Woe is me- I spent much of this beautiful day inside and in the name of keeping my sister's cat company, I continue to stay indoors. Still I did get out for a walk around the duck pond with Jan and her dog Mandy, and that was wonderful. It was also good for my cold to be in the sun, since i seem to have picked up a little extra virus yesterday on top of my first cold. Woe is me.

I managed to get my grant application finished and just have a couple questions Monday before I send it off. I hope beyond hope that I will get some money to help me get to China in the Fall. I am also thinking to get a new laptop computer sooner rather than later to take with me... my desktop pc was infected with numerous viruses and I had to get them cleaned out. I empathize with my computer, seeing as how we've both come down with a bug, but the cd drive isn't working very well so I wasn't able to reinstall my printer drivers... and it's hard to operate without a printer.

I had the last of my chicken-veg curry and rice for supper and dessert- some butterscotch chips and a cookie. I'm finding it very hard to give up the sweets.

so tired- gotta nap

I'm feeling so sleepy- it's the cold, and the sun, and my abbreviated last night's sleep. I'll take a nap before I go to catch the bus to the valley this afternoon. Dad's coming to take me out for lunch and I'm lusting after a burger and fries. Perhaps I will be able to restrain myself.

I've started doing the physio exercises again... they're harder than they were since I haven't been doing them for a couple weeks at least. My eating has been reasonable- I haven't had a lot of appetite since I've been sick, or rather it's been more limited, which has been a good thing.

Aquafit's been down the tubes for three weeks- hopefully this week coming I'll start again. I'm so tired right now all I want to do is sleep...

Gotta get ready for dad...

Today I did not set foot outdoors. I did not get washed or dressed or comb my hair. I ate, drank, slept, stayed glued to internet and radio and read a little. It was a beautiful day but I missed it, because of being sick. But thank goodness, I feel so much better than Saturday, when I started the antibiotics.

Mum brought me a pot of stew which I have been eating all day, and some banana bread with chocolate chips. I have been drinking tea non-stop, trying to keep the tickle out of my throat, because that tickle starts me coughing, which is painful. I am taking seriously the "rest and drink hot drinks" advice that comes with every cold. I have been through enough colds to know, it just gets worse if you push yourself.

But tomorrow I intend to get up in the morning and do a few more normal things. Work on my novel, maybe. Put out the compost. Make some calls. Definitely bathe and dress. I'll even clean up a little,
Exercise seems a far away idea... but I might do a bit. I'm a wimp but even a wimp gets bored of sitting at home trying not to cough,

Well I'm sick but getting better thanks to modern medicine and medication in Middleton. My GP had told me I needed an antibiotic but that was before she looked at my throat or listened to my chest! So I refused them, But yesterday, sick as I was, I went with Mum to the Valley for an event in Paradise. I ended up goign to the walk in clinic in Middleton and was prescribed an antibiotic by a nice doctor there and got it at the Pharmasave. I took it and overnight my sore thoat was gone, though my cold symptoms have persisted. They may clear up soon too. Thank God for the wonder of drugs and for our medical system, which may have shortcomings but which has given me great care when I've most needed it.

Needless to say my exercise regime has gone out the window- both the aquafit and the physio exercises. My appetite is coming back and thanks to my lovely mum and dad i have had healthy foods to soothe my throat. Dad brought chicken broth and turkey necks to make turkey broth. Mum's bringing stew tomorrow. I feel very blessed!

Time for another pill...

It's Saturday again... I stayed home from the Halifax market today with a vague sinus-type headache and and snoozed a little, but managed to drag myself to the Dartmouth and Harbourside markets for some groceries. A baker gave me three loaves of whole wheat bread for $5.oo because he didn't want to take them home to Yarmouth. Score! I also got some ground pork to make a lentil dish with and some eggs. Then at Harbourside I got tomatoes and a sweet potato, also for the lentil dish. Mmmm. Dad invited me for supper so if I don't makes lentils today it'll be tomorrow.

My legs and buttocks still give me pain when I walk and especially when I browse, which involves more standing. I do think the physio exercises have done some good but I dispute the physio's idea that it's sciatic pain. I know my sciatic pain feels reminiscent of the cool burn from rubbing alcohol... and it makes me slightly nauseous. This is more muscle pain, a cramp-style pain.

Yesterday Dad I went for a 20 minutes walk at Shubie Park and I did ok, going slowly but ended up with pins and needles and pain by the end. Pavement is brutal, I hurt almost as soon as I go outside, and sometimes inside too, around the house. I realize the pain is one of the things that keeps me from doing even the amount of housework I did a year ago.

I think the key is probbaly not to be sitting in front of the computer so long and so much. This would involve a great deal of discipline on my part. I don't know if it would help to use a laptop that will enable me to work in different places and lying down if i want... worth thinking about...

It was a market Saturday. For the first time in many moons I went to the Halifax farmer's market which I do dearly love, despite the fact that there are throngs of people and sometimes it's too hot, too noisy and too crowded to think. There was a free range chicken, fresh beet greens, honey, and eggs, flour and savoy cabbage. I ate like a queen tonight. Some people don't like to cook for themselves but I am happy to roast myself a chicken any time!

My legs felt tired earlier- seems like when i've been out for the day my whole body aches...even if I haven't done anything to speak of. Tomorrow it will hopefully be nice enough to get outside and rake, which is always good exercise. Soon the lawn will need cutting and -there's always the gardening which I am basically inclined to leave... that was Kristine's hobby and I am not that interested, thought it seems shameful to say so.

Tomorrow I also intend to wash two batches of dishes. It's really mind blowing how my unclean my kitchen looks right now. My sister would have a fit, but I am very able to cope with a certain level of mess and dirt that she finds abhorrent. Still it's getting out of hand, even I have to admit. My energy for housework is somehwat limited...

time to brush my teeth and say goodnight...