Ill-ish

I’ve changed my “byline” for the week. It’s from A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. The complete paragraph explains how a meal of oysters and cold white wine in a Paris café restored him, so to speak, after the work of writing had left him “empty and both sad and happy”.

“I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.”

Appropriating a line like this might pressure me into sounding more chipper. Is that good or bad? Let’s see.

I woke up this morning positive I had the flu. My entire body was aching (ever had that feeling that even your hair hurt?), my throat was very sore and I felt warm. Dragged myself out of bed and took my temperature—it was normal. I took it twice, just to make sure the thermometer was working. Since I wasn’t running a fever, I grudgingly went to work. The thing is, today’s order of business isn’t really “business” at all. I am doing some stuff pro-bono for a foundation that provides medical assistance to sick children. (Visit their site.) I am still not feeling fabulous, but am taking frequent breaks (hence this post) and still hoping I finish early. C. rang earlier in the day and said he wasn’t feeling great either, and had pretty much the same symptoms as I did. Was it something we ate? Had dessert in Alabang yesterday…cheesecake with flu sauce?