Traveling with a Code

Yeah, unfortunately, when my partner came down with a cold earlier this week, I knew that it would be a matter of time before I came down with it, too. Starting Tuesday night, it began. Even though I had a huge bowl of my famous chicken soup, I knew I was "in for it" on Wednesday morning when I awoke completely stuffed up and my eyes were rheumy. By Thursday, it was prime-time. Friday I was a little bit better.

Meanwhile, this blog was set up for auto-posting. That is, I wrote all of my blog posts that you have read on Tuesday through Thursday of this week and scheduled them for future posting, one-a-day. I did that on Tuesday morning. This post was written on Thursday night and scheduled for posting on Saturday morning.

I flew to New Orleans on Wednesday to facilitate a meeting. Facilitation is something I love to do, and have been told I'm rather good at it. However, when you're all stuffed up, words come out sounding odd, like: "I have a code." Fortunately, the meeting participants were quite forgiving and understood when I declined to shake their hand -- lest I share this cold with them, too.

Fortunately, the OTC meds I took helped, and while I was weak and tired, I was able to function. I was also able to sleep well. The hotel in which I stayed was very comfortable and quiet.

I didn't go out at night while I was in the French Quarter of the Crescent City. I was just too tired, and I am not a night-owl anyway. That, and the kind of food that New Orleans is known for doesn't agree with me. I think it is great and well-prepared, and deserving of its international recognition. It just doesn't agree with me ever since I donated my kidney to my sister and my gallbladder and appendix to (wherever they take those things when they're removed.)

Since those surgeries, I can't eat diddly-squat. Especially if it's spicy, has mustard or alkyloids in it, or has yogurt culture. Or is green, yellow, white, or orange and made of vegetable matter. Or coffee or tea. or CORN -- don't get me anywhere near corn! Popped, fried, boiled, grilled, or raw -- corn sends me running. Unfortunately, not much is tolerable these days, especially when I travel. Seems like travel compounds the problems.

One good thing about serving my mother-in-law during her Christmas visit, or coming down with a cold -- I lost my appetite, and thus I lost ten pounds without even trying over the last two weeks. I have returned to swimming regularly at the University, which will help me keep the weight off and maybe lose some more. (And don't lecture me about "healthy eating": the foods that are healthy cause me to, um, "lose them." My diet is under a nutritionist's supervision, so I don't really need more advice on that front.)

I am practicing better portion control of the foods that I prepare for myself and my partner. I don't eat out. I pack a lunch every day. I never was one to "go for coffee" at the stiff-the-yuppies shops like Starsucks. I have (so far so good) cut out snacking and my weakness, Coca-cola. Yeah, (R), that high fructose corn syrup isn't good for me, has made me gain weight, and you'll be happy to know that my liquid intake has changed in 2009 to water, water, water, and a glass of 1% milk for dinner. And more water. Lots of water. Fortunately, our tap water is pretty good. I've got lots of it bottled and drink it all day.

When this is posted, I should be safely back home, nestled in my own bed, snuggled next to my hunky partner, and returning to a routine which will ease me back to good health and eating "normally" again -- but with portion control, no snacking, and water instead of Cokes. Let's see how this goes. Wish me well!