Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Things I have learned today...

While chocolate does indeed help (thanks, Jules!) playing in the dirt goes a long way towards alleviating one's self pity.

Self-inflicted physical pain also tends to take one's mind of of one's mental angst.

Apparently, and previously unbeknownst to me, I have an adverse topical reaction to raw chilies. More specifically--chili oil. I have had blister burns that were more bearable than the way my hand has felt for most of the day--and my right thumb still burns. It was a couple of innocent looking jalapenos--not some vicious variety of habanaro or scotch bonnets. Fortunately I managed to crawl to the computer before attempting to cut off my right hand at the wrist and beseeched the google gods for advice on removing myself of chili oil. I also learned that I am not the first person to ask such a question. Always a good feeling to know one is not alone in one's idocity.

For the curious: soaking in rubbing alcohol works. Sorta. It at least got me back to Funtional. Which is really all I hope for everyday anyway.

5 comments:

Julia said...

Dori, I'm always game to confess my idiocy too. I had the great idea to roast chilis last summer(which I later discovered were jalapenos - need to work on my veg ID skills evidently). I carefully washed them and sliced them with bare hands. Didn't realize that oil would be released by the warm water and didn't immediately feel the burn. Wished I didn't have hands for two days, and every time I got them wet the just-calming pain started all over again. Alcohol based hand sanitizer worked for a bit. But not really.

Eat some more chocolate. It helps dull the pain of idiocy, too, not just homesickness. Really, is there anything chocolate can't fix? You know, that isn't fixed by another type of sugar?

Suburbia said...

Ouch! We grew some fairly harmless looking ones a few years ago. There were so many I dried them and tried to thread them onto a string. I didn't wear gloves. Just sticking a needle through them made me have a hot hand for days. No where near as serious as yours though. Hope things are getting cooler now.

Momma Val said...

Ooh ouch! I have never experienced that before but have indulged in some severely hot Indian food that I thought I could handle. My mouth was burning for hours, I felt so hot I thought I was going to pass out. White chocolate is good but I find more comfort in the real stuff usually. On occasion I used to buy a little bag of Nestle's White Morsels during PMS, yes it is a comfort indeed :)

Self-inflicted pain? Well I never do that. JK! Hope you are back in good shape soon :)

Natalie said...

I finally got around to getting onto your blog after searching out fellow LEO wives, and what a horrible discovery that you burned your hands!

Before hubby became LEO, he worked in the produce department of our local grocery store and got burns from CELERY of all things.

He can handle all forms of peppers and eats jalapenos straight from the jar or fresh; just pops 'em in his mouth and doesn't break a sweat. Yet, celery has given him some burns on his skin that's turned to scars. Beware of celery in large quantities!

Soozcat said...

Geh. Yes, I too have learned to my detriment that chili oil is not water-soluble.

Also, celery is The Evil. Bleah.