This has been a very busy day for posts, as this is the third in a series of quality of life improvements. This one takes aim at my peak allergy season, Autumn, which tends to linger into the Winter after closing all of the air inside the house.

More than a decade ago these allergies precipitated a major change in my house, one that had all of the carpets and other dust-catch zones removed. That included my stuffed animals and for two weeks - my cat. The cat came back, he went nuts on his new owner. That was an awesome cat.

Back on track - Air Quality was not much of a problem during the 90s as we made use of a very inefficient air purification system. Over time we even made the system less effective by changing to an inferior filter type. Alas, a couple years ago we retired the purifier and sold it at our garage sale. This was a good decision at the time.

Flash forward - Air quality isn't horrible but the number of visible airborne elements has increased. The number of cats has increased. The number of days I choose to use the allergy medication has also increased. This has had a negative effect on my quality of life in two ways - the allergy medication costs money and comes with a "5pm nap" when administered at approximately 9am. This is my experience with the best medication.

In Canada wearing a mask for protection from allergies during this season is met with suspicion and unnecessary questioning. This is especially true for a fellow with a beard like myself. As such I have come to a harsh conclusion that the allergy situation has become out of hand. I will be looking into new approaches, new technology, and lifestyle changes to meet the challenge of living with allergies without waste or wasteful behaviour. Maybe I'll discover something.