A Swine-ish Flu

My goblin has been quite poorly the last few days. Yesterday he decided he has Swine Flu. I gave him a funny look and pointed out he could just have the regular flu or with his luck menengitis. He gave me a look and said, “I know the symptoms for Menengitis, I don’t have it.” He was burning up with fever. I know he was really unwell as he let me put a wet washcloth on his bald head and he thanked me. Normally when he has a fever and I offer to get him a wet cloth he gives me an exasperated look as if being a man means he has to prove he can suffer and says, “I’ll be fine!” Bless him! He’s so cute when he’s sick, but whatever he has I’m coming down with it. It’s going to be another sick Christmas. Why aren’t there any Christmas songs about that? We can’t be the only household that gets sick almost every Christmas.

When I got up this morning I knew if I didn’t go to the store we’d both end up sick with nothing to eat that didn’t take an hour to cook (I’m not going to stand over the stove with the flu or spend a week eating uncooked porridge) so I wrapped up and walked into town through the melting slippery ice-snow. I don’t have any boots so I used the “large plastic bag between two pairs of socks trick”. It really works as long as you don’t tear a hole in the bag – minor details. I’ve never tried it sub-zero temperatures, but then why would I be in sub-zero temperatures without a pair of boots?

Inbetween tending my Goblin, sleeping and watching 80’s tv reruns, I have been working! I’m moving Dancing the Maypole forward. I’ve finished another chapter and a half and I can see the next chapter and how it influences the story. It’s a miracle! I don’t know why this story is moving so slowly (banging my head on the desk doesn’t make the story come faster), but hopefully it’ll be better for it. I’ve also been working on Once Upon a Wager. I think I’m closer to the end than I thought. For the last eight months or so I’ve been thinking I knew the ending so I kept trying to move the story in the direction, but I was wrong…again. The ending will be similar to what I thought, but completely different. I nearly deleted the last chapter the other day after waking up from bad sleep to find I hated everything, but thankfully I didn’t. I’d spent about three or four days working on that chapter. I wasn’t happy, but after a few minor changes the story is back on track. So who knows, if I don’t get the Goblin’s flu I may even finish something before the end of the year, though if my headache and general icky feeling is anything to go by I suspect that will be one miracle that doesn’t happen. But this too shall pass! In the mean time, I have a supply of chocolate, cake, cookies and painkiller…I should survive.

Have a Merry Christmas and a lovely New Year!