Where did this come from?

Or from whence did this come?

Everyone is asking me if I got my flu shot. And I surely did, paying full price to get it early at the Guthrie.

So why am I the only one in the entire City of Elmira with a banger of a cold? The whole works: sore throat, chest pain, so much mucus at the back of my throat that I not only can't swallow, but I can't remove the mucus, either. Neither can I successfully blow my nose.

My boss sent me home from the paper last night. Oh, I used disinfectant wipes on everything I touched, and no doubt they sprayed with the Clorox after I staggered out. But I was unable to carry on the simple conversations necessary to put out a paper.

I could speak, but no one could understand me. We all gave up and home I went. Too sick to lie down, I played a video game until I was falling apart from exhaustion. Then I still spent the night trying to breathe past all the mucus. There is no question that I will miss another day today, but I can't call before mid-afternoon, or the people who need to know will never be told.

I just want, bed, sleep, and oblivion. Too bad lying down makes it worse. Nyquil here I come. The guys tell me firewater (aguardiente to Hispanics) and beer is much better, and I believe them. But, I need to get up later and call in sick.

So why am I the only one who's sick?

pb
Little Pond

Was it Worth It? Or Party in Little Pond

A new son-in-law, old friends are now family, my daughter is securely hitched to the love of her life.

And it was a hell of a party.

Yeah, I'd say it was worth it.

pb
Little Pond

Happy Thanksgiving

To all my blogging family and friends! You have no idea how much you all mean to me.

Our brand-new BrideDaughter is putting on the feast with her new range, an aggregate wedding present. She will also be getting a new stand-alone oven.

BrideDaughter loves to cook.

Look for chubbier and chubbier pictures of pb as time goes on.

pb
Little Pond

If you like that sort of thing...

Here is the first batch of photos from the reception. Mostly Bakers and Olthofs. None of the formal shots. Those will have their own blog, I suppose, since they will need to be scanned. There will be only a couple of updates. One can only look at so many shots of lit-up strangers partying, seems to me.

pb
Little Pond

If you're wondering why I am so blah lately. Grey, leafless, almost lifeless days here.

Visiting The Funeral Home Today

Going to see Robbie. When there's a funeral home in the family, that is not always a sad thing. Both of our sets of parents have preplanned, and so will I.

Shortly after I was diagnosed with MS, the American Red Cross notified me that my blood was no good. People with MS are exempt. Bad news for a person who had been giving regularly since age 18.

How do I give back to life what life has given me? Donate. But people with MS are also exempt from donating organs. Geez, Louise!

So I went to Louise and told her I wanted to donate my body. She, as a proper funeral home manager, did not approve of having the body damaged, quite possibly beyond repair. Also, it was likely that the remains could get hung up in the process and never be returned.

At the time, I did not tell her that the idea sounded even better. But there are a lot of details to handle even in the cadaver donation process.

So I'm visiting Robbie. Aunt Louise has since passed on, providing us all with a perfectly planned funeral. She was just beautiful in her favorite rose-red suit. No doubt the funeral was exactly as she directed.

That's what I want. Not to be laid out in my favorite suit, but instead to have exactly what I direct. A donation, a cremation, a service and a hell of an after-party. I am Roman Catholic after all, and this is the Twin Tiers. We must have NY State wines and locally brewed beer. And good food.

Because, after the Wonderful Wedding Weekend*, I now have a reputation as a hostess to defend.

pb
Little Pond

*And once I am fully recovered from that Bacchanalia, I will post the party itself.

Uncle!

Okay. I simply have to rest. Away from the computer.

To that end, I refer you to mdmhvonpa and White Lightning Axiom. Go there for a smorgasbord of MS-related blogs.

I'm going back to bed.

pb
Little Pond

(Yes, I know there is a new post there. It's what convinced me I am too tired to post.)

Post Mortem on a Wedding?

Can we actually say that? How about a "wrap-up?"

The wedding weekend is over and I am finally feeling unwell. We knew it was coming. The elation has worn off and the return to the rest of my vacation was a let-down.

How can that last sentence make any sense? As a life-long student of language and cultures, it is a very specifically medical phenomenon. A Multiple Sclerosis phenomenon. The stress was masked by the emotional high, but it was there and doing its damage.

Yes, I am serenely happy to have added my daughter's love to our family. PappaDog is a great guy and we feel blessed. But we welcomed him ages ago; he's always been welcome in our home.

Yes, the ceremony and reception went well, exceptionally so. But they cost a fortune (for us and our kids) and now we all must adjust our finances, that were already overloaded, and Christmas is pretty much shot. Money-wise.

Yesterday I began to collect the clues of the cost to my physical and mental health. My out-going emails are getting mixed up, and I am simply not going to answer any for a while. The phone makes me jump, and I can't hear callers when I answer. A small, nagging headache points up the painful electricity at the back of my neck. I am literally dotted with tiny hives from the change in diet and a medicine patch is creating one big red rash.

My immediate boss, the one who writes the comics column, wisely insisted I take a week to prepare and a week to recover from the festivities. But not working makes me anxious. About keeping my job, about paying the bills, about dealing with Husband RJ, because I am underfoot at times I'm usually at work. Even about the blogs and my video games. Geez Louise!

Guess I'll go for a walk and contemplate the season. It's bright and sunny and warm. And I'll occupy my mind with counting blessings. That should tie me up the rest of the day.

See? I'll survive.

Just wished I felt well. Not feeling well is leaving me exhausted and weepy, when I should be still celebrating. I want to still be celebrating.

pb
Little Pond