Too Sick to Blog?!

That's when you officially know you're too sick, my friends.  Yes, I am still alive, and no, I haven't abandoned you, my beloved little blog and my loyal band of readers.  One of you actually sent the posse out after me this week to be sure I wasn't dead, after my 6th day of non-posting! It's nice to know you guys care; it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And believe me, I needed a little warm fuzzy or two to cheer me up, because I've been fighting bronchitis for a week!  Asthmatic bronchitis, to be exact; in case you're wondering what the hell the difference is, the asthmatic kind actually doesn't mean you have asthma.  It means you've been exposed to too many things like this, and your lungs can't keep up any more.

Photo by Guerin Nicolas

Photo by Dave Sceflo

At least, that's what it means in my case.  It's not the first time this has happened to me over the years--my allergies are of the particularly vicious variety--and whenever it does, then my lungs get to spend a little quality time with one of THESE little devils, a "fast-acting" or "rescue inhaler".  If you've never encountered one, you're a lucky little thing.  If, unlike me, you have to use one on a regular basis for the rest of your life because you have REAL asthma, then you have all my sympathies.

Photo by James Heilman, M.D.

Fear not.  With a cocktail of drugs that leaves my body completely baffled and kind of hyperactive, I am recovering, and more importantly, I have not been idle in my time away.  I have been devouring books like a bibliofiend (did I just invent a new word?), because after all, what else is there to do when you're that sick?  And my little family discovered that every cloud really does have a silver lining--at least, Brigid the SuperToddler and I did.  With Good Man Michael currently laid off, he was able to take care of us.  What HE discovered out of the experience is that being a full-time mom is a damn lot of hard work.  Welcome to my life!

Anyway, if you've been checking in on this blog at all to see if I had yet surfaced from the Black Hole of Calcutta, and if you've taken a glance at my challenges sidebar on the left, you've probably noticed that I've been one busy little invalid.  In the days ahead, you will be bombarded with reviews, as I'm very behind on them by now.  What am I up to now?  Five?  Six books waiting to be reviewed?  I've honestly lost count, but we'll plow through them together this week, in between the joy of returning to my favorite memes, I promise.  And just think?  Another new episode of Downton Abbey tonight!  Could this week look any more exciting?!