Out Damn Virus

Written January 11, 2011

I've been down with a cold since around Christmas, and I'm just about the limit of my patience for the tiny little gnome I am imagining lives in my sinuses who is ladling gunk down the back of my throat.  I thought I was done with NyQuil and Advil LiquiGels last week, but  tonight I caved in and opened one of those allegedly child-proof blister packets.  Thea's down with a cough, but no other real symptoms so she's just taking PediaCare Cough Syrup or Mucinex, and Micah's beginning to fake a bit of a dry cough because he thinks he's been left out.

If this is the immune system at age 50, it sucks.  I have drowned myself in several gallons of orange juice or Simply Limeade.  I have been taking my vitamins.  I have been washing my hands or using hand sanitizer gel to the point where the backs of my hands verge on reptilian.  All that is left to do is just wallow in misery and self-pity.

I finally unearthed the humidifier this afternoon because the master bedroom is drier than dry (and now we know why, the casing for the humidifier unit on the furnace is EMPTY.  Thank you to the seller who I specifically remember asking what's that thing on the furnace and being told it was the humidifier and that the second thermostat-like thing on the wall was for the humidifier.  A second thank you very sparsely to the home inspector who could have noted it on his inspection even though it was not really part of the structural and safety issues.  If I didn't have reason to hate the sellers for there completely questionable taste in decor and their total inability to notice dust (on the mini-blinds, which could likely have been measured in millimeters and above the door jambs of every room in the house), I really wish a blistering case of herpes on them now.

Micah's 5th birthday is less than two months away, and we've finally got a place to hold the party.  He expressed a desire to have everyone over to our house for a birthday party play date, but that is just not going to happen.  He attends two preschools, each with about a dozen children in the class, plus a few extras including a friend for Thea and it starts to more like an invasion than event.

So Thea and I in the midst of Saturday's snow and with only vague directions set out to check on Pump It Up in Hamilton.  We've been to three birthday parties at BounceU and one at Build-A-Bear  in the past couple of months, which were all great, but since it's the same group of children another venue seemed to be a good idea.  It is typical of those children's party venues, squirreled away at the back of an office/industrial park, but the interior was much more interesting and colorful than the red and purple of BounceU.

The moms who recommended Pump It Up said that the staff was high energy and really focused on getting the guests into the various activities.  The guy who gave us the five minute tour lived up to that, I was beginning to wonder how much Red Bull or Five Hour Energy must one consume to be that peppy, and walk backwards while talking and showing us around.  (Simple answer:  I don't want to know.)

So we've locked in March 5, 1:30 to 3:25 as the date.  Now I've got to pray that fewer than 24 cherubs RSVP that they will be coming.

One more item checked off the to-do list . . .