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Showing posts from June, 2013

Isocyanates are a B*tch

I hate working with isocyanates. I was warned. I was told to wear gloves and goggles. I was given the MSDS to the isocyanate. I wore the basic PPE, but I still reacted to it, and now it's gotten worse. My health feels like it is in steady decline at my job. Just two weeks ago, I took three days off because I was dizzy, nauseous, exhausted, and didn't feel well enough to work. Now, today I take my second day off work this week. Yesterday I was sick because of work. Unreal. A little science background on this chemical. Isocyanates are organic compounds with the functional group R-N=C=O. Compounds with two of these groups are di-isocyanates. You can react these with a polyol to make a polyurethane (a polymer). There are different types of isocyanantes, and I work with one of the more commonly produced types that is supposedly less dangerous. When I first started working with this stuff, I broke out in a red, itchy rash on both of my arms. I took photos of it, and I tried eve

Juicing: 3 Day Juice Cleanse

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After my boyfriend spent about a month drinking whiskey every night, he decided it was time for a cleanse. He signed us both up for a local juice cleanse deal. It would be three days of juice. No problem, right? My problems began before the cleanse began. I struggled with an eating disorder three years ago, and I was getting worried in anticipation of not eating for three days. Would I relapse? Was this a good idea? Day one of the cleanse came. I had jogged into work that morning, and breakfast on this cleanse was 32 oz. of coconut water. It was okay. Lunch #1 and #2 are green juices every day. Dinner #1 and #2 are fruit juices. All of these juices were very watery, not very thick, and the bitter collard apple one was definitely my least favorite. I didn't like the taste of any of the juices. By lunch time, I was dizzy. I had to walk half of the way home before jogging the rest. I went climbing that night, and my body was begging me for food. The juices were not cutting it

Book Review: The Great Gatsby

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In May, I read F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby . I remember having an option in high school of books to read during the summer, and my brother told me this was a boring book and to read one of the other options instead. Years down the road, I think he wanted to protect me from the idea of sex and affairs. I enjoyed The Great Gatsby ! It is wonderfully written, and I appreciated its simplicity. During the 1920's, a man, Jay Gatsby, spends his life trying to win over the girl of his dreams, Daisy. The ends justifies the means; Gatsby will do what it takes to become a success and impress her. This includes moving to West Egg and living in the house across the bay from her house. He throws lavish parties and is a wonderful host to all his guests. Daisy, unfortunately, has married a man while Gatsby was away making himself a better man. This husband is having an affair with another woman, and Daisy and Gatsby find themselves back in love. Probably because I'm a sucke