What's the humidity like today?

Last night, I experienced a humidifier for the first time in my life.  But let me give you some background:

On Saturday, January 3rd, I had a choir audition.  The first phase, I was auditioned by the director's TA and he just heard me on my prepared piece (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uxXWpNQ-mU) and did some tests to see how good my ear was.  Then, if he deemed that I even had a chance, he'd send me in to Sister Ashby's (the director) office, and she would then do a more extensive audition, testing my range, agility, sight-reading etc.  Thankfully I passed the first audition and I was able to sing for her.  

I've been sick for a few days at this point, congested up the wazoo (whatever that means) and coughing up a storm (or a lung).  I'd been drinking a lot of water and warmed up for quite a while before my audition to prepare myself, but my range (how high/low I can sing) suffered regardless.  And she noticed, too.  Sister Ashby said "Are you feeling well? Because it sounds like you should be able to sing higher and lower than what you have done." Relieved, I confirmed, and she said that she wanted me IN the choir.....

.....But that she wanted me to come 

back on Monday "when I was feeling better" and test my range so that she would know what part to put me on.  

My initial thought?  Cool.

My thought Sunday night?  Not cool.  I still am plagued.

SO, on Sunday, I took shots of Robitussin every four hours (like I had been doing for days now) and continued coughing/blowing my nose.  One of my roommates suggested a humidifier. I didn't have one, nor did I know what that meant, really.  So then, being the sucker that I am, I looked online for "ways to recover from a cold quickly" and lo, and behold - a humidifier was suggested multiple times.  The interwebs also suggested that if one did not have a humidifier, to just "take an extra-long hot shower."  At this point is was 11:00 at night, and I hate showering at night.  So then, being the total sucker that I am, I went into the bathroom, turned on the water as hot as it could go, then sat on the floor, fully-clothed, and read a Brad Wilcox book for about 40 minutes.  

Was that a weird experience?  Absolutely, but I wanted to get better so that my range could be what it usually is when I sing for Sis. Ashby!

After me and my drippings couldn't handle it anymore, we went out and found my OTHER roommate in the kitchen who said she had a humidifier I could sleep with!  

 

So she got it out for me and showed me how to work it.  

That night, I slept with the humidifier on my nightstand, blowing right in my face.  I was determined to get better.  The good thing about the humidifier was that it blew out cold humidity, something I had never experienced before.  #Houston.  So, it was weirdly refreshing, and it also reminded me of home.  I slept rather well.  

UNTIL about 5am when I woke up feeling like this:

My roommates laughed at me when they found out I pointed the humidifier RIGHT at my face/pillow/bed, all of which were uncomfortably damp and moist when I woke.  I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to do that.  

After drying my face and recovering emotionally, I turned off the humidifier and went back to sleep for about 5 hours.  (I scheduled my first class on mondays to be at 2:00 pm #notamorningperson).

When I woke up at 9:45 today, however, I was not coughing.  I could breathe.  I was not reaching for a tissue.  I was.. better!!

So, now I am eating a healthy breakfast, about to go take a not-so-steamy shower, and preparing for my follow-up audition.  

Humidifiers work, people.  But...  All things in moderation, ya know?

Double | elbuoD

Ok, so the word double means "consisting of two" or "twice," right?  Ok, so the word double means "consisting of two" or "twice," right?  Cool, and the correct usage of that word would be, say for example:

Julie Andrews has double the amount of pimples today than she had 3 weeks ago. 

The usage was correct, but the meaning was totally ridiculous, because Julie Andrews is perfect and doesn't need to be bothered by skin imperfections like some of us mortals... *cough* me.

ANYWAYS.  I think a more common use of "double," however, is as a prefix, in essence.

Double whammy

Double take

Double date

Double digits

Double dutch

Double feature

Double dip

You get the point.

I know what you're thinking - "Rachel, what in the world is your point?"  Thanks for asking. I'll tell you my point - I invented a new phrase using "double" as a prefix - Double Blog.

I know what you're thinking - "Rachel, what in the world does Double Blogging mean?"  I'm glad you asked.  Double Blogging is when you have two blogs going at once.

I know what you're thinking - "Rachel, you're definitely not the first person to have two blogs, plus the only people that really can pull off the whole two-blog lifestyle are those who are famous in the blogging world, and the people therefore want more of them."  True. All valid points, my friends. But, I doubt any of them became a double blogger unintentionally, which is what I ended up doing.

Here's how it happened.  Today, January 2nd, I was peacefully sitting at my desk, checking I-Learn, aka the online database BYU-I uses for their classes, assignments, grades etc. I saw that I actually had an assignment due soon for my Visual Media class, even though classes don't even start until Monday.  So, I open up the assignment, and it's to create a blog! And make a video for it etc. I just created this one days before I found this out, and I signed up for this class months ago. It's not through Blogger, so that's cool.  I'll just have two blogs.  Double-Blogging. It's a thing. It's a thing.