Autumn in Quarantine

(photo from Holy Cross, Co Tipperary, 11.10.08)

It was inevitable, really. I knew it as soon as I saw the leaves changing colour outside... as soon as I noticed the days getting shorter and the nights getting cooler... it's finally autumn... and with autumn comes the onset of the menace that is Cold and Flu Season.

And it's hit me full force.

Sadly, despite a relaxing and beautiful weekend down in Roscrea with B's parents, who kindly stuffed me to the gills with food in lieu of my traditional Thanksgiving at my gran's house in Canada, I now have a horrible, wretched cold.

And I am going stir-crazy.

I'm not one of those people who handles illness well. Ongoing illness, yes (see previous posts about being resigned to the fact that I have a bad stomach). But silly little colds that knock the wind out of my sails and leave me quarantined in an apartment by myself? Not a chance.

I admit I've managed the odd cat-nap, particularly yesterday when from 3am onwards I had a constant "I have to sneeze" feeling in my nose, blocked ears and a rattling cough. But now, after two and a half days of living in my pjs, alternating between bed and couch, watching terrible daytime tv (Crossing Over with John Edwards, anyone?) I'm going a bit mad.

Needless to say I still feel weak and feeble, and it's currently raining torrentially outside, so the thought of even venturing to the shop is none too appealing. But I need to do something. I've read an entire book, two magazines, checked various websites compulsively (Hotmail, Facebook, Flickr...) and now, short of watching random videos on YouTube, I have no idea what to do with myself.

Hmm... only 5 hours til B gets home. Plus I think I hear Sneezing Panda beckoning from the YouTube vaults...

Wish me sanity...