Last Tuesday, I was suddenly struck by a high fever and a sore throat. The next day the cough was dry, but mild, and my chest felt like someone dropped a brick on it. I was trying to assess my symptoms free from panic but, with the 24-hour news coverage laser-focused on coronavirus, it was hard to keep the little voice in my head from overreacting.
I called my doctor's office. I followed the receptionist 's advice and called the public health district. They told me that I needed to speak to my doctor. And the cycle began again.
Without a history of foreign travel or a confirmed case in my orbit, I wasn't a priority for testing. I'd been in the Seattle airport the week prior. Eaten in restaurants, visited an office building that was closed due to suspected cases. Not good enough. But if I got worse and required hospitalization, then I could be tested. Excellent.
I decided to quarantine myself - skipping my husband's birthday party, missing brunch with friends - the common activities of every day life stopped. I recovered within a few days, but opted to stay home for a a while longer. I was Schrodinger's patient - I both had the virus and didn't have the virus.
Today, I feel fine. Run down, but fine. Was it just a cold? Probably. But the question lingers.
And as Facebook acquaintances and social media follows talk about the 'pathetic overreaction' of closing the NCAA tournament to fans and the 'media created hysteria,' I am overcome by one thought: It's all an overreaction until someone you love starts coughing.
Our lives are about to change dramatically in the short-term. But I'm hopeful that in the longterm, life will return to normal and that this crisis will teach us something about what we value, about what's important.
Until then, we all need to learn how to wash our hands properly.
Every time I get sick, I become addicted to hot beverages. Pour me an Emergen-C, an Earl Grey tea, a hot chocolate, and a lemon-honey water for good measure. And every time, I think how much easier it would be to keep the hot liquids coming if I had an electric kettle.
I spotted this Stagg gooseneck kettle and loved the design, but not the price. So I bought the Amazon-recommended Cosori gooseneck kettle, and I love it. It has different setting for brewing different beverages, from white tea to black coffee. It also has a setting to keep the water at the perfect temperature. Kyle's been using it for his daily pour over coffee, and I am in hot beverage heaven, especially with my double-walled mugs to keep things warm.
The Devil in the White City is in my Top 5 favorite books of all time. Larson's other books have been hit or miss for me, but I am very excited to dig into The Splendid and the Vile this weekend. Give me all the Winston Churchill.
I lived this entire week in these Super Soft Terry Slim Joggers from Gap. As a pear-shaped woman, I resisted joggers for as long as possible. I'd buy a pair, wear them a bit, realize they weren't flattering, and donate them. But the slim shape on these makes them a bit more flattering, esp. after I used my rudimentary sewing skills to remove the pockets and whip-stitch them shut.
Also not happening when I'm sick? Wearing thongs. This is no-show hipster time. The Gap pair come in several 'nude-to-you' shades.
Season 2 of Dirty Money has arrived just in time for a weekend of recuperating. With the true stories of scandalous greed, Season 2 covers Jared Kushner's dilapidated properties, Wells Fargo's new account financial malpractice and more. It's an insightful and interesting series about the things people do for money.
Kyle does most of the cooking in our house, but earlier this week, he complained that maybe I had 'forgotten how' to cook after such a long hiatus. So as a reader put it, I cooked a 'spite meal' of Half Baked Harvest's Korean Sheet Pan Chicken. It's spicy, delicious and quick.
One tip though, skip the metal pan and make it in a shallow Pyrex dish. It made it easier to get crispy, sticky chicken.
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