YAWN!

I've had absolutely NO energy since I caught this blasted cold from my youngest. He was sick last week - a little sinus thing that ended up developing into croup for him. He's a terrible medicine-taker so the doc and I opted to give him a steroid shot, which really helped. It sounds cruel to put him through that, but 1) he seems to grow two extra sets of arms and legs as soon as you get the medicine bottle, 2) he clenches his jaw shut and spits out anything that you manage to squirt behind his teeth, and 3) the kid has an amazing gag reflex. I kid you not. This child (and his oldest brother) can barf at will. So it was one shot versus twice daily doses of an oral steroid. I took the easy way out.

And as my penance, this past Saturday night I was sitting at a little table in the grand ballroom of the Wyndham Hotel enjoying Dear Hubby's employer's post-holiday party when - BAM! - it hit me just like that! I can remember the exact instant where it felt like I was punched between the eyes and my sinuses closed up. (Thanks, son!)

I've tried various cold remedies, but I've had best luck with a nasal decongestant twice a day, and a spot of brandy at night. Of course, I have to factor that into my diet. I'm unofficially doing Weight Watchers. I don't attend meetings, but I have the materials from when my sister joined last year, so I'm counting points. So far, though, I'm keeping up with one resolution.

On a side note, Dear Hubby and I decided to stay overnight at the Wyndham Hotel in New Orleans (his company got a great room rate) to celebrate our anniversary which was on Friday (112 dog years!). We spent part of Saturday walking around the French Quarter, the Riverwalk, etc. It was a ghost town. There were some people out and about, and they seemed to be tourists (or playing tourist), but not many. Every restaurant in the French Quarter that we walked past had only 3 or 4 tables filled - the window seats, so it would look 'busier'. We settled on Pere Antoine's. Our waiter said it was so sad how slow business has been since reopening after Hurricane Katrina. There was a wedding at the St. Louis Cathedral, but it really did seem like a ghost town. Just a handful of white folks walking around - most of them from my husband's company, I bet. There just didn't seem to be any *life* there. If you've ever spent time in the 'Quarter, you'll know what I mean.