Home (Sick) Girl

A cold is one thing, but last night by the time we went to bed, I was in the throes of body aches, chills, and an absolutely splitting headache. All I could do was lie there and feel really sorry for myself...and really grateful to have married somebody who's such a good nurse.

So today I'm home sick, lamenting like I have since I was in elementary school that the days when you get to stay home, with all the time in the world to read book after book, are the days when your head hurts too much and your eyes are too red and bleary to enjoy it. Not that I haven't been trying anyway.

I can never remember whether it's "feed a fever, starve a cold" or the other way around (not that it would ever occur to us to starve anything around here, even a cold) but I have noticed that anytime I have (or suspect I have) a fever, I do get inordinately hungry. Before Matt went to work this morning, we embarked on the maiden voyage of the kefir smoothie--and, it was really very good. A little bit tangier than sweetened yogurt, but better and somehow "smoother" than commercial plain yogurt. And cheaper. With no added sugar. I think it's here to stay!

After that I went back to sleep and woke up with a hardcore yen for some chocolate. We don't keep a lot of it around, but after some scrounging in the cupboards I came up with a sample of Betty Crocker's Mini Warm Delights, which hit the spot. As opposed to trying to figure out what to feed and what to starve, it seems like it's easier and more intuitive just to listen to one's body, whether sick or not. In this case, mine is mostly telling me to lay low and drink a lot of hot tea with honey and ginger (affectionately referred to in our house as "Hot Ham Water" in deference to a favorite episode of Arrested Development), which seems on track, so I figure a craving involving the occasional microwaved plastic bowl of chocolatey goodness shouldn't automatically be denied.

And while the leftover chicken enchiladas did make a tasty lunch, for dinner, I think I'm heading back to the more-familiar territory of Split Pea Soup.