Sick Suck

Oh team. I am on the verge of sick. I usually claim to be "on the verge" of being sick long after other people would throw in the towel and claim full "sick" status, but I stubbornly try to fight whatever I clearly already have from the front lines for weeks. I'm like Czechoslovakia when other people are more like France. Which is to say, I think I'm probably already well and properly sick. Sore throat? Check. Watery Eyes? Check. Slight fever? Sigh. Check.

And I am breaking true character, not only by quickly admitting defeat and waving the white flag for these invading forces, but by being a complete and total suck about it. I'm being a baby. I am typically one to soldier on through a cold with very little complaint. Not today.

So rather than complain, I started thinking about all the awesome things to heal what ails you. Literally. My favourite "remedies" are...

1) Soup.
Played out? Maybe, but warm broth or classic chicken noodle, maybe a creamy tomato, on that raw and ravaged throat is the best shit in the world. I just scarfed down an epic bowl of cauliflower soup, and it was nearly a religious experience. I wanted to be baptized in that soup.

2) The Cold Side of the Pillow
I strongly believe that the cold side of the pillow is probably one of life's nicer treats under normal circumstances, but when you're sick, it is that life raft that helps you cling to sanity. However, the desire to occupy the coldest part of my bed also leads to what is quite literally my least favourite thing about being sick; the messy bed. When your top sheet is torn out, wrapped around the bottom of your feet in a bundle, the feathers of your duvet are all shoved in one big pile in your comforter, and, most loathed of all, when your fitted sheet rides up, exposing bare mattress. Whenever I find myself lying, sweating and dribbling on my exposed mattress in an illness induced haze, I feel like Johnny Cash going through withdrawal in Walk the Line. Overreaction? Maybe! But I'm sick! My rational capacities are greatly hindered.

3) Ice cream
Serving the same function as soup, but from the opposite end of the spectrum, who doesn't love some ice cream for a sore throat. Is it awful and countereffective when trying to heal your illness? Very possible - I have an M.A., not a fucking MD PhD. But it feels so nice.

4) Back. Rub.
Whether I drank too much and am puking while a friend is holding my hair and doing it, or I'm fighting flu symptoms and it's my mum, having my back rubbed in long gentle strokes is, bar none, the best feeling when I'm sick. It is the true height of narcissism, but being doted on is all most people want when they're sick, and physical comfort is the most selfish but satisfying kind of TLC a sick person can get. My back always gets so achey when I'm sick, and the long compassionate back rub is the perfect gesture of sympathy and concern. I want to cry thinking about how awesome some back stroking would be right now. But it's ok - my cat will totally cuddle with me.

5) Rain.
I feel like the karmic balance is in my favour when it rains when I'm sick. It's like the world is sick with me. Overcast days make me want to lie in bed and hibernate regardless of how hearty my immune system has been, so when I'm conducting biological warfare on my insides, it's all the better. Not convinced? How much shittier is it to be sick when it's beautiful and sunny out? So. Much. Shittier. And being able to open a window and get that fresh, cool, rain smell into your sick room is a treat.

Alright - pyjamas, a glass of water and my bed are beckoning.


Ps - no pictures? Because all pictures of "sick" are of made up healthy people pretending to be sick, or cartoons. And that's bullshit.

I Like Your Nails...

"Thanks! I wasn't sure about the colour; it's called 'Princesses Rule.'"

"Oh [subdued scoffing laughter], I don't know about that..."

"Well, monarchically speaking it's patently false. But the colour's not bad."

"No, the colour's cute."                                                     

Five Favourite Things Friday!

Because alliteration is fun. And because I kept thinking this week, "man, people need to know about this." AND, it serves as an excellent exercise to look at your life and decide some things about it that are awesome. Some things are mundane and most likely specific idiosyncracies of mine, while others are actual "gettin' the word out" examples of the general excellence circulating society these days.

And we begin with...

one: making my bed

Ok, I am braced to be utterly alone on this. I feel like it's a lost art. When ever I used to strive to clean my house or apartment, it was because someone was going to see it. And more often than not, that would not include the expectation that anyone would be seeing my bed. Right? However, after I moved into a couple of bachelor apartments, where all was visible, I conformed to the external expectations of cleanliness and made my damn bed if I thought people were coming over. And then I just started doing it. And now I love it. My room is tucked away in the least accesible corner of my parents' house - no one will see it but me. Ever. Seriously. But isn't there just something really awesome about crawling into a bed that has been neatly made at the end of the day? You don't have to scrounge at the foot of the bed for your top sheet, and your duvet is all fluffed. In fact, in my internet searching, I found that this was high on the list for the Happiness Project, an endeavour started by author Gretchen Rubin to make small changes in your daily life to make yourself happier. So I'm not alone!

dos: Game of Thrones

The book! This is one of the qualities that I suspect will land me amongst the outliers of weird fantasy-oriented nerds who covet all things Lord of the Rings to most people, but haters, step off.

First of all, if you've bothered to watch the HBO drama, it is exceptionally well done. The plot is less concerned with dragons and witches - though they're certainly there - than it is with the complications of political battles, honour, and pride. Peter Dinklage, who plays the "Imp" Tyrion Lannister, has said in an interview; "I think it's more reality-based than fantasy, personally. And maybe I'm a little bit biased because I sometimes see people of my size, how they're represented in fantasy, they're comical." The themes are universal. And the book actually has me avidly reading before bed. I will head off to bed early so that I can get through a chapter. If you haven't seen the show or picked up the book, you really ought to; if nothing else, it will be a marker of your pop-cultural awareness.

three: Wolf Gang

I have recently, courtesy of my friend Kirsten, been exposing myself to way more music than I used to. Hence Coachella. And at Coachella, the first band we saw - 11 am on the Friday - was Wolf Gang. And their performance may have actually been one of my favourites. It is certainly the band that I have carried with me most since returning from sunny Cali.

f-f-four: healthy omelettes

When I go on a health kick, omelettes are my immediate go to. It is so easy to get yourself a ton of veg and make it taste fucking amazing. And, if done properly (in my humble opinion, of course) you can even have the outside a little crispy, eliminating the desire for some toast on the side. They have become an inextricable part of my morning routine. Today's went awry - just because I was going to take a picture of it, I'm sure - so it was a flat omelette. But, seriously, bask in its glory

I use one whole egg and then a 1/4 cup of egg white, and then I shredded zuchinni (and normally chiffonaded spinach, though I was out this morning). While I am prepping that, there is onion sauteeing away. Once it's soft, I add asparagus, and today I went with some broccoli, a sprinkle of bacon, and a bit of shredded chicken. After letting that cook up a bit, I set it aside in a bowl, add my egg base, sprinkly it with smoked parpika, salt and coarse cracked pepper. I like to add my filling before the egg has cooked all the way through, so it gets incorporated. I polished it off with some low fat cottage cheese. Seriously - try it. It adds that much more lean protein, and the savoury sensation you expect from cheese without being pure fat.

And, appropriately last, as it tends to be how I end my day...

FIVE: Dreaming Tree Crush

A year ago, a favourite wine wouldn't be found anywhere on my blog. I have enjoyed wine for a long time. I was considered my rugby team's resident wino in my first year. But a discerning palate, and experimenting with various wines didn't happen. Now I have a glass (or two) almost every night after work. And when I finally abandoned the stricter rules of the 17 Day Diet, it was to have a glass of wine. And it turned out to be this wine, Dreaming Tree Crush. And it was totally worth it. I picked it up because I liked the label. And I've bought a couple bottles since (can you spot one?).
Described as a North Coast Red, this wine, it turns out, is the result of a collaboration between winemaker Steve Reeder and none other than Dave Mathews. And it's brilliant. Very drinkable, full-bodied and smooth; the bottle reads that it "pulls you in with notes of smoky berry and a pop of raspberry jam." Raspberry jam?? Damn. So good. And a whopping 16.00$. I would love to open a bottle right now, but that would confirm suspicions that I have acquired a drinking problem while living in Calgary.