Velum

Who uses it: Ear, nose and throat doctors
What it means: The soft palate, which moves up and down behind the hard palate. Most snoring is caused by the movement of the velum.
How you can use it: When your throat hurts.

"You have to gargle with salt water," Anna told me yesterday. "But it hurts," I said. "I know it does, but that means it's healing."

I have never understood this philosophy of "if it hurts, it's working," which explains why I do not exercise as much as I should. Nevertheless, I did gargle yesterday, and my throat does feel better today. My head still feels larger than it should, and my back still hurts, but I was more productive yesterday than I'd been in a long time, and Dizzy and I will go home later this morning.

Thanks to the Lechners for rescue, and to Dr. Anna for the medical advice.

Happy birthday today to Linda Brown of The Mystery Bookstore, who by some mysterious process seems to be aging backwards.