Wax Removal

            The streets on Monday morning looked like a sidewalk sale of white entrails. Winter had given birth overnight but she had eaten her young before morning. Guts had been thrown up in piles on the corners and intestines were stretched along the edges of the road in sloppy order for sale. From the sight of her effluvial offspring though it was clear that winter does not watch what she eats.

            Later that morning I watched the first installment of the new season of John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight”. It was hilarious. They’ve decided that since Donald Trump only gets his information from certain cable news networks that in order to expose him to the actual truth they will be running commercials on those channels to let him know about the things he is ignorant of such as what is the nuclear triad and what is his youngest daughter’s name.

Every couple of months or so my ears, especially my left one, get plugged up with wax. It didn't start until I was in my thirties and I had to go to my doctor to get my ears flushed out. He just told me that on some people the ear canals get narrower when they get older. For years I went to him every now and then for syringing until about ten years ago I finally asked him if there was something that I could do on my own. I don't know why he didn't tell me in the first place that I could buy a rubber bulb syringe from some drug stores. I took his advice and it was one of the best purchases I have ever made.  The only problem at first was an ear infection that I got after the first few times I'd used the bulb, but when Dr. Shechtman was treating that he advised me to boil the rubber syringe before I used it. Since then I've had no problem, except for having destroyed a bulb while sterilizing it because I'd forgotten that I'd left it on the stove. I had to buy another, which I've had ever since.

On Monday my ears had gotten to the point where my left ear felt numb when it was resting on my pillow, so that meant it was time to flush it again. There were lots in there and some in the right. Afterward though the left one still felt plugged, but after one more try it was clear. I think it was an air bubble left over from the first flushing.