It’s that yucky cold and flu season, and if you haven’t noticed, there’s a bunch of wicked nasty, kick-your-butt, creepin’ crud goin’ around. Ah-choo!! Even folks who got their flu shot are getting the flu (what’s up with that?), and a three-day cold is just a fond memory. Now you’re down for a week, with maybe another week of snot, coughs and feelin’ come 8:30 in the evenin’ like you just got hit by a Mac truck.
So far, Charlie and me have faired pretty well. I’m guessin’ maybe my immune system has been toughened up by all those years of cashierin’ down to the A&P. Years of greetin’ someone with a big hug or handshake, only to have ‘em tell me they’re sick as a dog. And I want to say, “What the heck? Why aren’t you home in bed instead of spreadin’ your germs all over town? And why the hell did you let me hug you?” But of course, I don’t. Best I can do is run off to the employee’s bathroom to wash my hands and pray to God I don’t catch whatever cooties they felt so compelled to share with me. Am I the only one this happens to?
Charlie felt like he was comin’ down with it a few weeks ago, but happily for him, it didn’t stick. Just a few days of me greetin’ him with “Hail, Snot-i-cus” and he was done.
‘Bout three weeks ago, right on the heels of the holidays, actually, I realized that some kind of bug had gotten into my chest. No head cold or nothin’, just not feelin’ quite right when I breathed, followed by this friggin’ cough that won’t go away. A cough that leaves me alone all day, fakin’ me out, thinkin’ it’s gone, then it shows up just before I head off to bed in time to torment me (and Charlie) the whole night through. Buggah!
Charlie’s keepin’ a blanket in the den just to be safe, and has left our bed to sleep in the Barcalounger more than once the last few nights. Leavin’ me all to my lonesome, ‘cept for Scamp, who wouldn’t dream of abandoning me, cough or no cough. Would you, Scamp? No, you wouldn’t!
Odd thing is, once Charlie leaves the bedroom, my coughin’ gets better. Nothin’ to do with Charlie. It just seems like tryin’ not to cough makes me cough more. And once I can cough without the guilt of wakin’ him up, it eases up some. I don’t get it. ‘Less of course it is Charlie, and I just sleep better without the ol’ duffer thrashin’ around and snorin’ beside me. Who knows?
Let’s just say so far, 2013 has been a little light in the snugglin’ up to my sweetie department, Charlie bein’ “nice” to me and all that, if you get what I’m sayin’. Sigh…
But, I do feel better every day. That Prednisone the doctor put me on has something to do with it, sure. But so does the way the snow looks with the sun shinin’ on it and the fact that the days are gettin’ longer. Seein’ them brightly colored primroses that always arrive this time of year down to the A&P, that perks me up. And the hope that maybe tonight is the night my cough calls it quits, and Scamp, Charlie and me get down to the important business of a good night's sleep. ‘Cept of course for the usual nocturnal migrations to the john. But that I can live with.
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
Check out my new video filmed in front of a live audience last summer:
http://youtu.be/38qTwz9I-vs
Coming up this week:
January 23
Book Reading
Patten Free Library
6:30 p.m.
207-443-5141
http://www.patten.lib.me.us/index.html
Bath, Maine
(snow date January 30)
Next month:
February 15-17
I Married an Alien!
Garrison Players
Friday & Saturday @ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday @ 3:00 p.m.
603-750-4278
http://www.garrisonplayers.org/events.php
Rollinsford, NH
If you’d like me to do a reading at your library, organization or what not, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line:
[email protected]
And if your book group wants to read Finding Your Inner Moose, I’d love to be part of the discussion. Especially if food’s involved!
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