Sniffle, sigh...

"I'm not going to get sick." Mom bragged from the front seat as I sipped Sunny Delight and read a book to Little One - something about Dora, Boots, Valentine's Day and Rainbow Mountain. "I had a flu shot, and I'm taking antibiotics for something else! I'm so healthy!"

"A cold is a virus." I informed her nasally. "You think your body is strong enough to fight it off?"

"I do." She stated confidently. "Bring on the viruses!"

"And your body will just say 'Pow! Pow! Pow!' and battle them away." I confirmed. "While mine is asking why it's cold here and wondering what's up with all these unfamiliar virus strains. From northerners. And little people." I said, offering Little One a tissue and Life Saver as she coughed again. "My throat hurts." I whined for the millionth time.

"Drink your juice." Mom advised.

"Read!" Little One demanded.

I did both on the ride home from a brief shopping trip to Target and Yankee Candle (annual sale and clearance at the latter! And Juicy Grapefruit and Greenhouse are being retired. Sad - I'll miss them. But happy - they were cheap to buy right now.) Then I took Tylenol Cold, went back to realize it was the nighttime formula when I couldn't keep my eyes open, then napped with a surprising depth. I woke up 2 hours later feeling like I'd just fallen into bed. Bless you, Tylenol Cold Nighttime. I just took more.

I have decided to drive home on Sunday after church, which means there are several more days of no links in my posts, sporadic checking and rare responding to email, and getting achy from lying on the floor, propped on my elbows, and typing.

And I'm getting very little done. I did work on my grant a bit last night and have ideas for more I want to write and revise. Just can't find the energy. I also should be avoiding cookies to a much greater degree, but I'm sick. I deserve special treats (or so I tell myself).

The house is finally picked up and Christmas stuff has been safely stored in the basement. I've filled my trunk with presents and still have more to load. I'm enjoying my parents, though we've squabbled a bit - I get slightly more irritable when I'm sick, but the medicine really mellows me out. So it's a trade off, I guess.

The medicine is actually kicking in as I type, so I'll stop before this rambles into incoherence. It would likely go the direction of how wondrous Tylenol products with sleep aids are. Magical. Exquisite. Delightful... But only in moderation. Which means I should enjoy this relief while it lasts.