HERE WE GO AGAIN! My mother brought me a little present when she was here for Dancing with the Stars last Monday, and by present, I don't mean a sticky bun. The present was a head cold! ARGH!!! Sorry, but I have reached my quota for illness this year thank-you very much. I think the reason I am so annoyed (aside from the fact that I was just sick in February) is because when I spoke to her on the phone she sounded like she might be under the weather. When I confronted her about her scratchy voice and mysterious cough, she stuck steadfastly to her story of being hoarse from a lot of talking. Does she have some speaking engagement tour I'm not aware of?!
Three days after her visit I was sick with the exact same symptoms! (Insert second "ARGH!" here) Let me give you the back story on why I'm so annoyed with dear old mom. Her and my dad have a "lifestyle" of colds and flus. They have more cold and flu then the medicine isle at Target! My dad is a school bus driver so he is forever picking up germs from the kids he transports. I have encouraged both my parents to take precautions- vitamins, Airborne, the flu shot, but they continue to scoff at me. I don't think they want to face the reality that at their age the flu can kill!
Additionally, my husband was told a new sick policy is being enforced at work whereby you get penalized for the sick days you take. GREAT AMERICAN POLICY!! GOTTA LOVE IT!!! Now, not only are we the hardest working nation with the fewest amount of vacation days, and vacations where we skip travel completely to either continue working or stay at home, but now under overworked conditions we are somehow suppose to control getting sick. See you get sick time in this country, but like vacation time, it's frowned upon if you use it. So you get it, but you can't use it. Let me repeat. You get it, but shouldn't use it. You get it, but don't really get it, you see, so you get it but only if you don't use it. (I sense a rant coming on.) I digress.
Since my husband had "used" some sick time he was kinda put on alert that he best not use anymore. So I expressly asked my parents not to come over if they are sick because we can't chance any more casualties this year.
Needless to say, I am in for a hell week. I have been sick since Thursday. I refuse to have my entire life turned upside down this time, so I have carried on. I felt better yesterday and swear by the effectiveness of Airborne to control or shorten illness. Why you should feel sorry for me is not because I am sick, but more so, because my husband drug himself to work sick. (Hope he makes the entire office sick and perhaps they'll consider amending that policy) It is me who will suffer the consequence of my parents' transgressions. It is me who will suffer the needless whining, complaining, and over dramatization of these circumstances. It is me who will suffer silently, as he throat clears, cough drop chews, and makes requests for Popsicles. It is me who will be exposed to the relentless sighing, pacing, and guilt-inducing behavior. I wish I could bottle that up and express deliver it to the 'rents!
I don't know what is up with us lately that we are so susceptible to viruses, but I'm sure the weather hasn't helped any. Hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, cold. It's not like us to be so feeble, but this is the week I'm having. Here's to hoping it all ends soon!
Men make use of their illnesses at least as much as they are made use by them. -Aldous Huxley
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