Why do I have a small and annoying cough? You’d think that suffering through the scourge of February 2008, I’d be immune to any germ that even looked my way. But no. I’m sick again. Not hideously so, not yet. Mimi was actually the first to be hit with this current round of whatever it is. Parallel streams of snot slowly make their way from nose to lip. I’m quick with the tissue, tho, and most of these runs are quickly wiped away. Beenie has some coughing at night, but that’s all from her so far. I’m trying not to get too freaked out about this. Caring for two sick toddlers when I’m also not feeling well is really awful.
I busted out the honey again today, which usually becomes a fixture on the kitchen counter during these troubled times. Ginger tea was the flavor of the morning, followed by English Breakfast for a little pick-me-up. The tea caffeine high is much more subtle than the coffee high. There is a cleaner, refined buzz that can really sneak up on you. A friend and I did an experiment once at a job where we were both freelancing. We decided to drink cup after cup to see how wired we could get on black tea. Maybe three or four cups into the test I remember noticing my hands shaking. Later into the afternoon the heart palpitations kicked in, then the headache.
There is a terrible show on cable right now called House Hunters, and this particular episode is based in Texas. They keep showing really hideous drywall-ish new and characterless houses that prospective buyers seem really excited by. A weird thing keeps happening over and over again during the show — every few seconds the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders come onto the screen. I’m completely baffled. Maybe I’d understand what was happening better if I turned up the volume on the TV. I know I’d regret it, though. The mystery remains…
20 Fingers, 20 Toes 