Monday Musings...

Saturday's paper FINALLY showed up, the trash was collected as well, and my wife and I have all the "fixins" for Thanksgiving. Things couldn't be better, right?

Gee...I don't know. How about a sudden bout of general malaise?

I woke up yesterday aching all over, so I can only surmise that even MY immune system doesn't take kindly to at least ONE particular germ. Then again, I get maybe ONE cold every few YEARS, unlike my school-teaching wife who enjoys (?) her YEARLY bout of sharing her students' colds with great gusto.

So here we are...I have the relatives coming up this Thursday for Thanksgiving Dinner, and I'm hitting on about 5 cylinders (out of a usual 8).

Now when it comes to getting sick, I will be the FIRST one to tell you that I am the world's WORST patient. I'm the person that when he's told to "eat light foods" (like oatmeal) will opt for a PLAIN pizza with no toppings (to me that IS light eating). I'm the guy that believes in "toughing through" this kind of physical adversity. Sure you feel like crap, achy, feverish, and the appetite ain't what it used to be. But things HAVE to get done, and if YOU don't do it, nothing WILL get done. I have to be pretty DAMN sick to be "off my feet". That's just an option in my book.
Having spent more time in hospital (as a youth) than most DOCTORS was something I don't recommend to everyone as a way to "get away from it all" (and meet new people). But it is nice to return for another illness and have the nurses REMEMBER your first name. That's reassuring. I think they drew the line at me having my own "suite" with nameplate on the door of the ward. And I NEVER missed ONE SINGLE lesson from school, either. Kids today miss schoolwork WHILE THEY'RE IN CLASS.

Being one of those "sickly youths" growing up was just "part of the territory". Fortunately, as I got older, that all went away. I took after my dad in that respect. He rarely missed a day from work, and basically had to be sent home when he was.

Hell, I'd show up with several types of medication coursing through my body in a foot and a half of snow, when other healthier people couldn't (or wouldn't) make it to work. Even got a day's pay for less than an hour's work when I was one of only THREE people (out of about FORTY) that showed up for work one time. That's sweet.
Still, I'm going to be pulling out all the stops this week, in an effort to fight this microbial attack on my personage. And I'm not taking ANY prisoners in the process. This cold might take some wind out of my sails, but it's sure as hell NOT going to stop me. And I've found that that THIS approach works pretty darn well. Germ warfare is still (and should be treated as) WARFARE!

One of the WORST things you can do is wallow around bemoaning how sick you are, when you could be demonstrating to all these microscopic little shits "who's running the show" here. They invaded YOUR body, and NOT the other way around.

Cold germs are like crimes....you don't give them a place to play, and they have no choice but to move elsewhere.

Taking care of the "basics" is paramount: Drink plenty of fluids (citrus is the best), take some good old JEWISH PENICILLIN (chicken soup), wash your hands often (like after you blow your schnoz), and for God's sake, cover your MOUTH when coughing (and be careful who you kiss). That last one is the worst culprit of spreading germs. One need go no farther to find THAT out than the nearest shopping center or grocery store.

And when it comes to fighting any cold, call me George S. Patton.

(Yeah...think I'll go play that opening speech from the movie....again)