Sick? Feel Better with These Tips with Love

I am sick.
I have been home from work for 3 straight days, which for me is a new record.
If I had more than 7 sick days a year, this would not be a big deal, but using close to half on one bug seems a bit unwise and somehow capricious.  What new germs will come my way in March or April?  Will I make it through or have to take a pay cut?  Those are the thoughts I wrestle with when calling off, but it is also my duty to not make others sick when I'm contagious and have a fever, so here I sit, day 3, on the couch.

As I sit, I am not alone.  I could graph how many bowls, mugs, and spoons surround me.  You might be shocked that one woman would own many vessels, but I should remind you these are the tools to getting well.  They convey nutritious foods and liquids.  An anthropologist could use them as a way to estimate how long I've been cooped up (I've been watching Bones episodes).  There are 4 mugs within reach at this very moment.  Clearly, I've been down for awhile.

Typically I have a window of 3-10 hours before being really sick when I know it is coming.  This gives me time to make sure I have food (pizza and soup ingredients), liquids (orange juice and Fresca) , and most importantly Frozen Yogurt.
This bug gave insufficient warning.

The first "warning:"
I went on a date to The Gelateria, ordered a mocha, it tasted like...nothing, which is odd.

And bam!
An hour into said date my throat hurt badly, and upon getting home I was sick with chills and body aches.

It's got me to thinking, since I haven't been able to to much else but think, read, and watch hulu.com (and take a stab at doing my taxes which I wouldn't recommend when feeling snotty) of creating a sickness tip sheet.

This is not a sickness prevention tip sheet, since the first 2 paragraphs have shot my credibility there, but a What to Do When You're Sick to Get Better list.  Here it is:

1.) Salt

I gargle warm salt water.  I also gag, choke, sputter, and accidentally drink some of it, but the point is I do something gross repeatedly hoping it will help.  It often does.  I don't know why.


2.) Foods

This is tricky.  When I am sick I can taste nothing, so I crave extreme flavors.  This is when I want DiGiorno pizza and Dark Chocolate anything.
But I know that these indulgences while helping give my taste buds some action, doesn't give my body any sort nutrient of fighting power.
Often I make these (due to the 3-10 hour window warning time), but only after I have stocked up on some Ben and Jerry's or Haagen Daz Frozen Yogurt.

Roasted Garlic Soup

Hot and Soup Soup

  

3.) Humor

I mostly watch t.v. online.  Laughter is supposed to be the best medicine, and I take that seriously.
Sure, I can watch Law and Order, but has that ever left you feeling uplifted and good or just demoralized about sin, crime, and a flawed penal justice system?
I recommend these:

On Hulu Plus:
Community / Brooklyn 99 / Perfect Couples / My Boys (if you can find it) / Ben and Kate  (if you can find it)

On Youtube:
Lizzie Bennet Diaries / Emma Approved


3b.) Learn

If you'd rather learn than laugh, watch TED talks.  Here's a linked list of the 20 most popular.

4.) Confession: I don't wash my hair

Are you my friend and wondering why I won't let you give me soup?  It's because of my dirty hair, or because of my dry-shampooed hair, which is essentially the same thing.
Maybe it's not true, but growing up when we were sick, we didn't bathe till we were in the clear.  No need to get chilly and backslide.
So. My hair is dirty and I wear hats.

I'm looking closely into these.

STORY by Modcloth

A Beautiful Mess

5.) Liquids

I drink tons of liquids.  Tea, water, hot water, Fresca, chocolate soy milk, more water etc.
Prepare yourself this means going to the bathroom a lot.  But it's worth it.  Look at all of the adorable containers I have now to store treasures!

6.) Accepting

 I guess since all my other defenses are down when I'm sick I try and uphold the one thing I can, pride.
And I am full of it.  It doesn't always show up in ways I would expect.  It's not braggadocios nor does it have tell tail swagger.  But my reluctance to let people help me (close friends and family have all reached out to bring me food, drinks, anything) is a clear marker to its presence.  I told these lovelies, them all, "No thank you. I'm fine." when truth be told, I was sitting on my couch with body aches from my toes to my fingertips crying.  But learn from me; let your guard down and accept help.  Let someone love on you.

Kill Two Birds with One...Man Cat

Today is Love Your Pet Day, and so I'd like to introduce you to mine.
I've been waiting awhile before saying it outright, but I own a cat.

It's not that I don't love dogs.  I don't believe there are "only two types of people."  I simply don't have the budget to properly love on a dog.  Instead, I have a cat, and I dog sit any chance I can get.

But what is truly on my mind has been the writing process.

A friend of mine recently asked how I decide what to post on this blog and it's associated Facebook page versus my personal Facebook.

I do have some "branding standards" that I won't bore you with, particularly since they are subtle differences. But it can be a challenge generating ideas at times.
So I will be posting semi-regularly what helps me write.

Writing Tip #1

I recommend running ideas past someone you trust.
This brings us full circle.

I have trained my cat to critique my work. He pitches ideas from time to time, but I didn't find his suggestion on a piece about increased smelliness of Iams Purrfect Delights cat food to be compelling enough.  (Though he has a point.  He won't eat it; it stinks to high Heaven, and it is no longer welcome in this apartment.)

But really.  Find someone you trust to share your ideas with and can help you improve.

A Highly Related Tip #2

Also, figure out if you are the type of writer who can stand abrasive let's start from the ground up help or who needs course correction advice.
If you don't know this about  yourself yet, you need to do some digging.  Establishing what your critique tolerance is will only help preserve your friendships/ relationships and help your writing as well.
And, at least in my experience, you can build up to getting more and more truthful appraisals and feedback, if you aren't equip to do so yet.

I've Got a Gas (Bill) Problem, St Louis: Friendly Money Tips

St. Louis weather, if you haven't noticed, is a little mercurial.  Which means, when it's Winter, my bills are inflated.  I can stand heat, but Dante got it right.  Being cold is a form of pain.  And doubly so when you have to pay for it.

I hate being cold and my body seems to have an inability to stay warm, but does that mean I really crank up the  heat?

No. 

I turn the heat down when I am out and sleeping, dress in layers, have a portable space heater, and drink warm beverages.

Even with all of this, my past gas bill from Laclede had a hefty price in the "Amount Due" column.  

So hefty that I sprung to action (read: googled), because between us I can't pay that amount again this year. 

There are a few challenges though. 

1.) I have an apartment, and while it is as homey as a house with a paid off mortgage, it is not mine.  

Which means whatever I do to outsmart the cold, I can't make lasting structural changes.  

2.) And I have to keep the ROI in mind, because someday I will be leaving and can't necessarily take my improvements along. 

3.) Googling. Websites galore tell you how to save money, but they assume a certain level of...let's call it naive thinking.  Additionally advice is geared towards home owners.  Basically I found the tips to be relatively unhelpful.  

Big challenges.

After tackling these and having a little success, I thought, why not help prevent bill shock for you?

I want you to be able to save (hopefully) many dollars.

I will post a few of the things I had not considered and have now employed.

Your Water Heater and You 

That's right, it's in your creepy basement, the water heater.

I was scared to approach mine and dial back the temperature of the heat. 

I envisioned slipping with my screw driver and getting scalded.  

Also I envisioned a scary person lurking down there, but both of these fears were needless.

(The person lurking down there was actually quite nice.)

I read that you need to remove a plate on your water heater with a flat head screwdriver to reveal the temperature knob. 

As it happens, I did not even need a screwdriver. 

This is what I found:

It was as if the water heater wanted to be condescending.  Hot, Warm, Vacation.
(Really water heater?  You think I go on Vacation? More like Stay-cation.)
I turned the knob and hope that next week my new bill will show an improvement.

Am I taking cold showers?  How is the water temperature now?
Not terrible.  Some days the water is hotter than others. It is not scalding hot but not cold and in the long run my skin is probably better off.

How have your bills this season been?  Have you stumbled across any great tips you'd like to share?

Check out this site if you want to learn more.