I found myself in my old kitchen in Victorville, slowly braising a pork roast in a soy-sugar-sake marinade, chopping up apples for a last minute crumble. Nothing unsual. Until I felt an overwhelming sense of sleepiness overtake me. I had to take a nap. When I woke up, signs of the flu were upon me.
Christmas Eve.
Flashes of heat and chills overtook my body. A vague feeling of nausea churned in my belly. I didn't eat my braised pork. I hardly ate at all. We were supposed to play games all night, open presents, and talk about what we're grateful for. But I was too sick to participate. Instead, I called it a night early, curled under a mass of blankets, and gave in to the wracking pains of a nasty flu.
Christmas.
Mom was counting on me to help her with Christmas dinner, but with me starting the day by heaving bile over the toilet, that wasn't going to happen. I didn't even have the strength to pop the cinnamon rolls into the oven. Most of the day, I sat like a lump on the couch, encased by blankets, watching kid's movies. By afternoon, I was starting to recover. I even opened some presents, which included money soap, a dragon in a cage necklace, a mug bearing Shakespearean insults, a Nintendo DS, Jane Austen cards, story dice, and some books.
New Year Eve.
By this time, I was long over my flu. All that remains is a long, lingering cough. However, the bug moved to my ipad decided to delete my documents. For the last time. As part on my birthday present, my mom and dad helped me buy a new ipad. That was the most exciting thing I did. I ate Little Caesar's Pizza, watched Mythbusters, and played Pokemon until the midnight countdown. The fireworks scared the puppies.
New Year Day.
It's my last day of being 29. Considering that tomorrow I turn 30 and publish my novel tomorrow, I've had surprisingly few anxiety dreams. Maybe because I've been stressing about my third decade since I turned 28 and now it's mostly out of my system. Also, I'm too busy anticipating all the stuff I've got to get done in the upcoming year. I spent all day typing up my goals for 2015.
Tomorrow's my birthday. Wish me luck.
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