Monday, April 20, 2009

Lipton Tea and Me

I am logging back in here, weak as I am, just to apologize for all the times I have told people I had the flu when in reality I had something much less lethal.

I know this to be true because for the past 6 days, 10 hours, and 13 minutes (or so) i have had the Real Flu.

I am surviving on tea and the 'Quil's, with an occasional Ricola thrown in for solid food.

The worst thing about the Real Flu, apart from the inability to breathe, is how much wasted Bed Time there is. Here I lie, between pink floral 400 count Egyptian cotton sheets, nestled in my summer down comforter from IKEA, fan whirling overhead, Door Closed (!), minimal responsibilities, and I'm too tired to read a lousy book.

Or even a decent one, for that matter.

I did finish James McBride's The Color of Water, which a friend loaned me because the mother in the story is white and she has 12 black children - - which means we are So Totally kindred spirits and would probably be BFF's in real life (sorry for the cynicism, I blame it on a 'Quil hangover.) Actually, I enjoyed it - and am inspired by this woman's tenacity. I love a book that 'tells it like it is', and this one does.

And I read a couple of chapters in A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion - which made me even more ill since I'm barely cognizant of even having children right now, much less educating them.

I'd like to read A Wrinkle in Time before I get well, or go to Heaven - whichever comes first.
It's on the bed with me right next to the Kleenex box, the Vaseline (for the dry, chapped nose and lips), and the remote to the fan- which I constantly use as the fever surges and wanes. Good thing, it's paperback. Maybe I'll have the energy to turn some pages later.

(And don't be thinkin' I'm All Melodramatic. This is the Real Flu. If I was over 50 or an infant, this would be very serious. Oh My Goodness.... I AM one of those...)

This would be the perfect time to try and finish up my book club's May selection, Sacred Influence, but (and I hate to state the obvious...) I'm not sure a self-help book is the thing to read when you might be with the True Helper before the next meeting.

My plan is to try and stay in bed for two more days - and by "stay in bed" I mean in between picking the kids up from school, taking them to band, driving to crew practice, and taking a van load of girls to a restaurant to celebrate Mary-Faith's 17th birthday today. All while trying hard not to exhale my germ-ridden breath into the van.

The Hubs should be praised for doing all the morning routines for the past week, on top of the weekend shuttling. Honestly, I've been in the Twilight Zone and have barely been aware of the comings and goings of the Fam. Good thing he's a hands-on Dad. What do the wimpy dads do when their wives are on their Flu-beds?


When Molly gets home from school, I'm going to walk her through making a triple chocolate cake for us to share when Mary-Faith gets home tonight. I am trying hard to stay very far away from all food prep until I get well (so sad......NOT.)

IF I survive this, I have a great idea for a sequel to the Everyday in May blogging contest from last year. (Apparently the Real Flu makes a person so delirious it blocks out memories of regret from past promises to blog every day for a full month.)

Maybe I'm actually starting to feel a little better. I'm thinking of getting up and doing a load of laundry. Better yet....I should probably just snuggle in and wait for that urge to pass.

If you have a Flu Cure, please add it to the comments. If you want to tell me to Buck Up and Stop Whining....(which means you've obviously never had the Real Flu), post your complaints over here. She gets so many comments, she'll never notice yours.

Farewell.

(I'm certainly not.)

14 comments:

jax said...

Wait ... you're an infant?

Thia said...

Hope you feel better soon!

Miss Leah said...

I guess I shouldn't tell you the things my mother does to improve health....you might avoid her for the rest of your life. Something tells me you're not interested in taking a walk right now, which is the first order of the day for sick people, for her. And she actually DOES IT, too!

busymomof10 said...

Sounds like you've been hit HARD! We had the flu at our house a few weeks ago, but fortunately I was spared the horrors of this ailment. I just know my big whoppin' boys were laid low -- so I knew I didn't want the thing! Like you so perfectly articulated, what's the use of getting sick if you are too ill to catch up on your reading???

I hope you are feeling better soon! Now I know why I haven't received your old year's letter yet! :)

Elizabeth

Check out --- http://yes-theyre-all-ours.blogspot.com/2009/03/our-cozy-quarantine.html

Davene said...

I'm so sorry to hear you're sick. What a bummer.

I hope your recovery speeds up...but I also hope that somewhere between now and full get-out-of-bed-and-be-normal recovery, you get the chance to do some more reading. :)

brite said...

Now I know where I get the whole "Being sick is such a huge unproductive waste of time" attitude from! :) Rest longer than you think you should (which is hard when you've been out of the kitchen for so long) because you don't want to get it again two weeks later. And I'm pretty sure the warnings are for infants and the elderly, as in, great-grandmothers...you are a GREAT grandmother, just sans hyphen.

Pam said...

Oh we all had the real flu last year and I so know what you mean. I cried in the shower (slumped to the floor) every day wondering how I was going to get through the day of little children etc. Thank God for a friend who came every day.

I won't tell you how long I was sick.

Anonymous said...

Awww, I hope you start feeling better soon! I have had the real flu before. It felt horrible, and I don't even have any kids to keep track of yet!!!

lea said...

not only can you not do your home duties... i haven't talked to you in a week! i miss you and can't wait for you to be back to full fighting strength... and going out to lunch strength!

lea said...

you might want to check out my blog... i might have committed you to doing something... but it was YOUR idea first. just remember that...

Julie said...

Oh no! The flu is horrible! I hope you feel better very soon!

Kahlua Keeping Koala said...

I'm so sorry! Last time I had the flu (seems I've had it only twice that I remember!) S was and infant - and he was way bad off. That was scary... I drank OJ which L delivered as his parents were delirous on the couch and recliners... Drink up.

Kahlua Keeping Koala said...

Miss Leah, I agree that with sickness you must get out and get moving, but I've also had the real Flu. Walking is not possible...

Laura said...

I'm glad you liked the Color of Water. I thought it was very inspiring. By now you should be feeling better and hopefully Miss Molly is on the mend.