The Flu

I think I might have the flu.  

I mean, it all fits.  I'm not running fever, but I do feel feverish, and have chills and body aches.  Coughing, tight chest, dizzy spells, weak and shaky feeling, diarrhea.  Even the elevated blood pressure and heart rate is consistent with symptoms of flu. Add to that the fact that it's still hanging around after so long.  I usually get over the punies in just a day or two, but this is day 4 of this yuck. 

I'm definitely going to bring it up when I go to the doctor Wednesday, but if it is the flu, there's not much to do but wait it out.  I think it'd be too late at this point to even start Tamiflu, and I probably wouldn't get it anyway.  Last time I took it, I felt better...like...one day sooner, and to me, it just wasn't worth the cost.    

I'm just hoping I feel well enough to go to work tomorrow.  Eh, I'd probably push through anyway.  One of my friends suggested I might have had a panic attack, but I don't know if it was or not, since I've never had a panic attack before.  I'll bring that up too, just to make sure.  Still...that this has been hanging on so long lends me to believe that's not it.   

OK, moving right along, I didn't do much of anything this weekend but watch TV.  I'm kind of bummed that I got the PBS Passport, because I binged the entire third season of All Creatures Great And Small, and now I don't have any more episodes to watch.  I'd already finished Miss Scarlet And The Duke, so now what?  Hmmm.

All Creatures always finishes the season with a Christmas episode and once I got done with that, I was wishing it was still Christmas, so naturally I went to Prime and watched a cheesy Christmas movie.  It wasn't Hallmark or Great American Family, though.  At least I don't think it was, because it didn't have the Hallmark or Great American Family logo on the screen.  By the time that was over, it was almost time for the pre-game show, so I just went over to Hulu and watched that. 

Then I watched the football games -- except for the 4th quarter of the Eagles Vs. Giants game, because I fell asleep.  The cat was restless last night, maybe because it was raining.  Needless to say, I didn't sleep all that well.  So, here we are today, sick and sleepy....

While I was doing all that TV watching, I was also knitting.  I finished my first beanie for the Seaman's Church Ministry.  And here it is.

The pattern is from their site, and the yarn is Red Heart, but I don't remember the name of the colorway.  I've long since tossed the ball band.  It's basically the same as the beanies I've been knitting all this time, except for the longer 2" brim, instead of my standard 1 1/2" brim.   It also has this kind of crown decrease, which I've used before, but isn't my standard one. 

They said we could use other types of crown decreases, but I chose this one for this pattern just for variety.  I may use it more, because it looks pretty cool.  Very neat and tidy. 

Once I'd finished that hat, I dug out some more yarn and cast on another one, this time a watch cap.  The main difference with this one is that it's got a 4" brim, so it can be folded up for extra warmth.  

The website says we can use any color, but looking through my stash, it seems all I have are shades of blue, plus a few purples and grays.  I might just have to pick up a skein or two of neon colors next time I go into town.  

And finally, a little grosseness I discovered yesterday.  If you have weak stomach, this is your only grossness/TMI warning.

So, you know I've been having these bathroom issues these last 4-ish or so days.  Yesterday, I was in the hall bathroom tending to my business, and I noticed it smelled really bad -- as in it smelled as if I were pooping out something dead.  This was a real cause for concern for me.  Even after I finished my business, I kept smelling this...really gross smell.  I thought maybe I had a tumor or something.

A few moments later, I went into my craft/snake/computer room to get something out of my printer.  As soon as I opened the door, it hit me like a ton of bricks.  Seems that Slider the Ball Python had upchucked his rat, which had been laying in the bottom of his tank decaying ever since.  

Ick.

Grabbing my snake feeding tongs and a couple of Walmart sacks, I grabbed the disgusting thing and carried it out into the woods.  I still need to thoroughly clean his tank, but it's time for that anyway.  I'll have to pick up some more aspen shavings -- maybe Wednesday when I get out of the doctor's office I can do that. 

At least the house doesn't stink so badly any more. 

Speaking of, don't let this little stinker fool you. She only looks sweet and innocent.