So, lately, as in a long while now, I will occasionally smell cigarette smoke and be nowhere near someone smoking a cigarette. I mean, I've always had a keen sense of smell (it was worse when I was pregnant) but this is getting to be ridiculous and annoying. I know our downstairs neighbor sometimes smokes but does so at least some distance from our house and none of our windows are open (but it is an old victorian so nothing is really sealed tight). And this even happens when I am at work. I'll start to smell it, wrinkle my nose and then continue to smell it and then get a headache.

Like any rational human being, I finally just googled it,  to determine what the heck is going on.  I was surprised by the results. It's comforting to know that hundreds of other people are also suffering with this enough so that it can automatically come up with what you maybe searching for, like so:

And upon further diagnosing myself while using the internet I came upon this little gem from yahoo:

"Hello and hope you are doing well. 

Your symptoms could be due to olfactory hallucinations. Phantosmia most often occurs as a result of a head injury or upper respiratory infection. It can also be caused by temporal lobe seizures, sinusitis, brain tumors, migraine, Parkinson's disease and stroke. You may need proper evaluation by your GP, please consult him for a neurological assessment. He may then refer you to a neurologist if needed. 

Hope this helped and do keep us posted. "

This was the top result from drweil.com:

"You may be experiencing phantosmia or 'phantom smell', also called 'olfactory hallucination' and defined as smelling something that simply isn't there.

Phantosmia can be associated with certain illnesses - in addition to epilepsy, it has been seen in persons who eventually develop Parkinson's and in others with brain tumors. And it may occur in patients suffering from depression or schizophrenia and, sometimes, in those with Alzheimer's disease."

GEE..Um, guys, that doesn't sound good..I don't know why I google things..but hey, at least I know I'm not alone!

"But just because phantosmia happens in individuals with these disorders doesn't mean that all cases are related to serious illness. From what I've read, I understand that phantosmia often arises because of a loss of some of the ability to smell normally. The New York Times article quoted Donald Leopold, M.D., chairman of the department of otolaryngology at the University of Nebraska, who has been studying olfactory disorders for 30 years. According to Dr. Leopold, with impairment of the ability to smell, the brain overcompensates by offering up odors, usually disagreeable ones. When this happens, certain neurons, which previously had blocked such odors, turn off.

The good news is that phantosmia often disappears without treatment. You might want to consult an ear, nose and throat specialist with experience in treating distortions in smell. Available treatments include nasal saline drops, antidepressants, antiseizure medications, and sedatives. If all else fails and patients can no longer deal with the unwelcome smell, surgery to sever a portion of olfactory connections can help resolve the problem."

PHEW.

The funniest time that whole google search thing auto finished my question (for me) was I think I was watching E! news or some entertainment/celebrity and saw a clip of Lara Flynn Boyle and was astonished at how much her face had changed. So, naturally I googled it and apparently some other people shared my concerns.

When I'm not able to write a post as naturally as I'd like to, (and when I need even more distraction) I often search anything on google and see what it auto fills for me..yes, I like to live on the edge.

I was going to upload some new photos but, I couldn't find my card reader. I swear I put it..well, I really don't remember where I put it..Sigh.