What a BONKERS year! Here I sit after about 5 hours of sleep wide awake 4 hours before I have to teach my first class of the day. The old dilemma of should I try to stay awake or should I go back to bed is the least of my woes this morning. We had a confirmed case on campus. Also, I had a student who got tested for Covid and was absent the next class. No word on whether he tested positive or is just quarantining to be on the safe side. Possible contact with Covid? Who knows? I'll be the last to be sure. I'm actually surprised at the reaction of management. Or the NON-reaction as it were. I thought there'd be a precautionary round of mandatory Covid tests, but no. I thought at least I would have to get tested, but not as yet. THIS time I'd not only do a test, but I'd welcome one (that I didn't have to pay for). The reason I say that is a bit of a meander, but I have a spare four hours so...
Back to last weekend. I enjoyed the birthday of a young sport named Roman who I've grown quite fond of over the years the Peet/Spiwaks and I have spent together in Korea. This is "The Fam"
Roman is the tall drink of water center back. Almost as tall as Mike. Maybe he IS by now. This pic was taken when they were younger, although, as one of my favourite comedians, who left us too soon, Mitch Hedberg, would point out, EVERY picture of them was taken when they were younger. Ken (Pap) and Kathleen (Oma), Heather's folks complete the back row. They have visited Korea several times and I feel like they're almost part of our family. Ar ar. The front row left to right is Kelly, Iryna and Reilly.
So we spent Roman's birthday, last Saturday, playing games in their house in Pyeongtaek. We played Coup, Exploding Kittens and Yahtzee. Roman has been notoriously socially distant since the whole Covid thing, so I thought I'd scare him by saying I was going to give him a big kiss for his birthday. Not that he's been unsociable, just careful. He hasn't come with us yet on our semi-regular Sunday outings for Korean feastage. Usually sam gyup sal and kalbi (BBQ) but last time dalk kalbi (spicy chicken mix). We've been packing up leftovers we saved for Roman and taking them home. Anyway, I got him a mini humidifier in the shape of a Hershey's Kiss... to his great relief.
Sunday morning I commented that I must have slept well, because when I sleep well, I snore, and my throat was sore. Not the throat really, but that taint of skin between the throat and nose that's neither and both at the same time. Sunday was pretty low key. I didn't mind missing our feast, most likely because of the bottle of vodka I drank during game night. We lounged and played a few more games during the day. Had pizza instead of Korean and then Mike drove me home. I live in Cheonan, not far from Pyeongtaek by car, but I can't figure out how to go from my place to theirs in less than two hours. So Mike often picks me up and drives me home. We have great conversations (about Trump and sometimes other stuff) on the way. It's a thousand times nicer than taking public transit home! Mike should probably be president really.
So Monday rolls around and I still have the tickle in my throat. But not enough to stop me from getting a lot of marking done and working out. I do aerobics and push-ups and some weights in my apartment. The next day, Tuesday, my longest day (3 two-hour classes back to back to back) the ague took hold. I still had the sore throat, but wasn't coughing. I had a runny nose, sniffles, sneezing, nose blowing and an annoying as all get out leaking eye! NEVER had that before! My right eye, just the one, kept overflowing. I was wiping it constantly during my classes, hoping my students wouldn't think I was getting emotional about tag questions and present perfect verb tense. Six straight hours of Zoom is harsh at the best of times, but I was never happier than Tuesday at 4:30ish when I finished that day!
I made a stirfry and other than a couple of oranges and a lot of liquids, that was all I ate that day. Around 6 o'clock. I was exhausted, but because I get hungry again before I start to digest any meal (which leads to my constant reflux) I stayed up as late as I could hoping I could get a little sleep. I knew that'd be asking too much. I even had a hot lemon cold drink, (ha ha - didn't realize when I was writing that - I mean, of course a hot in temperature cold and flu drink) Theraflu, in hopes of stopping the nose from running and knocking me out for at least a couple of hours. Well it did. For a couple of hours. The rest of the night was spent tossing, turning, blowing nose, tossing, turning, blowing nose, tossing, turning, blowing nose. I was a dehydrated, stuffed up mess in the morning with the added symptom of both ears starting to ache.
I get colds every year in Korea. I remember, even without asking Heather, that in my first year here I had 9 colds! It's all the contact and all the extra people. But that night I had WILD dreams, even when I nodded off for a few seconds! I was startling myself awake with the crazy dreams and with shortness of breath. I dreamt once that night that I was playing NFL football and was at the bottom of a gang tackle. I could still breathe but just barely. Then someone (I think it was William The Refrigerator Perry but who knows with MY dreams?) shifted and my whole face was smothered in flab. I couldn't breathe. I woke up gasping for breath, blew my clogged nose, took a leak, hawked a smoked oyster into the toilet and went back to bed. Not back to sleep. It was like that all night so by the end of the night, the inevitable thought that was startling me awake was, "Do I have Covid?!"
I'm lucky my classes on Wednesday don't start until 1:00 because it took me the whole night and all morning to get enough sleep, a little at a time, to tackle the day. Just barely enough. I felt, and looked like shit. But I sneezed, sniffled and blew my nose all the way through my 4 hours of classes Wednesday. I didn't eat much that day. Just leftover stirfry and oranges. Some nuts. I decided that if I felt crappy the next day, I'd get checked for Covid. But I got up for my 9 AM class feeling fine! Not much of a runny nose and no runny eye. No cough and, aided by another cup of Theraflu, a nice sleep. I finished classes at 3 and went downtown to get some groceries. Then I got home and WORKED OUT! I was LOADED with energy!
SO weird! A 48-hour flu? This morning I'm coughing, but not from a cold, just my requisite morning reflux coughing. My nose isn't running and I don't have that stuffed head feeling. At least no more than usual. I don't feel quite as good as yesterday, but I haven't showered or had breakfast yet. Just a coffee and a lemon tea. I really think I could go to the Thanksgiving soiree at the Fam's place tomorrow if it happens.
Part II of the drama. I messaged Heather and told her of my suffering saying I was not sure if it's be such a good idea for me to go to what they call "Friendsgiving." They do it every year and, God bless Heather and Mike, they make a lot of people, including me, feel a lot better with their awesome Thanksgiving turkey spreads every year! The friends and the taste of home are always a highlight of the year. BUT, this is 2020 in' it?
This was on their poster for this year, and they're already listing the recommended use of masks, 6 feet of separation, glove usage etc. that the military suggest. The US military could even raise the threat level from Bravo to Charlie, then NObody'd be able to go anywhere! So it's by no means a certainty this year. But what HAS been?
And on top of all that, when I chatted with Heather, she told me they all have colds too! Apparently, Iryna brought home a cold and shared it generously. When I was at their place last weekend I joked that their upcoming Thanksgiving party was sure to be a super-spread! Little did I know... With over 300 cases Tue and Wed, and 553 yesterday in Korea, the spike is affecting everyone! I was going to buy a burger at McDonald's yesterday and they stopped me at the door and asked for my passport!
I won't be surprised if 2020 is a year without a Friendsgiving. Another thing Covid has ripped us off of this year. Although I have much to be thankful for this year, I'll be most thankful about this year being put behind us, Thanksgiving party or not. Happy Thanksstealing I guess.
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