A long, cold January...

This is just an entry of excuse and apology. For my loyal readers (all 2 of you), you may be wondering where I've been. Here are my excuses for being AWOL lately...

• In the beginning of January, I was sick. I thought I had the flu. Puke, diarrhea and cold-like feeling, but nothing like what I'll tell you about if you keep reading...


• In the second week of January, I traveled to Florida for work meetings


• Not long after returning from Florida, I got REALLY sick with the dreaded norovirus. I guess it was going around, because they closed schools and everything. I can't remember when I've ever been that sick before. I was up all night with puking and diarrhea, and eventually fell into bed with exhaustion and fever-like feelings. I spent the whole next day sweating and sleeping deeply. The next evening, I drank a little gatorade and some broth and was able to sit up to watch some TV.
  
  Interestingly enough, my sister-in-law had similar symptoms that sent her to the hospital about 3 weeks early to have her baby. I was able to see the baby briefly before being attacked by the virus, but I was also helping out with my 2-year-old nephew, so being incapacitated by sickness put a kink into the plans. It all worked out with help from the family. I swear it took me 2+ weeks to start feeling normal again, and for most of that time I was on what I called "The Gatorade Diet" - a Gatorade for breakfast, a Gatorade for lunch, and a healthy dinner! I will say my pants are fitting more losely now.
  
  In doing some research on the norovirus, which is short for "Norwalk Virus." They classify all these kinds of viruses (virusi?) as "noroviruses." And the "Norwalk Virus" is named after an outbreak in 1968 that occurred in Norwalk, Ohio, a place I frequented quite a bit on my way to visit my now-husband when he was in college. In any event, these kinds of viruses often occur on cruise ships or restaurants where many people are in close contact and they are highly contagious.
  
  From the CDC website: "The symptoms of norovirus illness usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. In most people the illness is self-limiting with symptoms lasting for about 1 or 2 days." Yep, that sounds right. I stayed home from work for 3 days, although I was feeling a lot better by day 3, but still not eating and feeling just exhausted.


• In the midst of the illness time, my brother, sister-in-law, nephew welcomed my new nephew! He is just adorable and everyone in the family fell instantly in love!


• Soon after the illness, my friend Depressionista and her husband and son came to visit me and, luckily, I was feeling better by the time they arrived. It was a GREAT visit!


• And then, January was over, and now it's February!