I went in to work on Monday to get some things done, spent Tuesday at the doctors and in bed and today, realized exactly how sick I (still) am.  I worked for two hours – cleared off my desk, ran some errands for the House – and was hot and achey by the end.  I get it!  I’m sick!  Especially since the one ear infection has quickly become two and I’m, currently, mostly deaf.  I can almost chew so the swelling in my jaw seems to have gone down, but the pain isn’t far off and I can’t stand for more than a hot minute before I need to rest again (this may be the meds but, see, I need the meds.  So sit I will.).  

All that said, I’m pouring myself back into bed to sleep for a little while.  If I wake up feeling springy, maybe I can convince Sid to take me on a mini-field trip to the store for juice or something but if not, I’m staying put.  Think good thoughts.  And feel free to join in my celebration that Monday is a holiday. 

I took my homework, and a small tea, down to urgent care this morning and had a fine little morning, all to my lonesome.  Thank you, nasty ear infection!  I’m totally falling in love with Memoirs of Hadrian!  It’s all because of you. 

I’d like to think there would have been less painful ways of getting my attention but a wild bout of gross certainly drew my attention to the fact that maybe I’m running a little bit ragged.  Saw my doc on Thursday and spent all of Friday and most of Saturday in bed, passed.out.  I had initially thought that ear infections were just for babies but, I am a grown woman who cannot hear out of her right eat and is in a considerable amount of pain.  This last part is hard for me to admit, seeing as I consider my pain tolerance to be quite high and it would seem that admitting to discomfort, let alone screaming, intolerable pain, would be a sign of weakness.  Still, this hurts.  Like, whoa hurts.  Thankfully I have two different antibiotics and no ability to chew solid food so I’ve been on a yogurt-for-breakfast-and-dinner diet, with the occasional bowl of broth for lunch.  Yum.  I’ve lost six pounds and am ready for something that looks slightly more appetizing than a pill washed down with a cup of live cultures.  Blech. 

My second school packet was sent in on time and my mentor has mailed me her comments – more to be revealed on that one but while I wait, I’m reading right along.  Slowly, it would seem, since I’ve been sleeping for almost 15 hours a day, but its getting down and three of the five books haven’t arrived yet.  Soon, I hope, but not quite yet, so I’ve had to spend these cooler autumn nights wrapped up with a real live novel – poor me – while I wait for for the poetry to arrive.  The life, it is hard. 

And speaking of hard, tonight we say goodbye to the Poet’s Asylum – not good by as much as a ‘so long for now’ but I’ve been helping with this reading for two years and an itinerant community member for many, many more – I’m heartbroken to see it rest for awhile, while understanding that its good for everyone to take a break now and then.  

In a minute, I need to shower and wash the gunk out of my ears (gross but true – ear drops turn pretty chunky after a bit) and put on something that looks less like pajamas and more like hosting clothes, replete with a small heel (gotta get it in while the weather holds) and maybe even makeup.  I’ll have to put the makeup on before the next round of meds so as to avoid putting mascara on my nose and lipstick where my eyebrows should be…Gotta make sure the night gets all the attention it deserves and I’d rather the audience focus on the task at hand than where, exactly, I put my eyeliner.

More about all of this later – the fact that I can put together a vaguely cohesive sentence means that I’m feeling better but is by no mean a sign than my brain is functioning at its maximum capacity.  In some ways I’m glad I’m sick so the impact of everything happening is slowed.  Not gone, just…lessened for a moment.  

Home again, home again.

Got a load of laundry in the wash (full of delicious baby quilt fabric), a sink that was empty when I got home (thanks, Sid!) (not anymore!) and, after some reorganizing, a shockingly small amount of reading to do this month.  Not nothing, but blessedly less.

The time away was excellent – Grey and I went to the orchard on Sunday, did a little shopping (hello! new yoga block) and then watched the Vampire Diaries’ spin off pilot.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – no shame.  I watch teeny sci-fi shows.  And I like it.

Monday was an amazing day – a walk in the backwoods with my best friend, wandering around The City by my lonesome for a few hours and spending all the money I could think of – I bought some masks for our engagement shoot, which is coming up this week, and the above mentioned fabric – I’m in love with Nido, this fabulous fabric shop in town, and I love Heather Ross, so to find them together was amazing. 

Not as amazing as following up all this – and beautiful weather, too! – with coffee with a dear friend and then, holy carp, the most amazing dinner I’ve ever eaten – thank you, Old Roommate, for working and cooking and providing me with the best pork belly I’ve ever had.  You make me want to eat weird and delicious (see also:fermented tofu) food.  Like, always.

But wait – you think that sounds amazing?  You’d be right, but you’d not know about attempting to facetime the entire world with my mother, wearing the masks I picked up, eating more delicious food, courtesy of my father, and then playing Jenga with the two of them.  My mother, as it turns out, is a pro.  This surprises no one but! it was a nice discovery all the same.

Today was simple – coffee with a friend’s mom, lunch with my sissy and housewarming presents for the hordes of Sid’s friends who just found new apartments.  I drove home.  I only got stuck in traffic once.  And I came home to a cereal dinner and cleaning up and where’s Sid? and whatever I have shit to do.  A perfect night, in the general scheme of things.  Once I water my plants, I’ll be done and in my pajamas.  Boom.