Aachoo!

I seem to be seriously allergic to our new apartment. Well maybe seriously isn't exactly the right adjective. It's not like I've swollen up, can't breathe and need an epi pen. Perhaps 'seriously inconveniently allergic' is more accurate.

When we first moved in a few weeks ago, I noticed that if I spent any amount of time in our new massive closet that my eyes would start to itch and my nose would take on the role of 'appendage I hate.' (Why was I spending time in the closet? It's HUGE! I was having a blast hanging everything up for the first time in eons, okay.. years.) I figured it was just something a bit wonky with the carpet in there and that I'd just reduce the amount of time I spent aahing over the new space.

So, the closet and I put a little distance in our relationship and all is good. Until I get the bright idea of turning on the air conditioner. The flat is humid. You run the dryer, take a shower, turn around twice and there's condensation on the french doors. You can feel the humidity as soon as you walk in. It's not noticeable once you've been inside for more than a minute, but that initial step over the threshold is unpleasant. I dread the day we have someone over and it smacks them in the face with it's fat sweaty humid hand. Putting on the air conditioner was my way of trying to fix this. Open a door you say? I would but I'm kinda concerned that Leeloo would take a flying leap onto the balcony railing and go sailing over the other side. We're on the fourth floor; it would be a bad thing.

Off and on the symptoms come rushing back, once or twice I figured I was getting suck. After all I am spending a lot of time with the toddler set. I pick up some airborne and don't think too hard about it. However, I only seem to be sick while I'm at home... this doesn't sound like your typical cold. It takes me about a week to link my sniffles and the air conditioner. (Remember, I smart.) I haven't been running it all the time, just on the few occasions that the flat warms itself up above 70. It was only today when I'd left it on all day that I finally got that light-bulb moment. My eyes were itching, my nose was running, yet I'd been perfectly fine all day OUTSIDE of the apartment.

Fine. I'll turn it off. No more air conditioner. No big deal, it IS the middle of winter after all. I'll just have to go buy a dehumidifier. The question bothering me now is, can we live in one of these apartments come summer when we'll HAVE to have the air on? How do I figure out what, exactly, it is that's setting me off?