Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Come On Already!

Oh hey it's Wednesday I wonder when I last blogged...WHUPS.

It's been a hard three days, but not in the way you'd think.

Sunday and Monday, halfway through my shifts, something would start hurting. On Sunday it was my shoulder--I'd get spasms of pain either in the joint, down my arm, or, once, up my neck. It also just...hurt, like a bad ache, all down that arm and the back of my shoulder. Started when I lifted something with my right hand, but then the ache was just constant and the spasms were random. I ended up using my left arm most of the night, keeping my right one close to my abdomen to try and avoid using it.

Monday, it was my right side again, but this time it started in my neck. I didn't get the stabs of pain, but my neck and shoulder and back just ached really badly and felt stiff. Occasionally it would really hurt, feeling like someone was pressing down on one spot on my neck.

Both mornings I woke feeling fine, so I don't think I slept on anything wrong, and then yesterday it was fine, so...I dunno. But yeah, two very long and exhausting days.

Tuesday, I wasn't scheduled until 3:30. I slept in a little, and headed to my store to write. I arrived around noon, and settled on in at the end of the bar. I was going to relax and get started on Bronte's chapter and really enjoy myself.

Around 12:30, I notice some trouble going on behind the bar. Turns out That One hasn't shown up for his shift, and isn't answering the phone. I get a text from my store manager (who didn't realize I was in the store) asking if I could come on at 1. ...Yeah, I can, but argh. No writing for me.

I go on at 1, a little while after That One calls. Oh, he overslept, so sorry. Can he just switch with me, take 3:30-9:30, and I can finish out his shift? Yeah, no problem! I'll be out at 6, I can head to 933 and write! Woo! ...Except around 3, we get another call from him. Oh, now he's sick and can't make it. I'm staying until 9:30. >.<

Yeah, normal shift for me, but still really annoying. For one thing, That One was the only one actually angry when I called in sick a few weeks ago, and that was two hours ahead (per the rules) instead of 30 minutes. For another, I had breakfast at 11, planned on eating before 3:30, but because of him didn't get my meal until 5. HUNGRY.

Right. Anyway. Work at one. Time for breakfast.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Must Turn Positive, Must Turn Positive...

Sooo I just called out of work. I've slept pretty shittily the past few days, and today it finally caught up. Despite it being a six-hour closing shift, the idea of keeping up with all the prep and dealing with the urns and rushing around...doing all that with mild nausea, dizziness, and feeling generally unsteady scares me just a bit. I'm glad it was Awesome Shift tonight...he'll pull it together, and he didn't give me any guilt for it. I shall bake him cookies.

Otherwise, I'm pretty okay. I guess. At the moment I'm focused on being comfortable and not moving a whole lot, which will soon lead to me settling back into bed with a book, so trying to find an emotional barometer reading...not so much.

But yeah. That's me today: forced rest so I can work my eight hour shift tomorrow, with some relaxing thrown in for good measure. I think it may be good for me on a few different levels. Let's hope, anyway.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Arting and Gaga and Chores, Oh My!

Geez, not that I'm bad at updating or anything...

Birthday was great, work on Sunday was fine.

Yesterday was combinations of fantastic and awful. I woke up around 10, and had decided by 10:30 that I wasn't going to sit around until I had to go to work. Hell with that. I got dressed, packed up my camera and a PB&J, and hit a park five minutes away.

It's called Kate's Park, dedicated to a community leader, and it's filled with flowers and little paths and a sculpture called Educators, and it's connected to Riverwalk, a series of paths and parks stretching down the St. Joseph River through South Bend and MIshawaka. I enjoyed my breakfast sandwich on a bench by some lilac and peonies and thought of home for a bit before picking up the camera and having at.

The weather fought back a bit--very windy, sunny but enough clouds that I had to keep switching settings between full light and full shade--but it was warm, the tone of the light was gorgeous, and I had a garden full of beautiful flowers! I spent at least five minutes trying to capture dew on some tall grass (hi Dad!), and another five minutes getting shots with a very photogenic bumblebee. Overall, it felt like some of the most productive shooting I've ever had.

So I went to work with that feeling, and it stuck pretty well--I cleaned the cafe and helped customers and brewed coffee with a smile and some sunshine.

Then Good Shift put on the Lady Gaga promotion soundtrack, since we started selling her CD yesterday. And That One spent the next two. hours. bitching nonstop about how much she sucks, how she's terrible and weird and annoying, how she needs to jut die already, on and on and on and HOLY CRAP SHUT UP. I didn't even care that he didn't like an artist that I do, he could have been complaining about someone I don't like, but it was nonstop and childish and ugggh.

My mood went up again when he left, and Ryan visited me just in time for my second ten, and I bought a CD from a regular couple, a local duo called The Bergamot that played at my store for the 40th Anniversary Celebration, and they were just overjoyed and appreciative and thanked me again and again! Made me feel nice...plus I love their stuff!

Then right before I left I got the most hostile customer I've ever dealt with. He started off the entire transaction feeling affronted, as if he'd been ignored for a long time (except having just walked in), and mocked me as I tried to serve him. He ended up laughing as I made his coffee (for reasons none of his could comprehend), then apologizing repeatedly as he left. It was surreal and mildly traumatizing.

Anyway...that-all was yesterday. Oy. Oh, and I'm mildly sick, with sniffles and pressure and grossness, and I've managed to pass it on to Ryan. Woo! Don't worry, parents, I'm downing plenty of tea and water at work, taking vitamin C and echinacea at home, getting plenty of rest, and making sure Ryan is, too.

Today I woke to find a text message from Da Boss saying I don't need to go in until 3:30 (two extra hours of free time and only ONE hour of That One? ka-ching!), so I have to finish up this entry and get on with my list:

[o] shower & dress
[o] bank
[o] take more pictures?
[o] upload (and edit?) yesterday's pictures
[o] dishes
[o] laundry
[o] maybe even some dedicated reading time!

I am really enjoying Game of Thrones! It's a great story, and a great read--it's hard to describe exactly why the act of reading it is more enjoyable than with other books, but I'm sure the avid readers out there will understand what I mean. It's also helped me with the TV series, which had me a little confused. I'm actually just about caught up to the show, will start hitting spoilers soon...

Right, off I go!

PS--I have 14 fans on my Facebook Page! They're all people I know, but still!!
PPS--I'm thinking of trying this out, except with photography instead of drawing. Thinking it could be fun and challenging, and maybe could work as promotion for the shop and such? Still contemplating.

Okay, going now!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Bounding and Bounding and Bounding...

I'm tired and sore. Sleep was rough last night, and I had a long day, so I'm completely exhausted. I had the stressful pre-closing shift and had a couple of small but unexpected expenses come up, so my body is a mass of knots.

Frustrations abound.

I would kill to be able to take a week off of work, just to sleep and think and sit out of the endless cycle for just five minutes.

Oy.

The funny (or sad?) thing is, I didn't have a bad day.

I'm just exhausted. And frustrations abound.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Working and Dinner and Michigan, Oh My!

Sonova--! I did it again! Argh!

So, on Saturday I wrote about having just two of us and getting slammed until another partner arrived? Well, yesterday was the same, except I was the partner that arrived to save the drive-thru person. I then spent the rest of my shit going out of my mind with my co-worker, both of us laughing like loons and acting completely insane. :)

Then Ryan and I both got home, and he asked if we had any white wine for his dinner idea. We did not, and Indiana doesn't sell alcohol on Sundays, BUT! Michigan does! And the state line is only 5 minutes from my work! So Sameh and Ryan and I piled into my car and went to Michigan to visit a liquor store and Wal*Mart (our first time in one since Connecticut. It was the same. Surprise, surprise.). Then we came home and Ryan made a ridiculously delicious dinner involving olive oil, garlic, three peppers (red, orange, and yellow), the aforementioned white wine, chicken, and linguine. OMF.

We watched The Forbidden Kingdom as we watched, a fun movie with Jackie Chan and Jet Li doing what they do best.

Today is going to be long. Yesterday morning I woke up and was unable to breathe through my nose. Today I woke up with clear nostrils, but a sore throat. And I have an eight hour shift. Yay!

It's funny, over the past two months my hours have been cut so much that I've gotten used to shifts being only six hours, or even shorter. Now the full length ones feel like an eternity. Oy.

Our area has a Winter Weather Warning for tomorrow, soooo that'll be fun, too! :D

Saturday, January 29, 2011

The Five Hour Shift That Felt Like Twelve.

Today was...strange.

First, it was stupid busy in bursts. One of the bursts happened after one partner left, half an hour before the next was to arrive, with just Boss Lady and me on the floor. She had constant front, I had constant drive-thru, no chance to help each other, UGH.

Another rush, I screwed us over making a drink with the wrong syrup, backing us up for five cars. The tail end of that one had a woman who, when asked if there was anything else, said "No. Oh, wait a second," before driving away. o.O

The last rush before I left, we got a customer who was....no, talkative isn't the right word. I don't think the right word exists. From the moment I opened the window, she didn't stop talking to me, and talked so fast and muttered so much that I couldn't follow what she was going on about at all, except she ended half the sentences with "you know what I mean?" so I had to try and fake a response. A few minutes after she finally pulled away, I looked out the window and saw that she was pulled into a spot next to a cop car, talking in the parking lot with a policeman holding a bunch of papers. They both eventually drove away peacefully, so I have no clue what that was about...

My second to last customer could either pay for her $10 gift card with a $50 or a stack of coins (I opted for the coins), and my last customers all but demanded that I greet them at the window with a smile before they even pulled up. I promise, I didn't sound grouchy or annoyed or mopey, I just sounded normal!

Oy.

Now I'm home alone until six when Ryan gets home, my only company the cat who is acting completely insane. I just had a delicious bowl of chicken noodle soup since I arrived home cold and starving.

I got kinda crap sleep last night, and my knee is hurting more despite babying it and wearing a brace for my whole shift, so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a nice hot shower and open a Smirnoff Blueberry Lemonade and FREAKING RELAX.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Stabby Stabby.

Today was an earlier day, what with work at 10:30. Not a bad day, though, had a fun time working with many of my favorite co-workers :)

I'm currently back in my 'Bux even though I got off at 4. Realized during my shift that, since Ryan works 4:30 to 10 tonight, and both roomies are closing, it'd be very quieti and lonely at home, and might be a good night to write at my store. Wish I had realized this before I left for work so I could have brought my laptop and a change of clothes instead of requiring a trip home and back, BUT...here I am, stabbing at the word processor page as best I can.

It's a bit of hard going. There are so many important pieces of information that the reader needs before the climax, and the climax relies heavily on me pulling off the first part of the story exactly right, and I need to find a way to give the information without straight-up telling it OR ruining the climax, and it's so very delicate and difficult and dsflkdjsfldsj.

Phew.

4,442 words in, still in love with it and willing to keep banging my head against it until I get it right. Found still needs editing and rewriting and all that, but this one (tentatively titled On The/Running, yes with the slash), stays on the front burner until I'm satisfied that I've gotten a solid start on it, and not just the few half-hearted stabs.

Tomorrow I get to drag a metric fuckton of laundry up and down stairs, and go to the bank, and try to mail a package, and finish my antibiotics, and take some more pictures, and harass Ryan about the chiropractor, etc etc etc. I have the next two days off, and they are going to be glorious. GLORIOUS, I TELL YOU.

Oh, and my knee continues to improve. I forgot the knee brace at home this morning, but Ryan was lovely enough to bring it in to me, and I now thoroughly believe him that it should just stay on until the bruise goes away. I may not limp anymore, and the brace actually seems to shift what the discomfort more to my shin, but it's still better overall.

Right then, back to work...

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Behold...The Knee!

The knee continues to hurt. I hobbled around with a soft brace on for my six hour shift, and it actually really helped and made it feel a lot better. I'm hoping I won't need the brace tomorrow, but I'll be bringing it along just in case!

Today was slow and busy, on and off.

Came home, cleaned the hell out of the house, got dinner, hung out with Sameh, BJ, and Aurelie when she came over. Watched bad TV and generally hung out and had fun :)

Tomorrow is an early but short shift, and then it's two days off with my honey. Yay!

For now: sleeeeeep...

Monday, January 24, 2011

Whatever You Do, Don't Ask Me If It Was Worth It.

At Starbucks, each bar (area with espresso machine, syrups, and milk pitchers) is accompanied by an area with two faucets: one with cold water, one with hot. At my store, the hot water faucet that goes with front bar is broken, but the back one works. You need hot water to make an Americano.

I'm making an Americano at the front bar. I hit the button to pull the shots, pick up the cup, and dash to the back bar's hot water faucet to get water in the cup. Almost there, my right foot hits a wet patch and shoots out in front of me, and I do a split that ends with my left knee slamming into the tile.

I get up, get the hot water into the cup, and dash back to the front bar in time for the shots to pull, meaning I didn't waste anything.

I now have a large, swollen purple bruise just under my left knee. Also, have you ever had the sensation of a bone trying to cramp? IT'S FREAKING CREEPY. Stupid nerves...

Meanwhile, I'm exhausted and very hungry and had a bad day with my phone and a certain shift supervisor, so I think I can be forgiven for moving the cat out of the room when he just wouldn't shut up and just wanting to eat and sleep, thank you very much.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

On The Up And Up.

What I did today: slept in, buggered about for a while, took a shower, went to the grocery store, got dinner, came home, have spent the past two hours buggering around the internet and attempting to write some more. I got as far as downloading an application called Dark Room, a full-screen writing program that shuts out other distractions. Spent a little while tinkering with the preferences, but I feel a little scattered and unable to concentrate. Poop.

Health-wise, I'm feeling much better. My nose hurts more for some reason, but it's less drippy, and my throat feels less sore and swollen. I feel confident about going back to work, and might even see if anyone wants to give me their shift on one of my days off to make up some hours.

The next two paychecks for us are going to be...well, pathetic. Ryan's will barely have 20 hours, mine will barely have 40 unless I can pick up some hours. Being sick enough to call out of work not only sucks for the spirits, but for the bank account!

Ah well. We'll manage. I'm very upbeat right now due to feeling healthier than I have in weeks, let's hope I can ride the optimistic wave through to full health! :D

Of course, BJ is getting sicker now--no voice and a pink eye diagnosis of his very own--but he saw the doctor tonight, and this will hopefully be the last of it for the household!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Is This Over Yet? Because I'm Done!

Today was fun. I went to work at 1, and by around 2 it hurt to breathe a little bit. As I put it to Ryan, it felt like my lungs were wearing clothing that still had pins in them, and breathing--especially deep breaths--made the pins prick.

It was pretty minor, although it was accompanied by fatigue, which isn't surprising. Moving too far or too fast would exhaust me, and bending over made everything much worse.

Fortunately, my hours were already cut, so I didn't have to work the full eight hours. Ryan talked me out of going to the clinic, since I still had the prescription I got from last week for an antibiotic, which is exactly what I would get from a clinic doctor. We filled it tonight, I start it tomorrow morning.

I'm actually already feeling much better, although deep breaths still feel very uncomfortable, and of course my head is full of goo. Also my throat feels swollen, inside and out.

Basically, I'm sick. Surprise!

Ireland people are dying for hours, and when I asked about leaving even earlier, Boss Lady offered to get someone to cover my shift for tomorrow, so...what the hell. Next paycheck is going to suck that much more, but I'll get that much more rest and get healthy. And I can tell my body really wants rest--not only has my sleep been pretty crappy for going on three weeks (two weeks of sleeping next to a very sick person, one week of being a sick person), but I wake up and crave more sleep in a way that isn't normal for me.

So, tomorrow I get more sleep, and the day after that I go back to work. Whee.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

I Want My Cranium Back.

I spent today with a head full of goo. I had another night of sleep interrupted by a drippy nose. I was tired and cranky at almost every single customer I came across.

A couple of co-workers and I had made plans to go out tonight when we were all free, to drink and study (or, in my case, write). By the time my shift was done...so was I. I hated cancelling--I really, really wanted to socialize!--but I was just...done.

Tomorrow I work 1 to 9:30, and hopefully this means I can get a good amount of sleep. I'm looking forward to it.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Same Ol', Same Ol'.

Still sickish and pretty tired, but pretty good otherwise. Work was mostly slow, and I got to leave an hour early. Dinner is almost done, then Ryan and I watch some more Bones (our current series addiction), then bed.

Tomorrow is a six hour day, and then it's Monday and another week is on the run. I'm hoping my health keeps going up!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Again, This Was Inevitable, Really...

Well, it finally happened. BJ, our roommate and last healthy person in the apartment, has succumbed to the plague. He has a fever and a sore throat and is currently sacked out on the couch. Why, I'm not sure, but there it is. Ryan's at work, and Sameh's still asleep, so I'm the only awake person in the house. Woo?

Felt better last night, so I texted the co-worker who needed her shift covered, who no longer needed it covered. I was then awake half the night solely because of my drippy nose, getting up several times to either attempt to quietly blow it (so as not to wake Ryan), or go into the hallway and really blow it. Pretty miserable night. And, thanks to our room being very warm and dry, even with a fan, every single tissue I use ends up some shade of red or pink. Yay.

Otherwise, I'm okay. My throat still feels swollen and sore, but it's definitely going away. The dripping nose is even better for the moment, I think mostly because there can't possibly be anything left in there. Still, I've learned my lesson: never try to bluff your cold. It may get worse on you just to prove whose boss.

In other, non-sick news, I played with Photoshop quite a bit yesterday. You can see what I did over here at my phototumblr. I may continue experimenting today....:D

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Better...For Now?...

This has been, and continues to be, an extremely obnoxious cold virus. Spent Tuesday on the couch, riding the hot flashes and chills of a fever, feeling exhausted and aching, ending the night feeling almost human again. Within a couple of hours of getting up yesterday, I realized that not going to work was a very wise decision, as trying to work while exhausted, weak, and aching would have been pointless and miserable. The fever returned in the evening, only to go away again by bedtime. No fever today, but the ache in my neck comes and goes, my nose is very drippy, and my ear continues to painfully let me know it's there, as it has since last night.

This has also been the grossest cold I've ever had to deal with. Every sneeze is...productive. And you don't want to know about the cough yesterday that helped me breathe better. EW.

On the upside, again, there's currently no fever, and I don't feel nearly as tired or weak as I did yesterday. My head hurts from congestion and sinus pressure, but at least it's no longer my entire face, as it was last night. Overall, I am feeling better. I don't trust it, but there it is.

I hate that it's been so up and down, though. I have a co-worker trying to get her shift covered tomorrow night so she can take her not-quite-one-year-old kid to his father's without passing him off to a relative he doesn't know well. I'd be happy to take the shift--hell, I've had three days off now, why do I need a fourth? Plus, hi money I've lost this week!--but I don't trust my immune system one bit right now. And if there's one thing I've learned over the past two weeks, trying to get my shifts covered so I could first take Ryan to the doctor, and then take care of myself, it's that having someone answer with "Yes, I can do that for you," can be a freaking miracle. I have a much greater appreciate for that, and I want to be able to do more of it myself if called upon. But if I did it now, and I went sick again tomorrow, it would screw over even more people. I hate that.

Ergh.

Anyway. Trying to get some writing done today, but I can't seem to get started. Feel up to doing laundry, but waiting for Ryan to get home so I can get his work clothes (and so he can help haul clothes if I start flagging again). If I'm feeling even better tonight, I may even get us wrapping and packing presents finally. I really hate that we won't be getting presents to people until almost a month after Christmas >.< At least we didn't send germs to anyone?

Oh well. Wish me luck with my tasks. The calls and comments and such have been very appreciated this week :)

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Second Sick Day From Starbucks.

Well, my fever's down today, but I still feel very weak and tired, and definitely not up to what work would demand of me.

Yesterday, when Other Store Manager called back to let me know I was covered for the day, she mentioned covering me for today as well. Thing is, I was half awake and couldn't really hear her during the call, so I missed the part about having to call at least two hours before the shift starts. Yesterday I only gave her an hour, then she told me that, and today I gave her an hour and a half, completely unaware of what I was doing. She wasn't awful about it, but she did mention that my Boss Lady would be giving me a coaching conversation about it. So...d'oh, and ouch. I may send a card or cookies or something to Other Store Manager as thanks for not just telling me to suck it up and deal for not remembering the rules.

So, today's mission is to get plenty of fluids and protein and such into my stomach, rest, and maybe be somewhat productive. I don't feel up to big things like laundry (despite it being badly needed), but maybe I can at least pick up the place a little bit. Also a prime opportunity to poke at writing things, eh?

I had Thursday and Friday off "naturally," so I'm ending up with a four day weekend. Going back on Saturday is going to be...interesting.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Health Update for Sickgate 2011.

Went to the doctor. He tested me for strep, came back negative. Said it could be bacterial, most likely viral, but he couldn't tell. Gave me a prescription for antibiotics, which I can fill and take if this starts feeling "different" than a "normal" cold for me, or I have a "real" fever.

I've spent the rest of the day on the love seat in the living room, watching TV while Ryan has forced food and drink at me and overall served my every whim. He's a love.

The fever has slowly been going down, and the aches and pain are getting better. Still, the only way I'm going to work tomorrow is if (a) I no longer have a fever, and (b) I can do all the range of motion I need to work without wincing, screaming, fainting, or otherwise being a baby.

Wish me luck?

I Suppose This Was Inevitable...

I. Feel. Like. Crap.

Before bed, my throat and head were hurting. Swallowing ached from the base my throat up through the roof of my mouth, and my right ear. My neck and back were stiff and painful. Tossed and turned all night, alternating really hot and really cold, barely getting any sleep. Woke up at 9, scheduled to go in at 10:30, and took my temperature: 100.1.

It took a good half an hour of calling around, but I finally was able to contact the store manager in charge of our store while our manager is on vacation, and she basically took over, saying she'd find someone to cover. She called back a little later to ask if she should find someone to cover for tomorrow as well. The current plan is to assume I can't work tomorrow, unless I call tomorrow morning and say otherwise. Sounds good to me.

Woke up and "only" felt like I had a headache, my throat was a little sore, and I was all clammy from the tossing and turning all night. Now that I've stood up, though, and moved around...ugh. Every part of my body feels so heavy, and just sitting here and typing is wearing me out.

Ryan is making me something to eat so I can take some aspirin, then we're going to brave the new snow that's been falling all morning and going to the very same clinic I took him to last Thursday, that we took Sameh to on Sunday. I'm hoping they give me medicine that makes me better right quick.

I'll try to update again later tonight, hopefully with "Man, the stuff they gave me was amazing, I feel better already!" Until then, healthy thoughts sent my way would be very much appreciated...

Monday, January 10, 2011

Blah blah blah health blah blah blah dad blah blah blah woo?

Whups, forgot to update last night. My bad!

Work was work. Six hours. Exhausted. Blah.

Came home, changed, Ryan and I took Sameh to the clinic since her right eye, and the face around it, had swollen to the point where she could no longer see out that eye. Long story short, she's allergic to sulfur, which was in the eye drops the doctor gave her for the pink eye on her first visit on Thursday. YAY. The steroid shot they gave her had her looking almost normal by bedtime, and they gave her antibiotics for the inner ear infection she also has, so she should be up and running in no time. :)

Awesome stuff from yesterday: My dad's old group, Himalayan Voices, was on WAMC (Northeast Public Radio) last night! The program even ended with one of Dad's flute solos. It was SO COOL to hear him on the radio!...even if the announcer did talk over a lot of the flute >.< STILL. It also got Sameh very interested in his music, and singing bowls in general. Yay converts!

I have to run off and get ready for work now, but I'll leave you with this:

I'm back, baby!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

When It Rains...Oh, Did I Mention It's Snowing Again?

So...remember last night's entry, how I said Ryan was feeling much better?

....yyyeahhh. 'Bout that.

He woke up this morning and couldn't open his right eye. When he finally could pry it open, it was blood shot and...gooey. It took all of 30 seconds to convince him that he was going to the clinic.

After all of 30 minutes of filling out paperwork and waiting and seeing the doctor, he had not one, not two, but THREE diagnoses! Conjunctivitis (pink eye) (duh), bronchitis, and an upper respiratory infection!

Went straight to Ryan's Target (right around the corner) so he could talk to someone about his shift tonight. His first-level boss wasn't in, but the next one up was, and she happens to be the same person who gave me her business card when Ryan went to the hospital, asking that I call and let her know that he was okay. She gave him his next two days off (today and Saturday), and renewed Ryan's feelings of job security after having essentially a week's "vacation" from combined days off and calling in sick.

Went to the pharmacy, picked up antibiotics, came home, found out that Sameh--who was already showing symptoms of the same cold--also has pink eye. She just left for the clinic herself, to find out what she already knows and get her own pretty package of antibiotics.

The current household theory is that Horace has been the carrier, as Ryan and Sameh are the two that cuddle him the most...that is, at all. Most of my contact with him is kicking him out of the room after he keeps insisting on attacking the bedding or climbing on our computer towers >.<

ANYWAY. Diagnoses, antibiotics, more time off from work, two days off for the caretaker-girlfriend, and pizza for basically all meals*...it's been a long day for Ryan.

*I was craving the English muffins I bought recently, he was craving pizza, so I made tiny pizzas with the muffins, marinara, mozzarella, a sprinkling of oregano, and, for mine, two sliced olives. Very easy, extremely tasty, I am pretty proud of myself right now.

Edited to add a note to my parents: I am still taking in loads of fluids, vitamin C, and echniacea myself, as well as washing and sanitizing my hands almost constantly. Even considering all that, however, it's still pretty amazing that I haven't gotten sick. Woo!