Not your ordinary hangover...

...by a long shot.

Perhaps it's just been intestinal flu for the past WEEK

Last Friday I felt energetic enough to make a nice shrimp and macaroni salad for the pool league party; proud as punch that I wouldn't have to rise at dawn Saturday morning to get things done and delivered by noon. After Himself got home from work we went out for our usual round of socializing, and were home early, albeit with snoots full, there was no reason to suspect anything would spoil the weekend.

Saturday started at 8 a.m., and I blamed my light headiness on the lingering effects of drink from the night before, but we were dressed and gone and arrived at the old local with plenty of time to spare. I was relegated to taking names and monies for the tournament that culminated our league season. My least enjoyable task, as secretary of the league the members mistakenly think I know their names and/or faces...and it's simply not true. Most of them are as forgettable as cold porridge, but I DID do better this year than last.

I felt worse and worse as the day progressed, but had no interest in ingesting food, which there was, in abundance. Usually if I'm suffering a hangover I can and do eat everything I can get my maw around. By the time we left just before dark I knew I was coming down with something...I hadn't even felt like drinking all day long...a definite sign of peculiarities within. We brought home a huge platter of food I'd ignored, and it all wound up getting thrown away after sitting untouched for two days

So, the upshot of it all has been a week of chills, fever, fitful sleep, inability to eat, diarrhoea, and general malaise. Neither cold nor flu meds, nor juices, teas, weak broth nor gingerale have had any soothing effect...Maalox helped a little, but I'm still queasy about food. I'm beginning to think it might be the start of an ulcer, or jaysus, stomach cancer, who knows. Nothing is bleeding though, and I AM on the mend, so perhaps it's just some internal bug waltzing me around. Still don't have much of an appetite, but have enjoyed a couple beers, and finally felt like having a smoke and watching a bit of tv.

The Gang of Five have been almost spooky during all this...they snuggled around me in a solicitous, comforting manner, scrutinizing me with somber eyes as I dozed on the couch or the bed. Gotta love cats. Even Himself's big boy Salty has curled up as the foot of my bed for the duration.

I may even dress and venture out for some grocery shopping. I think yogurt or cottage cheese might taste good. The weather isn't terrible...finally!

We watched No Country for Old Men the other night. How many ways are there for a drug deal to go BAD....I will probably have to read McCarthy's book. His prose is just lyrical to me. I adore Tommy Lee Jones, and Woody Harrelson; Javier Bardem was new to me...but man is he ever a STUNNING performer...no pun intended.