Fall: flu, cool air, and roasted veggies

I've had the flu all week. It's not fun and it's not pretty.

No I never get the flu shot. I have not had the flu since 1984 so avoiding a drug that I haven't needed for 30 years is a plus, in my opinion.

I was feeling OK Monday night. Some friends stopped by. They brought me a donut on the way home from Athens, and we talked in the driveway for a while. I came back inside, cleaned up (ate the donut) and went to bed. I woke up around 2AM a different person.

From Tuesday through Thursday I was one sick puppy. I went back to work Friday but probably shouldn't have. I'd never been out of work for three days in a row, let alone four, so I sure showed the flu who was boss. Meanwhile my colleagues at work were quietly Lysoling behind me.

This morning I'm very weak but finally the fever is good and gone. For a while there I thought it was a defective thermometer, permanently stuck above 100. It does work though. The mercury is finally down below 99 now.

One of the hardest things about being sick alone is the work. I still had to clean the kitty litter box and feed the darlings, and at least do the minimal things to keep the house going. I have to do all the clean up now from the sick week- take out the trash, disinfect everything, do laundry. And just when I'm at my weakest. I'll take it slow.

I also feel bad because both my work and my school need helpers today. School is holding a yard sale and needs workers to help set up and take down. I don't mind the cool/cold and I would have helped set up in the pre-dawn hours. Church is having homecoming soon and they need workers this morning to clean the inside and outside of the church. Just when I think I'd like to go help, I get dizzy and weak from simply standing up too quickly.

The weather changed dramatically since yesterday. It went from humid and warm to freshly cool with a nip in the wind. The low tonight is supposed to be 41 degrees...the heater guy isn't coming until October 9. That means I'll do some baking and roasting to warm up the place. It won't take much to make the apartment snug. A friend gave me two bags of jalapeno peppers and I seeded them Monday. I'll roast some, and as for the others others I'll toss into a cornbread muffin mix. I got buttermilk at the store yesterday. I'll also bake some potatoes and dream up a casserole too. Maybe I'll try some jalapeno poppers. I have the feta...

Even though it's dark and windy out, when you step outside it feels so good to breathe in that fresh crisp air instead of breathing the hot air like when you open the oven and get a blast in the face.

Choosing just the right pumpkin...one of the joys of fall.
EPrata photo