the echinacea fails me

Although I've been taking my echinacea almost every 3 hours since a sore throat made its appearance Friday night, I've still been hit with a cold -- my first in about a year and a half, I think. Pretty good record, and it's probably only a very mild version of the nasty flu virus making the rounds, felling colleagues right and left. Some congestion and sneezing -- that together with a mild headache to celebrate the start of my period, and I considered it a very good day to stay home! Even planned it yesterday at work, planting the seed as I blew my nose and held my head, with a slight moan: "If I feel like this tomorrow, I'll probably take the day off." After six weeks, I'd say I've earned a sick day.

I used the quiet at home to concentrate on burning some backup CDs of files and digital pictures that have been accumulating since '99 (back when I still had to scan them). Knowing that this is done is a load off my mind -- you know what they say: it's not a question of IF your hard disk will crash, but only WHEN. Though in 7 or 8 years of computer ownership, I've never had the misfortune. But at least half my immediate family certainly has, so I get to benefit from their painful experience.

My daughter -- for whom I am still her Big Love -- came home with a sweet gift for Valentine's Day: paper rose-studded heart box with an I LOVE YOU candle inside. She remains totally unfazed by my cynicism over these commercial dates, and manages to melt my scroogey-ness every time.