Peggy Lee Can Keep Her Damn Fever!

There are two things I hate – being sick and having to admit I am sick. I rarely find myself in the former state and next to never in the latter. As such, my home is not equipped for dealing with such a ‘situation’. I refuse to use the word ‘emergency’ as that would give this pesky little virus too much power! And I say “NO” to that! I have to admit that my voice is deep, rich, velvety and downright sexy because of this flu/cold but it is an unpleasant experience in pain to swallow at all. I also must admit that I have no one to blame but myself. This cold and flu season I failed to heed to wise words the Pink Dollhouse Girl imparted on me about a decade back - wash your hands! I still do, but not as much as one should at this time of year. The last few flu free years made me drop my guard and now I am paying for it.

This part is a little gross. Heads up. Last night I found myself unable to sleep as each time I gulped, coughed or swallowed I was awakened from my almost slumber by an un-extinguishable pain. During the day it is not as bad as I refuse to swallow and just keep spitting in the sink. (Don't worry, I am getting plenty of liquids. Another reason I couldn't sleep) I don’t like eating Halls at night because I don’t want all that sugar sitting on my teeth, but by 2:37 this morning I could take it no more and started on them. They were no help. Neither was the raw garlic, gargling with cider vinegar, the hot water with honey, lemon, cinnamon, ginger and cloves or any other home remedy I have tried the last two days. The gargling with cider vinegar though is GREAT for clearing phlegm out of your throat. The over the counter cold and flu, this and that crap were no better. I ended up sleeping on my side – terrible for morning face crinkling – with a towel under my mouth so the drool could just slide out and I wouldn’t have to swallow. Let me tell you, the goop caked onto the side of my face this morning was not pretty. Not to mention the fact that the towel had adhered to my cheek. At least I managed four hours of un-interrupted sleep.

Despite being somewhat under the weather, I still think I can function normally. It is fortunate that I had taken these last three days off work to study so didn’t have to call in sick – something I refuse to do. In reality I felt mildly better on Thursday (in my mind I was ALL better) so plowed ahead with dinner plans for Mr. Underpants, Kit Kat and Little Lord Fauntleroy. We went on a tour of France starting with homemade split-pea soup and finishing with tarte aux pommes. It was delicious. Or so I was told. I managed the soup but could barely touch my tourtiere. This by all counts was scrummy.

I still have leftovers but am saving them for when my taste buds and throat can truly enjoy them. I had to head out yesterday for my sick comfort foods – Lipton’s chicken noodle soup (the packaged one with the short noodles), ginger-ale (Canada Dry, only “the champagne of ginger-ale for me) with a bendy straw and Halls. Having gone without much food I whipped up a batch of soup, put it in a huge salad bowl and ate the whole thing (supposed to serve four) in one go. Then I got a belly ache. D’uh! What can I say, I hate being sick and don’t know how to deal with it when I am. Mark my words virus, you are going to rue the day you came into body! Rue the day! Start ruing!