I guess I get some illness to distract me from my illness? Is that how this works? I was sick two weeks ago and now it’s back again. I was not only supposed to be at work today, I was supposed to be team teaching a class with my new friend. I woke up this morning feeling the worst I’d felt in at least a couple weeks. My mouth dry and phlegmy and just generally deathlike.

After waking, and deciding not to work, things got easier. I emailed my new friend, and she agreed to take over the whole class without any hesitation. I emailed everyone I needed to. (I was glad, at least, that I finished the online research guide last week, so it could be used without me.) I slept.

I got up. I slept some more. I went to see the nurse practitioner (my doc wasn’t around today), and as is typical of the practice, I wasn’t given antibiotics, because it wasn’t clear I needed them. Instead I’m meant to do steam inhalations, drink lots of tea, and sleep. This is a lot more work than popping a pill, but perhaps more satisfying because it gives you something to do while you’re waiting to get well. Boil water! Boil more water! Isn’t that just like the old days? Like, a baby would be on its way, and someone who was not needed on the scene would be told to go boil water, and they’d rush off, happy to be doing something of perceived importance. Except this time the person boiling the water is me. And it’s the means to my own getting well. Or is it? Perhaps this is simply the modern, holistic, crunchy equivalent to “Boil more water!”

Which reminds me. I need to go boil more water.