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Courtesy NPR.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is hurricane Florence last week bearing down on the part of the US where I live. Dire effects were predicted even up here in my mountain aerie. Flooding is still an issue in my county, but I haven’t come down off the mountain to see if the river is over its banks.

I prepared. Cranked up the generator to make sure it was raring to go, made sure the gas tank was full. Five gallon container of MOAR gas on standby. Plenty of batteries for the flashlights. Patio furniture and umbrellas stowed in the garage. Human and dog food replenished. Wine and vodka stores? Check.

As it happens, Fergus and I got some extended, gentle rain, some stiff breezes off and on, but that’s the extent of it for us. My sorrow and fear for the victims in the Carolinas are real, but not shared this time.

Dodged that one.

The cough started innocuously enough Thursday afternoon. By Friday morning, it was incessant and settling in to my chest. Fortuitously, I was scheduled for my annual check up Friday a.m. My temp was just a tad elevated and I was diagnosed with bronchitis and an upper respiratory infection. By Friday evening, I was so feverish, I was barely conscious. I hurt all over and was wracked with the hard-shaking chills. I added Tylenol to my over-the-counter cough medicine. Saturday’s a bit of a blur, but the hard chills continued off and on all day — temp was still over 101 Saturday evening. Sunday more of the same, but a tad less violent. Periods of soaking sweat and then the temp came in at 100.5. Today? I’m better. Temp is hovering at 99. I’m not shaking or sweating after last night’s episode that woke Fergus.

I’m still sick as — what? Can’t say a dog, that’s insulting to dogs. Weak as a — what? Can’t say kitten, kittens are little spitfires. I’m upright and typing this post. That’s about the extent of it. Fergus has been my perfect little companion — he’s cuddled against me as I write this, occasionally licking my hand. We had a late lie-in this morning …

Gratuitous photo of Fergus being cute this morning. Well, he’s always cute.

So, it looks like I’m going to live. And I need to get head and body back in the game because we are on the last round of review and edit on Winter’s Thaw before it goes out to beta readers. Between this bout, KRB’s well-deserved vacation in the UK (there will be stories and pics of that in a couple of weeks) and SAY’s real world job, it looks like it won’t be by the end of this month as I’d hoped. But we are this close! Yes, I know. I’ve said that before, but this time it’s true.

I was going to include at least one paragraph, but even the first sentence is a spoiler, so … this is all you get, for now. *wink*

Get your flu shots, people.