Pardon me while I just s-i-g-h.....

I really did try hard. I did everything but enclose myself in a waterproof suit and wear a face mask but the germs still got to me anyway. Yep....bronchitis and a sinus infection. I have learned not to wait with this kind of stuff cause it only gets worse. I didn't see any sense in going into the doctor's office because I get this just about every Fall.....I figured he could call a prescription in for me and I wouldn't infect his waiting room. Well, I called and of course I had to go through the whole business of recorded announcements, computerized voices and voice mail. I ended up leaving a message which they said would be listened to and handled shortly. Well....good thing I wasn't dying! 24 hours later, after no response from them, I called back and I was more than a little bit ticked off. This time they called in the prescription for me within an hour.

So I have missed a week of work and that's like throwing money out the window. I haven't felt good at all and when I'm not happy.....ain't NOBODY happy. (just kidding about that.....I actually curl up in a corner and just feel sorry for myself). I wasn't able to get my flu shot because I didn't think it was a good idea to get it when you're sick already. So I've started the 5 day dose of antibiotics and I hope this does the trick. Last time I had this stuff, it took two prescriptions to clear it up.

Sorry I haven't said much.....I just haven't felt up to par. I've been trying to make the rounds and visit everyone though. Hope you all are feeling well. I'll see you in a few days....hopefully bright eyed and bushy tailed.

I Do This Sometimes.....

Many years ago I saw this picture in a magazine. It was a postage stamp size picture and was advertising a tapestry for sale. I really loved the colors and interpreted it as a representation of these "older" ladies gossiping up a storm on their shopping day in the village. I drew it, using the tiny one as a guide. I named it "Social Network". Its done in pastels (chalk) because I can work with that pretty good. I am terrible with oils or watercolors.

Its 38 degrees here and, according to the weather map, we have snow coming....its 3 counties west of us. A good day to snuggle down inside and maybe read for a while. I still have some laundry to do, but I can read while the machine does the work. I surely would be in a mess if I had been born back in the day when there was no such thing as electricity. I have the utmost respect for the Amish. Although if we didn't have a TV or a computer, think of the extra time we all would have.

My granddaughter, who is in kindergarten, has missed several days of school along with about 10 others from her class. Seems as though a "single dad" brought his child to school sick because he didn't want to miss work. Needless to say, the whole class was exposed and now every mom of every sick child from that room has it out for that dad. I can picture them with torches and weapons, circling his house, ready to spill blood. (shades of Frankenstein) My daughter has cleaned up so much puke that she's practically traumatized by the whole ordeal. Who knew that such a small child could expel such large quantities. Heaven help that poor single dad if my daughter ever comes across him. It won't be a pretty sight.

I'm baaack.....

OMG I am soooo glad to be ALMOST myself again. I still have one day left to take my antibiotics but I think this bug is nearly dead….gasping for breath…back of the hand to the forehead…asking for smelling salts. Lordy, lordy, Miss Scarlett…you be lookin’ a might faint. Yes….good old Aunty Biotic kicked butt.

All I can say to anyone is that if you start to get sick….don’t ignore it. I could barely hear for a total of 17 days! NOT fun.

Thank you…thank you…. to all of you who sent me well-wishes and actually got worried when I was absent for so long. You all made me feel so special.

But I am nearly myself and am ready to kick butt….ready to spiff up the areas of my life that were ignored for about 2 months. I am once again strong but humbled. I guess its always good to remember that.

I had a solicitor who made the big mistake of knocking on my door a couple days ago. He was promoting some sort of program that alleges to give you gas for heating at much cheaper prices. Both my daughter and my neighbor got fooled by that a couple years ago and ended up paying twice as much. When he started his sales pitch…I interrupted him and said “how can you work for a company that rips off consumers like this one does….you ought to be ASHAMED of yourself”. Then I promptly shut the door. This is how I knew I was almost fully recovered…..my aggressiveness is back.

So now I have to sit and think of something witty to write about….it will come…I just have to wait for it. I’ll be back.

Bringing in the Big Guns.....

I went to see my doctor again today and even though much of my congestion has cleared up, I’m still not rid of this damn bug. He told me that its something that is going around and its very resistant to antibiotics. So, I came away with a prescription for some stronger meds…..more than three times stronger than the ones I was taking. He also gave me some nasal spray to help with the congested ears. Being down with this for so long has really kicked my butt and frustrated me in many ways…but its also made me think. I know I read way too much and that, of course, always affects my thinking….but it makes one wonder about the future and if the meds we have now will be capable of controlling illnesses that we can catch as easily as walking across the room. Wasn’t it T.S. Eliot who once wrote….”this is the way the world ends…not with a bang but a whimper”. Shudder….I don’t think that’s a good thing to think about……but I hope some scientists are. I’m gong to concentrate on getting well and I’ve promised myself I won’t let myself get so run-down again. After all….I’m no spring chicken anymore. Thanks for all your well-wishes. I’ll be back….bigger and better. Well…hopefully not bigger….but better, yes….better.

Oh…and Crusty…my apologies to my credit card company. They did call me…it was on my answering machine…I obviously missed the call because I couldn’t hear the phone. So they did follow protocol and then followed it up with an email.

Nasty night.....

When I finished up my workday today I knew I didn’t have to be back until January 7 and the thought of that made me tingle with happiness. Not that I hate my part time job or anything, because I don’t…..but I am just worn out and desperately need the rest. I think I’m close to having pneumonia to tell the truth. The holidays have just about done this old girl in. LOL I need a hot bath and a warm bed for several days in a row then I should be right as rain.

Speaking of that….weather-wise, tonight is one of the most miserable nights I’ve seen in a long while. It was nearly dark by 4 pm, 34 degrees and raining hard. By 5 pm, 33 degrees, the rain changed to sleet and it was dark. The wind was brisk and bitter on top of that. I have a rough time driving at night and the rain/sleet just made it all the worse. I was so happy to reach my driveway and pull into the garage and into safety.

Needless to say my jammies were on in record time, a stiff drink in my hand and I had my butt parked in front of the computer to check on my mail and blog comments. I have no reason to leave this house for a week and I hope nothing comes up that makes me have to leave.

So I am going to finish my drink and then get to bed. I sure hope I feel better by tomorrow morning. I hate sounding so whiny - I don’t even feel good enough to read more of my book.

On Recovery Road.....

Well, I think that NyQuil® and I have managed to beat back the germies and my inner immune system is waking up and starting to get to work. I don't feel wonderful but feel a whole lot better than I did a few days ago. I actually lived in my bed, making a tent of comforters and quilts and practically rubbing down my whole body in Vicks®. Unfortunately my daughter and granddaughter managed to catch this and now they don't feel so hot. I really hope they will be OK for the holiday but it will be close.

Someone had told my daughter that if you ever want to know when you've been exposed to a germ, to count back 4 days from when you first come down sick. I did that and it coincided with a visit to the beauty shop where I get my nails done. I remembered that when I was there this guy was in there working on installing new fluorescent bulbs in their overhead lighting and he was coughing. BINGO. The culprit has been fingered. I have mental pictures of abusing him severely for going to work 'sick'. I wonder if my nail tech came down with this too.

I think I can venture into work tomorrow. I called in sick on Friday. Not only did I feel like death warmed over, I did not want to be blamed for infecting the whole building. The last time I worked was Tuesday so if anyone caught anything from me on that day (doubtful) they would have it by now. Tuesday night was when I really came down with it hard. Before that it was a little stuffiness and a sore throat. I think my poor immune system was trying hard to fight it off but apparently I have a lot of lazy soldiers in my platoon. Most of them were sitting in front of a TV playing video games or maybe playing poker.

I can tell I'm a lot better because I am HUNGRY. I am "chew on a table leg" hungry. I have a chuck roast in the crockpot that's been there since this morning and the whole house smells wonderful. It has a couple hours to go and I'm panting in anticipation. (wouldn't want to waste away to nothing here)

Thank you to all my readers who wished me well, either in the comments or by email. It certainly is appreciated. Hopefully I can get back to writing with more frequency again.....unless all the work from Thanksgiving cooking does me in. LOL In the meantime, stay safe.....take your vitamin C's and beware the germies. Oh, and what an evil bunch they are, too.

Intruder Alert.....

I don't know how it happened; I'm usually very cautious. He crept up on me when I wasn't looking. He wrapped his germy cape around me and whispered gleefully in my ear - "Gotcha". In an instant he was gone, running off in search of someone else, laughing; muha ha ha ha ha. It started out as a scratchy, sore throat. I gargled and that was gone by Monday but I was stuffed up to the max. NyQuil® and I have been battling this cold since then. Yesterday I felt just awful; today I'm not a lot better. I think I had a fever on top of everything else. NyQuil wiped his brow and told me he's doing the best he can for me. The only good thing about this is that I'm confident I'll be all better by Thanksgiving. It should have run its course by then. Hopefully. (hear that, NyQuil?)

In the meantime, stay safe out there. The germies are out and about and looking to get you.