The flu?

Sometimes I think we get so used to feeling crappy all the time that when we get something else like the flu we don't know enough to just lie down and rest and get it over with. I, at least, keep thinking it is Hepatitis related and therefore not much you can do but motor on. I've been fighting nausea since Thursday and extreme tiredness and I'm starting to think it's the flu. But for the last 3 or 4 days I have been fighting through it and motoring on after a rest to settle the stomach. Today I am giving in and staying home and just doing nothing but read and rest.

Saturday morning we were up early and I knew the bookstore was opening early because of the Harry rush so we waited and went up around 10. There was no lineup and the ladies were looking lonely. Another lady and daughter arrived while we were getting our book and I was asking if they had been busy and she said not really. I said I had waited til I thought it would be quieter to pick it up. The other lady and daughter had done the same. But we both got our copies and clutched them to our chests and went rushing off to read.

I got home and settled down on the couch in my computer room (it was raining so no porch swing) and stayed there for several hours reading. All of a sudden Josh arrives and is mad. He has just been up to Safeway to grab some food for camping and there at the service counter were copies of Harry for $19.99 after Josh had prepaid at the book store to the tune of $29.99. He was all for taking it back and buying his copy at Safeway. But after huffing about it for awhile he gave it back to me and headed out for camping. Late in the afternoon the skies cleared and Al and I went out for a walk and he was wanting to know if the book was good and I was wanting to discuss various aspects of it with him so I made him stop at Safeway on the way home and I went in and got him a copy as well. Home again and we did a bit of housework and had a light dinner and then both settled down with our books. We are both about half way through and are really enjoying this installment. I was reading this morning about JK Rowling and how hard it was going to be for her to stop writing Harry books but I think it will be a lot harder on us loyal Harry fans.

Yesterday I woke up feeling much the same and fought back several bouts of nausea (Al is one of those types that if he feels sick he goes and throws up and is done with it. I on the other hand fight it and will do almost anything to avoid throwing up) and started out with a fairly quiet morning. Then for some unknown reason I was feeling guilty sitting doing nothing and decided to work on my computer room for awhile. Al had other plans of little things he wanted to accomplish around the house and yard. I quickly came to the conclusion that the only way to procede was to get Al to move the work table (attached to the wall) to the wall I now wanted it on and then I could slowly go about putting things where I wanted them and getting myself re-organized.

I always preface these ideas to Al with the comment "Hey babe, I've been thinking" and he hates that! He says whenever I say that it means work for him and he is usually right lol He had put the table where it was now and when he went to move it he had attached it to the wall so well the first time that he had a hell of a time getting it taken down. After several sheared screws, much foul language, several reproachful looks and a big scratch on his tummy he managed to get the table moved to where I wanted it. I spent the rest of the day alternating between bouts of nausea (time to sit and read my book for awhile and do some deep breathing) and getting a bit of energy and guilt attacks, I worked on getting the room set up the way I want it. Al filled holes and whatnot but I wouldn't let him paint right now. I just wanted to get things put away and in some kind of order.

I was worrying that I would recieve my Card Angel assignment and not be ready to go with worktable in order and all my card making supplies at handy reach. And really it couldn't have worked out better because when I sat down at my computer last night there was my Angel assignment! I have been given a teenage boy here in Canada that is suffereing from cancer and going through chemo. So today I start by getting a card and an introduction letter off to him and his family. You are given the chance to turn down your patient but I think a teenage boy is right up my ally. He is into video games and rap music like most teen boys.

When my boys were home they got me playing Nintendo and Super Nintendo and all the various video games and then onto computer games. When Rogue Spear came out Josh got me playing it and took me onto Mplayer and left me there telling me briefly how it worked to join games etc. I have been playing with and talking to the same group of online players now for 5 years. A good portion of them are teen boys but there are also women and men who played RS and joined the leagues ( I was in ROD - Revelations of Death!!) and got to know one another. We have a forum we all still go to and I am an admin on that board. RS and Mplayer died and the kids have moved on to other games and GameSpy but we all still come back to the board and stay in touch with each other. It should give me some insight as to what my new buddy is interested in and after watching the boys chat on the board for all these years I feel fairly comfortable taking on a teen boy.

My two best online friends are both male. John is from Scotland and has been over to Iraq as a reserve a couple of years ago. He phoned me from over there and has called me from Scotland a few times to chat. I know all about his family and his mom and dad and bothers and nieces and nephews. He is in his 30's and has met a nice girl and is getting married this year. My other buddy is a university student in Connecticut who had a liver transplant 5 years ago. We have our livers in common and speak often. He is doing very well and going into his senior year this year. He was only 17 when he had his transplant. I think my association with both of these guys and having 3 sons should help me considerabley with my teen patient.

The flower at the top of the page is something that came up at work but I have no idea what it is. Jude bought a bunch of bags of bulbs last year and they sat around and then one of the girls we had at work for a short time potted them all up for her but threw away the bag and tags so we have no idea what they are. We grew them just for ourselves so it's no big deal but it would still be nice to know what it is. It is certainly gorgeous!

Well I am off to phone in sick to work and go back to bed with my book for awhile. If this is flu well then I'll give the old bod a rest and hope it gets over it and if it's the Hepatitis well then I probably need a day of rest anyhow!