Last weekend, I wrote about how I was under the weather. My week-long cold saw me shutting down a whole week. I was on the road to recovery, even watching Mumbai with David last weekend. However, a little carelessness saw me missing another week. Thinking back, I can blame the ice-cold drink for the unexpected relapse. I couldn’t think of another cause, since I tiptoed around for most of the time. Interestingly, I wrote about the ‘cold war’ on this site almost two years ago. As per below, I was likewise reading a novel (Matthew Reilly) and watching Married At First Sight in the evenings. Talk about Groundhog Day.

Rest.

We take everything for granted when we are well that we sometimes struggle when we aren’t. We have a routine and we stick to it, but what happens when our schedule becomes wide-open? When you’re unwell, it’s best to rest. There’s no point forcing the issue, as this may only lead to further downtime. Yes, it’s frustrating but call it a drop in the bucket. In the grander scheme of things, a little respite is nothing but a blessing. In hoops terms, this is akin to the distinction between Air Jordan and Floor Jordan. We love seeing highlights of MJ’s aerial prowess, soaring through the lane like Superman. Yet when he’s unable to fly like a butterfly, we witness his complete game: fadeaways, pull-ups, helpers, court vision. He picks his spots but conserves energy.

Picoult

Over my downtime, I was able to discover this new author: Jodi Picoult. I’ve been on a steady diet of John Grisham and Michael Connelly, but I heard that she was just as stellar. Her novel, Small Great Things, was a fascinating read. It made me wonder why I hadn’t tried Picoult all these years. Meanwhile, Connelly’s expert balance of dialogue, description and narration is second to none. In this regard, Jodi’s prose looks different. First, she hasn’t got enough dialogue. Second, her description is (somewhat) excessive. After a few chapters though, you get acclimated to her writing. Once I did, I gleaned that hers was a real page turner. Regardless, I read online that this read is being adapted into film, starring Viola Davis and Julia Roberts. With heavy themes of racism, ethics, and family, this is an ideal introduction into Jodi’s body of work.

MAFS

During the evening, as mentioned, I’d watch Married at First Sight. The drama from the couples, the dinner party, and the commitment ceremony, is great entertainment. I am not surprised that it’s one of the top-rating shows. Married has a great cast of characters, splendid storylines, and a novel format. You’ve got the three relationship experts breaking down the action like play by play announcers. Far from being pinned to one location, the show goes on the road, taking these couples from the security of their family homes to the Gold Coast and beyond. As I said before, they do relationships on the reverse with the weddings and honeymoon first, followed by living together and meeting the parents. How cool is that? Those people who wouldn’t try MAFS are just killjoys.

‘The process’

Part of the recovery process was drinking lots of ginger. I was fortunate that there was a fair supply around. I avoided cold drinks. I drank lots of aqua. I gurgled salt water. I did not turn on the aircon. On this note, I remember Nick telling me that it would be a while before he returns to Macquarie Centre after the car park nightmare. I guess it will be some time since I switch on the aircon again. It was Nick who told me that aircons could contribute to a cold, because of the sudden change in temperature. That was exactly what occurred with me.

The day after I drank the beverage, my throat became itchy. I felt ill, so I took some antihistamines. I was glad that this subsided. I still had a stuffy nose for a few days and a cough. Yet by yesterday, I was feeling swell. Recovery, like rebuilding, is a painful process. Know this: you can’t win by yourself: you need a solid foundation and game plan to eke out some W’s.

Rain and gloom

The past week has been rather gloomy. Storm clouds hung about, with little sunshine in the afternoon; torrential rain at times, even thunderstorms here and there. Autumn has started and the heat looks long gone. This past fortnight, beaches around the state have been deemed treacherous, turning swimmers and surfers away. Adventurous bathers have ignored these warnings. Dangerous conditions are hitting the north just today, with a category 4 cyclone on the horizon. Having battled a cold twice in two weeks, I tell these barracudas: ‘Prevention is better than cure.’