Whine alert: I got sick late last week. I don't get sick very often, and when I do, I get cranky. See, I'm busy. We all are, right? When I get sick, I start to think about all the things I can't afford to miss. I start to worry about what won't get done because I have no energy. I start to panic.

Panic, in case you didn't know, does not cure flu-like symptoms.

![sniff-1768463_1920.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmb3U8QYDqiLRL3GYHbTQtRJfAuFVzNWzLNpmLLuq6k6iv/sniff-1768463_1920.jpg)

The last day of class for the online courses at the [Elizabeth Ayres Center for Creative Writing](http://creativewritingcenter.com/) (where I'm director/teacher) was Thursday, so my body held it together until then. Nearly as soon as I clicked send on my last round of responses to my students for a full month, I sneezed and noticed my throat felt scratchy. Vitamin C, zinc, glass of water, repeat. Friday was kinda blah. My boss went home sick. I soldiered on and went thrifting after work, willing myself not to be ill.

Saturday, I woke up ill. I willed myself not to panic. Little man was at his dad's for the weekend so 1) I wouldn't be getting him sick and 2) I was going to try to have fun because I didn't feel TOO bad. Bf and I went outside, foraged some [more chanterelle mushrooms](https://steemit.com/food/@shapeshifter43/follow-the-yellow-shroomed-road), made friends with a turtle, 

![IMG_7048.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQYkbTdPb4cvsnncA1GxmXbrfXoLa9x32nsqTGdmPdGBx/IMG_7048.JPG)

interrupted two deer who were getting, ahem, acquainted behind a pine tree that fell over during last week's thunderstorm, and attempted to take a nice hike before I realized, yeah, I should probably be sitting down... So we took a drive instead, after which I felt better and thought, oh hey, let's tackle the grocery store! Second wind!

Second sit-down. This time, there was bourbon involved. I had a yummy hot toddy with vanilla chamomile and honey, and then switched to straight-up.

Saturday night, ya'll. Wooooo.

![FullSizeRender (7).jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQfipMwwxpGAgas9XSkTMku3bqMT8og71gaHivXha2TPm/FullSizeRender%20(7).jpg)

I want to tell you I was feeling better on Sunday, but I spent the day on the couch flipping back and forth between Dark Knight and Twilight movies. In between, I did some laundry and dove into the new stack of memoirs that arrived after my treat-yo-self splurge with my August freelancing windfall.

![FullSizeRender (8).jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQHagzfoX8y5a9X5jCyVNe59AfCPYTbY2h87ddpnfRFie/FullSizeRender%20(8).jpg)

Movies on the couch, no cooking or cleaning, no work, no errands after the grocery store run? Sometimes I have to get sick just to have time to relax. 

Moms, you feel me?

Because we are entering cold and flu season soon, here is my most favorite home remedy for the icky sniffly throat plagues: hot tea (chamomile or peppermint are my faves), honey, Jack Daniels Tennessee honey whisky (coupla tablespoons), and a squeeze of lemon. Drink as many as necessary to feel better, or to stop caring whether you feel better or not. You're welcome, and take care. :)