On colds

So the last week has been characterized by hot, hot weather, cool breezes, and almost daily downpours. Raining buckets takes on new meaning.
The persnickety weather probably has helped contribute to a head cold last week which turned into a fever this week. Somehow I never learn to really take it easy and get well before I start going again. But if I had to pick a time to get sick - this would have been it - On Sunday, Alister asked me - "So what are your plans for tomorrow?" After Russian classes finished I had a whirlwind couple of weeks with a conference and some "culture" classes I was teaching to fill in for someone leaving on vacation - but as of Monday- all that busyness evaporated - In order to avoid illness, it is absolutely vital not to let ones guard down - the cold, flue, or distemper always knows when the rush of adrenaline and push to study or work eases up and it is then that it never fails to strike. I should have known better, the stuffy nose, hoarse voice, and slightly sore throat were more than enough to tell me that I was not yet into the healthy zone - but instead all I could say in answer to Alister's question was "I don't know - maybe I could finish cleaning the house, or copy out my Russian notes."
It turns out that I spent the first day in bed with a fever - sleeping at least 20 full hours, the second day in bed, still with a fever but able to sit up and read and eat and so I ploughed through 100+ pages of Brother's Karamazov (my "light" summer read - if anything Dostoevsky can build up suspense - pg 275 and still nothing "bad" has happened but we've all been expecting a murder or worse since, well basically the first sentence, which mentioned a "gloomy and tragic death").
Today I am feeling slightly better - though not quite 90% yet and so am continuing to read BK and am going to see how many spurts of housework I can accomplish.