First World Problems

[mathnerd]

TawnyMyst, I feel your pain. Check out labels for the presence of tomato. That shit's in *everything* Even Doritos! My doctor just started me on small doses of prednisone and large doses of Famotidine because the test for a reaction to airborne particles just came back positive. The hope is that the new meds will slow down/prevent a reaction if I do something silly like walk past an open bottle of ketchup.

[Jester]

I know exactly how much beer you have stashed in various places around your apartment.

Oh, you knew about the stash under the corner table? Didn't realize that.

My problem was that I wanted those specific beer to get cold, and there wasn't room.

Freezer for 30-60 minutes. Done and done.

One of the very few things I remember about the night that I had a major reaction around Jester is the look of sheer terror in his eyes while we were waiting for the ambulance to get to me. I'm pretty sure he'll never make that particular recipe around me.

Lest anyone think I accidentally poisoned her myself, we were out at an eating establishment when the cross-contamination occurred. The recipe she's referring to is the one referenced in Wolfie's smartass comment.

And in my defense, I would not call it a look of terror so much as a look of concern and I'm-ready-to-leap-into-action-as-soon-as-you-let-me-know-what-I-need-to-do.

My freezer is to full of yummy foods...I had to take out my ice maker tray.

My freezer is what I call my Bacon Hold, for two reasons: last year for my birthday, a friend shipped me a ridiculous assortment of bacon, which amounted to eight pounds worth of different bacons, among other tasty treats (including bacon hot sauce and bacon salt for Bloody Mary's. That's in addition to the 3 pounds or so of bacon I still have portioned in there from when the grocery store with the best bacon in town closed and I stocked up, since I use that bacon in my chili.

I have finally started to use some of it recently, having made veal meatloaf, and planning on making another. (I pulled the hickory bacon out of the freezer for that one. It was a random pull, but it worked well.)

The hope is that the new meds will slow down/prevent a reaction if I do something silly like walk past an open bottle of ketchup.

Some of you make think that mathnerd is exaggerating for effect. I can't comment on the whole airborne thing, as I'm not a doctor nor have I seen it happen.

But I DO know her sensitivity is so high that I've seen her require an epi-pen when cleaning up a table we were dining in a restaurant and accidentally briefly touching some barbecue beans with her bare hand. I've also seen her taken out of a restaurant in an ambulance after dining on a sandwich with no tomatoes. Our guess is that since the sandwich in question normally has tomatoes on it, one of the cooks either put them on the sandwich accidentally then pulled them off, or touched tomatoes then touched her sandwich, either way causing incidental contact contamination.

Yeah. It's that bad.

[TawnyMyst]

I'm not quite that bad yet! It may end up that way though. 2 years ago I could have pineapple no problem, it was one of my favorite fruits. Then I started having stomach problems when I ate it and now my throat starts to swell when I accidently ingest it. So far I have to eat or drink it for a problem to occur but it seems to be getting steadily worse and it's in everything it seems these days! At least my other major food allergy, fish, is easier to avoid.

[MystyGlyttyr]

My new Winter Soldier poster doesn't match the Captain America and Iron Man posters next to it, so I have to update them so my wall isn't uneven.

Secondary problem: The Captain America calender doesn't come out till July

[mathnerd]

Tawny, that's how I started with tomatoes. According to my mother I got horrible GI distress and a vicious diaper rash when she ate anything with tomatoes in it when she was nursing me. They'd always upset my tummy a bit, but I loved them, so ate them in moderation until my early 20's when undeniable allergy symptoms started appearing. First it was hives, then moderate breathing problems, to what it is now, which is full scale anaphylaxis within seconds.

Jester, I just had the test done yesterday. They had me in the ER to do it. Basically, they stuck a mask on my face with standard medical oxygen running through it, then released small amounts of potential allergens into the air flow and watched for a reaction. I'd had a couple of reactions in the last few months I couldn't explain, so that's why they did it. Anyway, I didn't react to anything but tomato in that test, and the reaction started within seconds. I feel like shit today, ftr. They introduced some of the more common allergens like tree nuts and peanuts, as well as some plant pollens before they got to the known allergen.

ETA: Yeah, I know about the stash under the end table. I made a smart ass comment about it when I noticed it. If I recall correctly, it was either during the powerboat races or one of the times I was down there for interviews.

[smileyeagle1021]

First world problem (humorous): I had a hanking for a philly cheesesteak last night around midnight and the closest 24 hour place with really good philly cheesesteaks is 400 miles away (this is about the one thing that I like better about Vegas than Reno, there is quite literally good 24 hour EVERYTHING... Reno is superior to Vegas in almost every other way, but damnit, what I'd give for good 24 hour food that isn't either a greasy spoon or classic coffee shop).
First world problem (somewhat serious): It is getting warmer than I expected and I haven't yet ordered the replacement pads for my swamp cooler (gotta use a swamp in the desert, A/C leaves the air way too dry) and have to use fans to stay cool.
First world problem (kinda depressing): My job has been partially replaced by a computer and I may have to take a pay cut because of it.

[wolfie]

Reno is superior to Vegas in almost every other way, but damnit, what I'd give for good 24 hour food that isn't either a greasy spoon or classic coffee shop).

Opportunity for an entrepreneur: Restaurant that does 1 or 2 dishes from each of a variety of origins, and does them well - open 24/7. How hard can it be to do a decent cheesesteak?

First world problem (kinda depressing): My job has been partially replaced by a computer and I may have to take a pay cut because of it.

Computers will never fully replace you - SCs preferr to scream at biots (cookies for reference).

[MoonCat]

Could have taken express bus downtown - chose train instead. Missed train by 5 seconds. Waited 20 minutes for next train. Not paying attention when I got downtown - got off at wrong stop, had to walk twice as far as normal to work. Result: Late to work.

Sunday ad showed up on my desk - should have been down in production. Somehow was put in wrong bin last night. Result - ad will not run on Sunday.

First call was an old man, took five minutes to explain how to do what he wanted online.

Computer problems, can't email customers. Half my job involves emailing customers. Result - delays, frustration, stress.

Corneal abrasion opened up again, and I have ANOTHER one in the other eye. Result - Mooncat needs a vacation!!!!!!!!!

[Cia]

Have you tried using heavy whipping cream? It may be enough lower in lactose that you won't need the lactaid with it. Other than that, I'd suggest trying some of the milk alternatives out there, like rice, almond or soy milk.

*sigh* My first world problem is that taking care of a kidless house is not all that much actual work, so I get bored in the evenings after my boyfriend goes off to work.

I've tried coconut and almond milks (dark chocolate almond milk is to die for) which are a good substitute for the milk half of half-n-half but so far nothing for the cream half. As for heavy whipping cream - if it came from a cow the lactose will affect me.

[Cia]

There you go, CIA.

There appears to be more flavors of half n half from them. :-)

That page from Amazon is the only one I've found that states mini moos are lactose free. IIRC I saw a box of mini moos at Safeway so I'll check to see if they are or not. Thanks for the tip.

[Jester]

First world problem (somewhat serious): It is getting warmer than I expected and I haven't yet ordered the replacement pads for my swamp cooler (gotta use a swamp in the desert, A/C leaves the air way too dry) and have to use fans to stay cool.

Desert boy disagreeing with you here. AC is the way to go. At least in Phoenix, and here's why: during the two months when it gets mildly humid (August and September), swamp coolers are utterly useless.

Also, it's been my experience that AC is just better all around and keeps the place cooler. At least central AC does. Of course, it's a matter of personal preference, and Reno may be different than Phoenix when it comes to the first part of my comments.

How hard can it be to do a decent cheesesteak?

Decent? Not tough. But to do something so iconic well is another story completely. And you're talking about doing several iconic dishes well enough to build a business. Not easy at all.

[Seshat]

But I DO know her sensitivity is so high that I've seen her require an epi-pen when cleaning up a table we were dining in a restaurant and accidentally briefly touching some barbecue beans with her bare hand. I've also seen her taken out of a restaurant in an ambulance after dining on a sandwich with no tomatoes.

Oh, I believe it.

My eyes can start watering and I can start sneezing when someone lights a cigarette on the other side of a very large room (think auditorium sized). (Yes, smoking indoors in public places is now disallowed in Aussieland - I haven't had that problem in giant rooms for a while.)

[Deserted]

Desert boy disagreeing with you here. AC is the way to go. At least in Phoenix, and here's why: during the two months when it gets mildly humid (August and September), swamp coolers are utterly useless.

Also, it's been my experience that AC is just better all around and keeps the place cooler. At least central AC does. Of course, it's a matter of personal preference, and Reno may be different than Phoenix when it comes to the first part of my comments.

No, you're right. I've done a summer here with only a working swamp cooler, and it sucked. A lot.

[wolfie]

No, you're right. I've done a summer here with only a working swamp cooler, and it sucked. A lot.

[SC]This swamp cooler you sold me is defective - I demand a full refund. I took it with me on my vacation to Okefenokee, and it didn't cool the place down at all![/SC]

[mathnerd]

Between me and my kids we have 3 iPhones and an iPad. I'm upset that my laptop just went to the great office in the sky.