Month: September 2006

Yes, still sniffling, but the worst has passed. In some ways this cold/man-flu has been a pain in the ass, in other ways it’s been helpful.

Ohhh who am I kidding… I was going to say that it’s helped me realise how much I’ve been enjoying my jogging, and that it’s given me time to think about stuff.. you know, that whole “time to reflect” kinda thing but, jogging aside, I’ve done little except try to stay awake during the day, watch old movies, and keep myself dosed up on all sorts of drugs, herbal remedies and spicy hot curries.

Anyway, on to other things.

The Ryder Cup for one. Well done Europe for… well.. without overplaying it I think the word “annihilation” may feature in the tabloids this morning.

Other news I’ve “missed” include the ongoing Blair/Brown bore, the near-death experience of the hamster (glad he’s getting better!), and lots of other exciting things that have slipped by my Lemsip-addled brain.

It’ll be back to work tomorrow, and back to life, and we’ve a busy week coming up.

Well my wife does, as she’s out every night this week. I’m gonna take it easy until this damn virus is out of my system, and then, hopefully, I might have something to talk about!

Update: How remiss of me not to thank you all for your kind thoughts and suggestions. I tried most of them, including the “bung” (made of tissue, soon failed due to over absorption), and can safely say that not one did the trick but I think the combination of them all helped to subdue the bug. I’m currently applying for shares in Kleenex. Ta muchly, one and all. Yer not a bad bunch.

OK. Enough.

This is boring the crap outta me now. Must be boring you.

But JESUS, who knew the human body could be so damn productive. Man-size Kleenex are just about doing their job, and I’ve gone through a box in less than 24 hours and STILL IT WON’T STOP!!!

I’m seriously just considering letting my nose run. I mean I can wash it off later, my clothes can be washed and I’m sure Louise … ahh.. yeah, she might mind.

I’ll be back after the weekend when, hopefully, I’ll have done more than watch movies, read books and blow my goddam nose every two fucking minutes.

Although I will say this.

Have you seen the Jimmy Stewart movie “Mr Smith goes to Washington”? I watched it today, for the first time, and towards the end, as his local home published newspaper gets in on the propaganda act, I couldn’t help thinking: That’s what the internet is now, a home published newspaper.

Yup, that’s about the limit of my thinking.

And yes, I’ve blown my nose twice during the writing of this post.

Things wot I have learnt in the past few days.

Man-size tissues should be mandatory. The piffly wee Kleenex ones, whilst they come in a nice box, are next to useless against the mucus factory in my head. One blow into a regular Kleenex tissue and I end up with … well I’m sure you can use your imaginations.

Checking the spelling of a word by googling it doesn’t always work. If your original guess at the spelling is way out, all you’ll get back are confirmations that yes, 147,583 people mis-spelled the word the same way you do. See Euchinasia for Echinacea, as an example.

Feed a cold, starve a fever they say. I’ll second that, as I’ve been ravenous. Unfortunately our house has recently been relocated to Dietland so that means I’m gorging myself on rice crackers, pretzels (the small dried UK kind), and … ohh… fruit. When what I really want is stodgy pies, doughnuts and a great big dripping QuarterPounder with Cheese… and yes I’d like to Supersize that. Completely futile anyway as I can’t taste a damn thing… ast night I had some chicken and potatoes and SALAD CREAM just so I could taste something!

Olbas oil may stink out the entire room but it does mean that I can breath through my nose for the first time in two days.

I STILL have man-flu.

*sniff*

More sympathy please. Ta.

So my day of driving a white van has ended. Alas I didn’t get any pictures as:

1. I forgot my camera.
2. It was raining.

Let me qualify point 2. When I say it was raining I don’t mean a quick downpour, nor a mild shower, and I’m not sure that “cats and dogs” covers it sufficiently. No, it was teeming, pouring, tumulting (?), and generally lashing down with the fury of a god that has been dying for a pee for weeks.

Aside: Did anyone else get that story, from an uncle or cousin, when they were younger? The one about rain being when God had to go to the bathroom? Just me, then.

We tried to time the loading and unloading of the van for the brief pauses when it was “only” raining, but most of my day was spent wishing I had lifted my waterproof jacket, and wringing out the sleeves of my jumper. Still, we got everything done, and having picked up the van with an empty fuel tank, it was with some glee that, as I neared the drop off point, the low fuel light came on.

Driving home last night I noticed a distinctly raw feeling when I swallowed, and at around 2am I woke up unable to breath through my noise nose (although “noise” might have been more apt).

Yes, I do believe we have the beginnings of man-flu.

Paracetemol, Vitamin C and Euchinasia have been drafted in for the battle but tomorrow evenings jog looks a long way away at the moment.

*sniff*

Sympathy please. Ta.

Half-day tomorrow as I’ve got a Transit van rented for some moving of furniture (2 beds and a TV cabinet) for my cousin-in-law. Long story, and I ain’t getting into it here.

I’m quite looking forward to it, it’s been ages since I’ve driven a van.

Anyway, as I’ll be out tail-gating learners, leering at ‘birds’ and partaking of all available “van driver privileges” it’ll be a bit quiet here. I’m sure you can amuse yourselves.