Why Am I Sick Again?

The girl is sick. Again. With a mega of a head cold. Why does this happen? I was feeling great, too. I'd been training for a triathlon, running swimming hiking and biking, eating well, feeling happy finally. And now WHAM! Germ attack!

I'm taking Zicam and the various Quils, but this was a sudden onset of the snifflys and so I'm hoping its just as quick to go away. I'm building a nice little tissue pyramid next to my bed. I lurched out long enough to post a bit about how ill I am and to take the hot, attractive photograph of myself holding the saber of hope for cold sufferers everywhere: The homepathic Zicam cold remedy. That, and maybe some Japanese Udon soup tomorrow, should have me back on my triathlon-training feet in no time. But for now...UNNNGH. My head feels like someone turned on a snot hose and filled it up to the brim. A gelatinous mass of yick. *sniff*

In other news, I made a wonderful tortilla soup the other night after my swimming workout. It was a recipe I gleaned from my friend CJ this weekend. It involved lots of roasted vegetables and was 100% delicious. In sad news, I got some upsetting information regarding my grandmother, who will soon be living in a very nice assisted living home. So the story has a happy ending, I hope. Pray for her if you are inclined towards doing so. In touching news, I got a wonderful Christmas card from the man who kept me sane on my flight to NJ earlier in November.

Some of you know the story, some of you don't, but basically I was on a night flight to NJ and during a round of terrible, horrifying turbulence I went into a panic attack. I hadn't had one before, or if I have it wasn't nearly as bad, but it was bad. The man sitting next to me was a gruff-looking, mountain-man kind of Grizzly Adams dude. He held my arm and just his kind touch instantly calmed me. I honestly felt the spirit of God helping me to relax and breathe; I don't like strangers touching me, especially ones with big grey bears and Jack Daniels t-shirts. But he was different, calming and I felt at ease with him. He was literally a guardian angel to me and kept me upbeat and focused the whole flight out, playing cards, talking, and keeping me in good spirits until I could finally sleep (and this was a red-eye, so we were the only two actually awake on the plane.)

During the flight he had given me a cool catalogue of funky scientific supplies you can order. I tucked it into my purse, and forgot about it until I was back in CA. I had told everyone I knew about the guardian angel on the plane. I wanted to send him a little "thank you" card and remembered the catalogue, so I just wrote up a quick note and mailed it out to the address printed. I didn't get a reply, so I just figured I'd done the kind thing and thanked someone for taking the time to help me ease my flight fears and make me feel safe, and left it at that.

Today I got a Christmas card that touched my heart. It read: "I believe in angels, because of knowing you. And I really do believe!" It was from him, he had sent me what he wrote was one of the two Christmas cards he was actually going to send out this year. Apparently my thank you card was quite moving to him. Well, that is a Christmas card I know I will keep. What a nice gift, and a nice way for this sick girl to end her day.