I've been reading up on laryngitis, since I've come down with it. They say you should consult a doctor "if you have a deep cough or, in a young child, a cough like the bark of a seal." If my child barked like a seal, I'd have her exorcised. Or put in a zoo. Or on America's Funniest Home Videos.

I've also taken to drinking ice-blended drinks, and communicating my order to the cashiers with pen and pad. I've discovered that people are quite nice to you when they think you're mute. So I may make a practice of it, especially since speaking is generally more onerous than writing.


  ¶ 4:38 PM