the germ factory

There is some nasty disease floating around our office. Actually, there was one disease, and then my boss got something completely different and even more gross.

So I'm trying very hard not to get close to anyone I work with. Which is hard because our office is so tiny.

So far I've managed to stay healthy. And other than general "winter blahs" and the nagging feeling that my job is kind of sucky, I feel fine.

When I was a kid, I was constantly sick. Coup as a baby, earaches, and of course trips to the ER for various diseases and broken bones. Then, at the end of 4th grade, I had my tonsils out. I got really sick maybe 3 or 4 times after that. Otherwise I stayed pretty healthy.

My freshman year of college I suddenly got really sick. Bronchitis.
(Campus Health Center Nurse: What's wrong?
Silver Turtle: My throat hurts and I think I've been running a fever
Campus Health Center Nurse: Are you sexually active? Are you pregnant?
SilverTurtle: No, I'm not pregnant, I have a sore throat.
** various prodding and looking around **
Campus Health Center Nurse: Hmmm... looks like you've got a bad case of bronchitis. I'm going to prescribe some antibiotics. Get some rest, drink lots of fluids. You should be feeling better in a couple days. Oh, and here's a giant paper sack of condoms.)

I wasn't stupid. I was sick because I lived in a building with a lot of other people who were getting sick and spreading their germs all over my living areas. From that day on, I started drinking at least 1 (and usually 2) glasses of OJ every day. I wash my hands constantly. I stay bundled up in the winter - scarf, hat, gloves, everything. I sometimes get sick, but it's usually a fever and I feel really tired. So I sleep for about 23.5 hours straight and I'm all better. And this only happens once every year or so.

If I can just stay away from my diseased coworkers for another week until this ends.
Oh, and the local news reported last night that there is an outbreak of whooping cough in the city. Weird.