Still a Cold

If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal -- that is your success.
-- Henry David Thoreau

Thursday, February 11, 1999
One year ago: Finishing

I spent today at home in bed, sleeping, then reading, then listening to the radio, then sleeping. I read parts of Devil's Cub, by my favorite author, Georgette Heyer. Diane Patterson has been reading her books, on Lucy's recommendation.

I first read Heyer entirely by chance. My mom picked up a box set of paperbacks from the local drug store, as an "extra" Christmas present. I was thirteen or so. I devoured those books, got more from the library and from my godparents (they read her, too). I was disappointed when, after running out of Heyer, I tried other authors whose covers looked the same. They were not the same, at all!

The Heyerlist I'm subscribed to is a good one, though I mostly lurk. The discussions stay on topic. If you post to the list when you should have replied privately, on a quiz question, for instance, one of the list members (wearing the mantle of a censorious, super-proper Heyer character) sentences you to entertaining a boring character to tea or something, which makes me laugh.

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So even when I'm lying in bed, groggy and dry-mouthed from having a stuffy nose, I'm thinking about the stuff I need to take care of around here. But I do none of this! I slept till after nine, got email and read stuff online for an hour, went back to sleep, woke up at noon, got online for a while, read and slept the rest of the afternoon.

A hot bath is always good. Sage, rosemary, and lavender oils allowed me to pretend that I was in the south of France (not that I've ever been there, but those are herbs of Provence).

Staying home from dance class meant that I could watch "must-see TV" which I don't usually. The first segment of Frasier was truly inspired! Comedy that was character-driven, but also physical slapstick.

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On Talk of the Nation today, they had an hour about Internet romance (you can listen on Real Audio). Funny to hear Ray Suarez so creeped out about it! It's something that has worked out well for me. I don't think it's so different from meeting people other ways. It lets things happen faster than if you were corresponding via actual mail in the old days. I like the fact that people have to actually write you a letter! That serves as a good filter.

Tomorrow, back to work. I've got so much to get caught up on!