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Okay, not really.  And I'm not receiving financial reimbursement for mentioning them.  In fact, I'm paying THEM!  Not to use their name but to use their product.

So, Book Fair ended on Monday.  Two of my morning volunteers called out--one had a sick grandchild & the other had just too much going on.  Then my lunch coverage 11-2 person called out with two sick children.  It was crazy hectic until the end of the day.  I was like the bartender turning on the lights after last call telling you that you didn't have to go home, but you couldn't stay there.

We have some pretty awesome volunteers at our school & I am so lucky to say that a good number of them work Book Fairs.  Take down went off without a hitch.  Our PTA Secretary's 4th grade son came by to help & even enlisted the help of a 5th grader & 2 2nd graders.  I managed to crawl home (okay, I lied---I drove) & collapse.  Knitting group that night?  Happened without me.

I should mention that while I was playing bartender & kicking people out at 3pm, there was a mom who came in with her two children.  Including her son who came into the library wrapped in a blanket.  Because you know, he was home sick that day.  But it's okay, he's not contagious.  Of course he's not.  He stayed home today just because, right?   I'm sure he's not, but the fact that he's coughing in front of people without covering his mouth is skeeving me out.

I've got a little, okay bit phobia about germs.  I don't touch door handles/knobs in public restrooms.  Nor do I flush public toilets w/ my hand.  I keep packets of Wet Ones wipes in my purse at all times.  I have been seen wiping down the chair at Panera before sitting down to knit.  I wipe down surfaces that I consider to be skeevy.  What?  It's a scientific term.

So people who cough or sneeze without covering their orifices (orifii?) gross me out.   As does counting money for the PTA.  Especially money that germy little hands have touched.  Don't get me wrong---I have fun working with the PTA.  I enjoy being in the school with the kids.  I admit--when the kids say "I know you---you're the BOOK FAIR LADY!!!"  I pretend that I'm a rock star.  Because really, I am.  All PTA volunteers are.  It's true.

But germy little hands?  Yeah.  The first thing I do after making a PTA deposit at the bank?  Break out the Wet Ones wipes.  Before I put my car in drive, my hands are clean.

So, when I woke up feeling mildly ooky on Tuesday, I knew one of my germy little friends (a kid or their $$) was to blame.  When all I wanted to do on Tuesday afternoon (early release day) was sleep & blow my nose---I started pointing fingers.  When I thought my sinuses would explode on Tuesday night &; I couldn't breathe out of both nostrils, I was considering slashing bike tires.

(Really, I would never slash anyone's bike tires.  Or any tires.  Let's blame this diatribe on the cold meds, shall we?)

Wednesday I woke up sounding like the guy from the Pits of Despair.  I may or may not have looked like him too.  Short of picking Sunshine up from school on Wednesday and dropping her off on Thursday morning, I haven't left the house.  At all.  If you know me at all, you know that isn't normal.  I'm not one of those people who can stay in the house for days on end.  My routine existed of getting up, taking cold meds, drinking lots of water, getting comfy on the couch, watching the DVR, several hours of Mad Men on demand, reruns of Downton Abbey mixed in with the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (quality vs ??), naps, more water, more cold medication, Vicks Vap-o-rub on my feet & chest, sleeping propped up on two pillows & just overall misery.  I remember Hunter picked up Chinese take out on Thursday night & didn't get me some chicken teriyaki.  All the poor guy heard for about 20 minutes was that all I wanted was chicken teriyaki & why didn't he get me some chicken teriyaki.  He made it up to me last night with sushi from our favorite Japanese place.

This morning I woke up with a horrible hacking cough.  But I could breathe---PROGRESS!  Since it was pouring down rain all day +   Sunshine has a cold + Hunter has developed a man-cold = boring movie filled day.  Today's viewing included Time Bandits, How to Train Your Dragon, several episodes of The Jetsons, Sunshine commandeering my laptop to play Castleville on my FB & Smitty's FB pages & me getting a couple loads of laundry done.

It hit me this evening that I feel more human.  When I spoke with my mom she agreed that I sounded a good deal better.

Tomorrow will be my first venture out.  I have been asked to mentor the niece of our Super Bookatarian next school year as she will be knitting as her Senior Project.  I'm excited about this---we have several girls in our knitting group who are doing this.  The one that Super Bookatarian mentors shares a birthday with me.  She's adorable--giddy, funny, goofy in that cool way & just a sweet girl.  What amazes me about her is she has no fear about knitting.  She's tackled her projects & while there were stitches or techniques that have stumped her (and the Super Bookatarian), she's stopped, figured out where to find help & has knitted on.  Is it a sign of youth to be so fearless?  So at any rate, I will be meeting Super Bookatarian niece tomorrow & figuring out what's what.

Hopefully I don't look like Pits of Despair dude anymore!