Rant alert: Perfume & Cologne, Health and Manners

Sometimes I get nasty, quick, make me want to cry and or vomit headaches.
Usually a few minutes of fresh air will clear them up, which is good because aspirin and ibuprofen don't help with these.
The reason for today's rant is related to my review of the B.B. King concert. One of the young men sitting next to us was doused in cologne or body spray. It smelled nice, but I had to change seats with my honey, hoping a few feet of distance would help (it did a little), and still I had to through the show with my eyes closed most of the time just to keep the pounding down.
Both men and women have become very inconsiderate in their use of perfumed products.
They aren't migraines, per se, but a chemical reaction or reaction to chemicals found in many, but not all, things perfumed. The list of problems for me includes, but is not limited to, perfumes (though those manufactured in Europe don't often have whatever the problem chemical is), scented candles (the worst), air fresheners, scented bleach and other cleaning products, paint, lost of incense and cologne. Usually I explain it as allergies so I don't have to explain what Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is.
One of my friends has reactions to some, but not all, of the same things I do. There are days when we will be out at the bar that he and I will have to go out to the patio, no matter how cold it is, just to clear our heads.
I have to limit the duration of my visits to my honey's very nice neighbors because they always have scented candles burning and I don't feel like I know them well enough to complain.
I do mention to friends when their perfume or lotion causes me pain, and most of them are very kind and understanding. They ask if something they're wearing is a problem for me, and I will give an honest yes or no. If yes, most of them remember to avoid the offender when they know they'll be seeing me.
Another strategy I've devised is to ask someone I don't know who is wearing an offending chemical what brand it is so that I can avoid it in future. The very worst are things that smell good and give me headaches. That and the slow acting ones that don't give me the quick headache but slowly build.
I don't want perfumes banned, I like it. I have found a few perfumes, through trial and error, that don't make me hurt which my honey and I both enjoy. But I also wear very small amounts. Like so many things a little goes a long way.
This is my advice for wearing scent in public: bathe, wash your clothes (clean is good) and put on a little scent, just a little. If you can smell it on yourself after a few minutes you've probably used too much. This is especially important in indoor settings like movie theaters, concerts and bars. At an outdoor even in the summer less scent will mean fewer bugs attracted to you.
Please educate yourselves, this web site seems like a good place to start: http://www.multiplechemicalsensitivity.org/

Mr. B.B. King

Pardon the delay, but I had a paper and a presentation for school last week.
B.B. King and the B.B. King Blues Band played last Tuesday, April 14, 2009, my honey's 38th birthday, at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus.
I've seen him play here three or four times over the last 20 years and at age 83 the man still put son one of the best shows I've ever seen. He can still play circles around anyone, though he sang and talked a lot more than he played. His voice is as rich and stunning as ever. And he can spin a story, that cracks himself up as well as the audience.
The youngster in the band, bass player who's name I cannot find quickly online, was probably in his late 50s, but who cares? The band (especially the horn section) and B.B. were having more fun than most performers I've ever seen. I would recommend spending the price of a ticket to any young musician so that he or she can see what putting on a show is really about.
Willie Nelson's son Lucas opened, and I must admit I preferred the first song he did, solo, to the performances with his band. The kid has potential, though, if he can get away from any expectations his father's fans might have.