(no subject)

I went out for dinner last night with MasseyPrincess and another friend. We ordered a pitcher of sangria, and it was so tasty MasseyPrincess suggested that we spend the rest of the summer engaged in the Hunt for the Perfect Sangria. Two bars, four hours and two small glasses of sangria later, I was flushed, nauseous, and experiencing what felt like tachycardia. (On a side note, it's amazing how effective a racing heart is at inducing a feeling of panic, even when you know what's causing it.) These are all apparently common symptoms of ALDH2 deficiency--an underproduction of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase that leads to a build up of acetaldehyde in the body with all the wonderful effects that toxic chemical creates, and a widespread trait among many East Asian populations. (Apparently I did inherit something from my Japanese grandfather.)

Happily, the effects had worn off by this morning, but I think I'm going to withdraw from the rest of the Summer Hunt. On the bright side, if I do in fact have ALDH deficiency, there's almost no chance that I'll ever become an alcoholic (although my risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease is somewhat elevated).

Today I'm listening to the radio version of Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, courtesy of Mercury Theatre Online, and working on editing my the Heritage report so that I can spend the weekend working on my blasted master's thesis, which some foolish kindly book editor has offered to include as a chapter in his new book if I can get into shape in a mere three weeks.