Daddy 40 %, sick 100 %

Ugh.  I finally succumbed.  I had been holding off The Sickness for all of October and most of November, but it finally got me in the end.  Granted, I usually get sick, SOMETIME in November and I nearly made it all the way through, but didn't.

When I was a kid, getting sick wasn't SOOOO bad.   We lived in a two floor house with bedrooms upstairs and kitchen and living room downstairs so the sick person could be sequestered away in his room and the rest of the family went about their business.  My Father hated getting ill and maybe was a bit scared to get sick, so he made sure the unfit person STAYED in their area.  But that was OK with me, because by the time I was in grade school I had my own television in my room and staying home from learning with a semi moderate sickness was fun.  Besides, even in my sick days I still got educated.  

Those were the days of 3 TV channel monopolies and two local stations.  Day time television was either all Soaps or Game shows.  I would like to know how many Citizens were tutored in the ways of Consumerism and Promotion by the oh so wonderful Price is Right with Bob Barker.  I was one of them.  Or else there was Monty Hall`s "Lets make a Deal".   Sometimes I learned more being sick at home then being in school.  Well, you know, important stuff, like the price of washing machines in those days or even...A NEW CAR. 

Sick time in these years is not as fun.

As I said at the beginning I was able to hold it off til the end of November.  Let me tell you, there were some hardcore diseases going around this year as I have written about in my last two posts here and here.    But over Thanksgiving...  I fell asleep right after the big meal on Thursday and it wasn`t because of a full stomach.  I knew it was coming.  I`d had the sore throat the night before, by Thanksgiving that was that.  And I still had to work on Friday.  I told my wife that I was going to be home all weekend and I could take care of things for her because she was on the tail end of a sickness on top of her major sickness she had gotten in October.  But as it worked out, I was the one who slept late and then had another nap after lunch and then went to bed early.  In other words, she had to take care of me.  Rather embarrassing, Daddy.  

Sicknesses used to be even OK before we had kids as I would stay in bed and read and doze off when needed.  Now, nothing doing.  I have important duties to take care of rain or shine, in health or sickness.    

For instance: Hide and Seek, I was it.  Counting to 30 took an extra ordinary length of time.  Funny that.  And playing the Memory game, I got three pairs and both small kids got over 10. Its not the first time my three year old beat me in that game. It won`t be the last.  In the end I couldn`t even take that and I wimped out by putting in a DVD of cartoons and lying on the sofa while the girls leaned against me and watched from somewhat of an uncomfortable position.  Shameless, Daddy.  

Even during the week, if you stay home from work to try to get better, you cant count on being alone.  There may be someone else that is sick that you have to take care of.  Well, at least my wife was here and we took turns between resting and doing duty.  Its all a part of growing older and having responsibilities.  (Sheepishly) I guess.  Instead of just lying there and watching gameshows.  

I love my little girls.  I love being a father.  And I am thankful that I have a wife here and we can share... everything together, good and bad.

Still, growing up and even being sick when I was a kid, had its good side too.   In fact there were many many nice things growing up.   I better get to bed.  Its 11pm and I still have a cold.  Goodnight Johnboy.