SICK OF SICK

Part II of the Sickly Chronicles (Part I published on March 2nd)
Slowly drove to work on Monday due to the snow. My symptoms are less but several people in the office are now ill. I presume that they all blame me. Draining to shovel on Monday, clean out the end of the driveway after snowplows on Tuesday, and rake the roof on Wednesday. Feeling a bit better every day, though the occasional phlegm attack and congestion continue. Opted out of evening plans due to fatigue. At least my voice is becoming less scratchy.

Nasty snowstorm was forecast for Thursday so I opted to stay home and go in on Friday instead. Alas, I should have gone in then because we were deluged with ten inches of snow. It wasn’t safe to drive on Friday and I called in ill. I spent two hours removing snow with my pathetic snow-blower. Thankfully, a neighbor with a huge snow-blower removed the cement-like snow pushed in by the snowplow. Raked the roof on Saturday, which was also exhausting. I had originally planned to visit my Dad but glad that I stayed home. Ran out of books to read, no videos from the library, and nothing on regular TV. I began calling friends to fill my time.

Saturday night I attempted to sleep lying down for the first time in two weeks. I only coughed a few times, which was followed by blowing of the nose but it was great. I slept a lot better than when I was propped up by pillows. Sunday I had enough energy to clean. A friend of mine requested that I host a party but I declined because I can’t handle the stress right now.

Fourteen days of suffering is quite enough but it continued. The phlegm and congestion lessened a wee bit every day. Of course, I suffered a coughing spat during an interview. I hope that doesn’t count against me. The prolonged cold dry weather, via the Polar Vortex, probably extended my symptoms. I was feeling crabby and exhausted so I cancelled more plans and hibernated at home. At day 23 I finally felt better.

Cough into your elbow!
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved

ROAD CAVITIES

Brown, tan, and grays everywhere you look. The ground remains frozen as the snow melts revealing the trash and sand dispersed during the cold months. We need some gentle rains of less than an inch to help thaw the soil. Instead, the Twin Cities (and much of the Midwest) was coated with another heavy layer of snow. Now is the winter of my discontent!

The roadways are chock full of cavities, wrecking havoc on tires and auto suspensions. A couple years ago on my way to an interview I could not avoid a deep pothole. The affected tire developed a bulge on its side so I had to get it replaced. Tires are very expensive and I was irritated beyond words. The road dental crews need to fill up the crevices with asphalt.

I am crabby about the extension of winter. It is mid-April; I ought to be able to rake away the debris. I want to start my peas and other cool weather plants that can endure 40-degree nights. I want my eyes to be overwhelmed with green and my nose filled with the essence of chlorophyll. I want to hear the happy chirp of birds as the leaves and tulips emerge from their slumber. I want to shed my heavy coat and boots for at least six months. I don’t mind winter but it should vacate by the end of March.

Seeking Spring.
© 2013 Ima B. Musing

ICE HOUSE COMETH

Only rarely do I wish for cooler weather. This is one of those days. At 8am it was already 80 degrees Fahrenheit with a forecast of 100+. Add in humidity and the heat index will be at least 113+. Ugh. My body prefers to be under 80 degrees but I really don’t like it under 0 degree Fahrenheit either.

No air conditioning in this old house. I procured a window unit when I moved in but it isn’t strong enough to keep even the first floor cool so I don’t bother to install it anymore. I am usually content with a fan but that fails when the heat index gets over 90 in the house. I venture to the library to cool down because it is generally quiet and I can use the computer. Alas, all libraries are closed for the Independence Day Holiday. I will sometimes hang out at the mall but nary a comfie chair can be found, its loud, bad lighting, and I don’t think they like it that I don’t have money to spend. I even bring my own water bottle to sip.

I will retreat to the basement to read a book. I can drag down the tv and dvd player to watch movies that I check out from the library. Unfortunately the tv-dvd is about fifty pounds and I worry that I will fall and we both will break. If I am fortunate, a friend will take pity upon me and invite me into their coolness for a few hours. Someday I’ll install an air conditioning unit but right now I have to concentrate on paying the bills. Unemployment still sucks.

Nighttime is tricky. I open a window on one side of the house and have an outward facing box fan in the window of my bedroom. I turn it on and it sucks air from the other side of the house to create a breeze. My bed is about six feet from the door so I partially shut it to direct the breeze across the bed as it travels to the outward blowing exhaust fan. I haul up ice packs from my freezer and place them on the side of the bed near the door. As the wind blows over the cold packs it creates a small area of cool to flow over my body. I use one bendable ice pack under my neck and this mini-ice age works well enough for me to get to sleep.

I really need to slumber in my bedroom because that is where my CPAP machine is located. I need the CPAP to waft air into my nose at night or else I stop breathing. The machine is too cumbersome to haul around. Rock and hard hot place, indeed. It only becomes uncomfortable when the ice packs warm up to room temperature. If the ambient temp has not fallen below 80 then I will wake up. I go into the bathroom and wet myself down in the shower to create a temporary swamp cooler effect. Plus, drink several glasses of water.

Stay cool and have a terrific 4th of July!
© 2012 Ima B. Musing