Damn this frail human body!

I'm not going diving today. I'm going to follow my friends along to the dive site, and watch and help while they go. But there's no way I can put my head in the water without blowing out my ear drums.

Just yesterday I told a friend that I would keep up my current pace of work and travel and play and diving until it made me sick. At the time, a small allergy attack was affecting me, but I thought it would be temporary. It didn't abate last night, and I awoke this morning with a fully stuffed head.

When diving it's important to equalize the pressure in your sinuses and inner ear with the ambient pressure at depth. Snot prevents this. Meaning that on the way down you experience pain as the pressure builds until eventually something breaks. I've met a diver who could blow bubbles out his ear. While an amazing party trick, this is by no means a desirable thing.

Sure nature didn't design us to live underwater. But our glorious intelligence and technology has overcome these mere physical limitations. Hasn't it? Mostly. *sigh* Some days I'm reminded I'm still only human and have physical limits. No matter how much I don't like it.

Update: Two hours later, and I've bailed entirely. I sent Tobias on without me. I'm going to take advantage of my stuffed head, do the heavy dusting, and then consider an afternoon nap.