Today was the first day in a long time that everyone who was supposed to go to school did so. This cold is stubborn and a lingerer — even I ended up getting sick, something that rarely happens (overactive immune system for the win!). I only really had a sore throat and I’m feeling mostly better now, which is a good thing as I have to get on an airplane in a couple of hours. For a day or two there I was afraid I was going to have to fly with a stuffed-up head, but I seem to have avoided that particular unpleasantness.

On the topic of flying issues, however, it looks like I’ll have to take a break for three weeks or so this coming winter. Repeated doctor’s examinations have shown that I have significant hearing loss in my left ear, almost certainly due to a condition called otosclerosis. The best, most common fix is a small surgery to remove one of the tiny ear bones and replace it with a prosthetic (my mind boggles). I’ve been put in the queue for this operation, which means I’ll probably be scheduled for December or January. The recovery is said to be fairly easy, but I will have to stay off airplanes for about three weeks. With a bit of luck, those three weeks will fall during a period early next year when I don’t have to be in Uppsala for a while. Without that luck, well … I’ll cross that bridge later.