One of the side effects of not being able to get down to Virginia for Christmas this year was that of not having to drive back during, or in the aftermath of, the Boxing Day Blizzard that blanketed the Northeast. We ran errands early on Sunday to make sure we had enough food (and other staples) in the house to last a few days, then settled in for the duration.

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If my online presence has seemed a bit sparse this week, it's because most of my time has been "off the grid".

Without going into the sordid details, we have been without gas and electric for the better part of the past week, and will probably remain so for the next two or three days.

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The weather outside has been relatively mild the past couple of weeks -- but you'd hardly know it from looking at me. I've been fairly consistently wearing base layers underneath my short-sleeved workshirts, multiple layers of polar fleece indoors, consuming more commercially-made soup than is good for me, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and still feeling chilled and unable to warm up.

Lest you think it's all in my head, my hands have been turning blackish from my fingernails to my knuckles -- and my toes, likewise. It's not the first autumn that I've had to deal with these issues, but it seems ridiculous that I should have to wear base layers designed to be worn for outdoor winter sports (these garments actually come with warnings to not wear them in conditions over 55 degrees Fahrenheit!) indoors just to keep from constantly shivering, yawning, and doing everything else that suggests I'm running borderline hypothermic. (READ MORE)

As people with diabetes, we are told time and again to make sure we schedule regular oral care visits, as diabetes makes us both more susceptible to oral disease (cavities, periodontal issues, etc.) and makes it more difficult for us to recover from the procedures needed to treat that disease. "Why," you may then ask, "have you never sought out dental care as an adult, even when preventative care was made available to you, free of charge?" My answer to that can be summed up in a single word.

Orthodontia.

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It's about once a week now that my college sends out an important "Flu" reminder. Wash your hands, stay at home if you experience symptoms, and seek treatment immediately for the more severe. We've had several reports of swine flu, including some students in my friends' classes. And more and more of my friends are coming down with colds and "flu-like symptoms."

For me, every reminder and every swine flu diagnosis sends a tiny shock-wave through my system. I know that my immune system isn't that of a healthy, non-diabetic. It has its weak spots, its vulnerabilities. Especially lately with all these highs and crazy numbers.

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I'm (cough) just wondering a few things about your products (sniffle). You see, before I had diabetes, I had many, many wonderful choices of cough drop flavors to help me get through a cold or even to ease the pain of a scratchy throat (blow nose). Now, though, I'm limited to a very few, select flavors in your sugar-free line.

(sneeze) And while we're on the topic of your sugar-free line, can you kindly explain why there are fewer cough drops per bag than the sugar-filled variety? Why (sniffle) do I have to pay the same amount for fewer pieces of relief? (cough) Furthermore, can you tell me why the "value pack" of your regular variety has 80 drops and the "value pack" of the sugar-free drops has only 70 and I pay the same amount (coughcough)?

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