforce or spacemagic. (I never took physics.) I was told that the mini-spoiler is actually to keep crap from spraying up on the back window in inclement weather, but I know better.

Anyhow, despite this apparent flashiness, the car doesn't have power windows or cruise control or any of that (which is just more stuff that can break). It also meets my requirement of being a gas-sniffer (better it than me).

Now do yourself a favour and go read about sharks and dolphins.