Snapshots of a Sick Day (worked)

6:25am Alarm sounds, my head is pounding, I can't breathe! [press snooze]

6:32am Alarm sounds, head still pounding, I still can't breathe out my nose [press snooze]

6:39am Alarm sounds, the sensation in my head is more like a throbbing than a pounding, I can slightly wheeze through one nostril, my cat informs me she is starving with her scratchy "rowr," I contemplate calling in sick [press snooze]

6:46am Alarm sounds, the idea of medicating myself entices me out of bed, I actually turn alarm off.

6:50am Feed the cats, take some tylenol and pseudephed, boil some water for enchinacea tea. It's going to be one of those days.

7:01am Start shower, hope the steam will loosen up my congested chest. Indeed, the meds don't take effect soon enough and I attempt to condition my hair before shampooing and use facial soap to scrub my body. Mmm, minty.

7:24am Attempt to use Mary Kay products to cover up my sickly-looking face. Give up, and throw on some eye-liner, mascara, and powder. I am going to blow my nose enough to rub off any makeup, anyway.

7:46am Peanut butter toast and tea for breakfast. Grab a can of soup for lunch. Pack a box of tissues and my meds. Hope I have everything in my bag.

8:22am Walk into work. Immeadiately am asked about three different tasks that I think I recall? from last week. Explain my space cadet-like condition.

8:40am Turn on computer. Stare at screen. Wish for a warm bath and a soft pillow (in vain). Blow nose and wash hands, instead.

9:02am Still staring at computer.

9:26am Reply to emails. Hope they sound coherent. Blow nose and wash hands.

9:50am VIP kids from local high school visit. I help them wash the park van and car.

10:43am Back to desk. Stare at computer. Think about weekend programs. I should probably finish my scripts for the weekend.

10:46am Contemplate taking more meds. Is three and a half hours close enough to four? Can I hold out another half hour?

11:06am Take more meds. Blow nose again. Wash hands.

11:13am Find regimental files to start script writing.

11:16am Look at opened regimental files on my desk, hoping the script will write itself.

11:30am Give up on writing to eat lunch. MMM, soup. My choice of southwestern veggie will surely get my nose to run a little?

11:56am Blow nose, wash hands, consider calling it a day and going home.

11:57am Check email again. Persevere.

12:08pm Is it time for more meds, yet? Heat up water for more enchineacea tea. Those scripts won't write themselves. Blow nose and wash hands.

12:12pm I need lotion for my hands and nose.

12:47pm Have found old scripts to work with. That is a start.

12:56pm Reading about cannonading only reminds me of my pounding head.

1:14pm Why do supervisors need to talk to me? Can't they see that I would rather be lying down under a rock somewhere?

2:00pm Check to see if any visitors would like to listen to a stuffy-nosed ranger talk. Nope. Back to the dungeon (after I blow my nose and wash my hands).

2:06pm Weigh the pros and cons of staying or going home. Stinkin' work ethics. Just do it.

2:08pm Continue flitting back and forth between writing, fighting the urge to leave, washing hands, and blowing nose.

3:28pm Have you ever noticed how lots of medicines are either red, white, or blue? Mine are. Patriotic meds. These are the thoughts that run through my head BEFORE I take them...

4:10pm Nap? Nope. Only in my dreams. More tea.

4:13pm Ony 47 more minutes. Come on, 5 o'clock! Let's go, 5 o'clock! Arrive just a little bit faster.

4:22pm Blow nose (very gently because it is near raw) and wash hands.

4:34pm Start cleaning up for the day.

4:46pm Help close visitor center. Wish someone a happy weekend (and proceed to get reminded that it is, indeed, only Tuesday). Think long and hard about my pillow and how my weekend is actually still 4 days away.

4:49pm Yay. I get to go home. And take more meds. And sleeeeeeeeeeep.