These Things Make Me Happy

It's spring in New York, which means my eyes are red and itchy, and asthma is settling deep into my lungs. A new study indicates depression and allergies are linked, especially in women. Also, suicide rates spike in spring as the pollen count climbs. Blerg. One thing that stuck out to me in the study is that people reported crying more frequently during allergy season. I can relate. Last spring I cried every night for weeks because my symptoms were not helped by any medication, and just got worse and worse as time wore on.

This year I've found eyedrops that relieve my symptoms (Bepreve), and am taking a homeopathic gemmotherapy tincture. Allergy season is much later because winter in the East was so long, so I can't really tell yet whether the homeopathic remedy has helped — or whether the pollen season has yet to peak. I'm prepared though for when it gets bad: I bought a mask, which I wore today for the first time. Luckily it takes a lot in NYC to earn a second glance. People don't really care what you wear here.




Anyway, to combat allergy-related depression, I am watching the above video daily. I just love the Beastie Boys. Last night I made my husband (who missed most popular culture between the early '80s and late '90s because he was raised in an oppressively conservative church) watch 40 minutes of Beastie Boys videos. At the end, he said: "I don't get it." It's lucky for him that I only just found this out now — and not before we got married.

Other things that are making me happy today:

Awwwwwwwww!

AND (drumroll, please) I fixed my trousers! They're almost done. See?

Yes!

 First I ripped off the waistband. What a mess:

 Then I put the pants on, inside out, and pinned down the side seams until I had a good fit. I blended into the original side seam at the knee:

 Then I sewed along my line of pins, and serged the side seam to finish it:

And then I took a little off the waistband at the side seams (because the waistband is curved and I didn't want the shape to change), and sewed it back on. You can see it's pinned on here:

 

I still have to topstitch the waistband, and then make buttonholes and sew on buttons. But check out that fit! I am stoked. These pants are going to look so awesome with my allergy mask.