serinde

It seems we are accelerating into the crapsack bad-cyberpunk future, so I'm going to start posting here again rather than in any of the techbro algorithm shit factories. Will start with the vacation I am currently on.

After an indifferent night's sleep (much waking up of confused brain), we lumbered downstairs to the restaurant for a quite good breakfast; Full English pour lui, bacon & egg butty pour moi. We'd deliberately not made specific plans, electing to play it all by ear. In the event, we just stravaigled through the town, looking in (and occasionally going in) shops, ending up at Clifford's Tower, which has been much renovated from our last visit. It's still mostly ruined, but they've fixed up the inside, created some little exhibits in the tower's lobes (including an acknowledgment of the 1190 massacre of the Jewish community), and made a nice viewing area on the roof. After that, we ambled back through the Shambles, stopping at the very excellent pie place and taking our bounty into the pub next door.

At this point, I heard from the Academic Squad who were heading to York Minster to look at tomb sculptures, so we tootled over to join them. (Someday I may actually be able to see the Minster's vast array of true medieval stained glass in full glory; today was not that day, as the whole weekend continued overcast.) Beth and I took a guided tour while the others did them a photography. We left about 4pm and went looking for food, as that group had sort of skipped lunch and were ravenous, and to our mild surprise found a Portuguese tapas place that was both excellent and could support the various dietary restrictions in the party.

Much of the party returned to base; Beth and S. and I tried to get into the House of the Trembling Madness, which we enjoyed mightily on our prior visit, but 6pm on a Friday? HA HA HA HA no. We eventually fetched up at a J. Random Pub with a heated outdoor garden and had a pint, then split each to our own accommodations. S. and I watched a bit of telly (HIGNFY was about the only version of news I could put up with) and went to bed.

I confess, I bought shoes.

Can be best summed up as "I'm fine as long as I don't try to do anything".

There's clearly some deep congestion happening - everything seems clear when I fall asleep, but then I wake up in a startlement breathing mucous, which immediately goes away upon waking and everything seems clear again. I had about three repeats of that this morning and I could do without it.

I could also, like the rest of humanity, do without this weather. I'm still trying to spend time outside, less for escape from isolation and more to try and harden myself for Pennsic. Though frankly, the best thing I could do for that is to get fit and lose weight; an initiative I had laid out a project plan for before falling ill. *sad trombone* I have lost a few pounds over my illness, and I still don't really have much appetite, so gonna try and use that as a habit breaking opportunity. I'm also, fool that I am, considering starting couch to 5K next week; but let us see how well I get through this week's exertions.

At one point in the night, I woke up super congested and breathless; snorted Flonase in response. Then slept til 8:30 (I'm technically working today). The weather for the next several days is appalling: hot, grey, humid, thunderstorms. Feh. I had wanted to start taking brief walks to check my stamina, but I don't know... I do need to feed Beth's cats today, which will probably be a stamina check all its own.

Still testing positive, but this morning's line is faint. Maybe tomorrow?

ETA: taking a sudafed because I can't waste a peaceful work day. I begin to wonder: does it actually reduce my deep sinus congestion or am I just speeding?

Status, ditto. To crown my experiences, I had an anxiety attack last night (work-triggered I should think), and I took one of the other prescriptions the doctor gave me - it's also an antihistamine (!). Seemed to do both jobs; indeed I woke up too dry in my nasal places.

Grey, still, heavy, sticky day today, which is about appropriate for the state of these United States. I am going to sit in my isolation chamber, sulking and watching 1776.

ETA: had to go back and edit all the Subjects since once again I didn't count from day 0, bleh.

Status, ditto. At this rate I fear I won't be cleared for any of my weekend engagements.

I had a lovely evening in the garden last night, which turned into a too-late tonight with too-much gin & tonic on an insufficiently full stomach, and I am feeling less than stellar for non-COVID reasons. Work drama increases perforce and there is never a moment without someone running very loud lawn equipment in the neighborhood.

S. has replaced fever with the runs (I assume from the antibiotics).

Feeling about the same as yesterday: no fever, much sinus and all the loginess etc. that comes with it. (Less coughing, I think.) I am still testing positive; the T-line does not seem to be quite as pink, though that could just be a difference in the test materials. I am going to try and attend three meetings this morning, propped up with meds, and we'll see how I weather that. (I have no meetings in the afternoon, so if I turn into a pumpkin, it's not the end of the world.) I'm feeling very bleh, but I think that's as much the state of the world as what's going on in my meatsack.

S. continues with a low fever, no other symptoms, and negative testing.

Temperature 98.0 this morning, huzzah. Am full of sinus and snot this morning (more than I had during the night, interestingly) and definitely don't feel up to being At Work™ today[1], but clearly on the mend. I may even have stomach for my dinner. The cough is a bit weird, in that I don't feel any phlegm in my chest, and I feel it lurking though not constantly; but if a cough is triggered it is super violent and sharp and dry, in a way I don't recall to have experienced before - let us try and avoid that. Not sure if I should bother testing today or wait til tomorrow.

Lovely day today, breezy and sunny and cool. There may be garden time.

[1] though I will log in to deal with anything on fire, like the entitled professor who's been the spring semester's prize pain-in-the-neck who has been sending me increasingly snitty email about something that really isn't urgent. I will suffer annoyance dealing with her questions but look forward to making her feel guilty, or at least embarrassed.

ETA:
- I did test, and still have a nice vivid T-line.
- Said professor gave no sign of being guilty or embarrassed and just doubled down on bullshit.

I am feeling an interesting combination of better and worse. Better, in that I have more brain and a little more energy; worse, in that the pressure in my head has increased in a weird way - my ears are blocked up still, but somehow, at the same time, they're more sensitive to the higher pitches, so e.g. dishes clattering is piercing and painful. I don't even know what to do about that. And, surprise guest star, explosive toilet experience (though that could have been the clam chowder I had for lunch; sometimes my body doesn't love a lot of milk/cream).

I have applied Vapo-Rub™ and so far it has just made my nightshirt sticky. I have also snorted olbas oil steam, which helped in the moment but also I didn't shut my eyes fast enough when putting my head over the bowl and ow.

Temperature maintaining at a stable 99.0 without fever reducers, which is not great (my usual resting is about 97.9), but I'll allow it.

Temperature was increasing midday, so took more paracetemol. Otherwise, continuing the general trend of "sinus woe + headache + cough", which adds up to an inability to do much; and yet feeling restless. Part of this is probably the weather, as it's become increasingly oppressive today with thunderstorms forecast for tonight (take your 68° dew point and shove it). I can't focus on reading, but did manage to hand-sew a little (mem.: bring small task lamp into isolation chamber).
Oh, and my ears are blocked up. This plus masks/closed door makes household communications difficult.

Note to fellow sufferers: Fisherman's Friend cough drops have been the MVP this time 'round.

Bertie has been keeping me company most of the day, which is nice. Other than knocking my tin of pins over.