house of sickness

Greetings from the house of sickness. 

Despite the fact that my mom and I have been hacking our lungs out and my sister A. had two rounds of barfing this morning, we tried to go do things like buy 50% off wrapping paper at T@rget and pick up Dutch cheese at C0stC0. 

A. had to turn around and go back to the car a few steps into T@rget. 

Ditto C0stC0, where the third round of barfing occurred in the parking lot.

After C0stC0, we gave up and turned around. We did stop for ginger tea and gatorade, but neither A. nor my mom left the car. (Public Service Announcement, gained by 15 minutes of looking and asking: H@rdings does not carry ginger tea. Go to the natural food store.)

A. spent the entire afternoon and evening on the couch, with a pan and some cups of water and tea and ginger ale. There was a round four of barfing. She was so cold that we had to add a comforter to the two throws under which she was shivering. We finally helped her to bed around 7:30, looking grey and haggard.

"Does your throat really hurt?" my mom asked me, sitting in the living room.

"Yes," I said.

"Does your head really hurt?" she asked.

"Yes," I said.

"Do your eyes really hurt?" she asked.

"Yes," I said, "but I do find that my throat hurts a little bit less when I am constantly drinking something."

My mom and I have exactly the same cold. It's almost eery. 

It looks a lot less awful in comparison to a stomach virus, though.

We are supposed to be hosting a Christmas party here tomorrow, but the newspaper informs us that norovirus (which is going around in this town) can live for several days on surfaces. Anyone want to come over to our house and be contaminated? 

Ugh. Assuming neither I nor my mom gets sick (my dad stayed further away), we are, first thing in the morning, washing all the throws and pillows that A. was using.