On This Date in 1999 (February 12)

I had been feeling rather smug, being the only healthy person in the household for most of the week. Yesterday I mentioned running out of gas. After the boys were in bed and I returned to the couch to read my book, I felt as though I had participated in a demolition derby. Even lying completely still, my body throbbed with pain. What’s going on here? I wondered. I took a couple Nyquil capsules and joined JoAnna in the bedroom, where she was watching ER. I thought I’d watch the news and then zone out to Seinfeld, but I was asleep five minutes after I crawled into bed. I experienced a restless night, not an uncommon occurrence. What happened to those days when I could enjoy an uninterrupted 8-hours of sleep? When the alarm sounded this morning, I lifted my head from the pillow and realized it was going to take a superhuman effort to get myself in gear. The first time I tried to get out of bed, my body experienced an immediate chill and my head felt like a spinning top. I managed to find my way to the bathroom. Once I relieved myself, though, I went right back to bed, where I remained for most of the morning. JoAnna had the same symptoms yesterday, the previously mentioned chills and vertigo plus an aching body. She rallied enough during the morning, by force of will, so she’d be ready for her interview for the Department of Justice job. Considering how I felt this morning, I’m not sure how she did it. The good news is she got the job. In fact, right now she’s meeting with Attorney General Jim Doyle, working out the details of her employment as Legislative Liaison. 




I spent my morning dozing off while watching television. I actually caught a full episode of Quincy, the 1970s Jack Klugman police/medical drama that had never been on my TV viewing schedule. Even though the storyline was very predictable -- good/evil twin sisters separated at birth, evil twin murder good twin and takes her place as a Jessica Savitch type TV news personality – I had to watch it until the end. I dozed off during Murder She Wrote and woke up in the middle of Northern Exposure, a show which JoAnna used to love but I always thought was one of the most pretentiously overwritten shows on television. I still do. Even half-conscious, I had to change the channel. I dozed off again while Card Sharks was being broadcast on the Game Show Network.