Monday, August 14, 2000

Annual summer chest cold

Summer is proceeding right on schedule, evidenced by the arrival Saturday of my annual chest cold. For a bit, I'd dismissed Thursday's body aches as the consequence of a new upper body routine at the gym. The tickle in the back of my throat on Saturday morning I was willing to ascribe to...well, overdoing it a bit on Friday night. I was delighted to have a tasty Cuban dinner with Jazzy Jeff and Stinky, convivial conversation, good ale and mole with plantain chips, ample entrees, a perfect way to catch up with two old friends celebrating August birthdays.

I'd intended a post-prandial early retirement, but although Stinky had to depart to meet other friends arriving from out of town, Jeff wasn't tired and I was amiably disposed to at least a cocktail or two. Well, two became three and three begat four...it was around 4 a.m. when I wandered home. By mid-day Saturday, it was clear a week spent scurrying from air-conditioned environment to air-conditioned environment with long patches of heat and humidity in between -- coupled with a Bacchanal in a smoky, surprisingly chilly strip club -- had taken their toll on my respiratory system.

I've spent the past two days in cocoon mode: pushing fluids, sleeping a lot and poring over Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. At the rate I'm reading, I'll manage to finish up the fourth Potter book just in time for the release of the fifth. My pace has been, basically, sleep for an hour or two, get up, make a cup of tea, read three or four pages, lose consciousness, repeat. I'm still all achy and drippy, and with my work/sleep cycle now hopelessly askew, the busy week to come is going to be hellish.