Shunning update....the universe IS on my side...
She's a great and reasonable person! So I drove across town to meet her for a Baconator. (It's an inside joke for us, and was delicious by the way.) I'm fine, and we had a lovely visit...three hours at a Wendy's. I completely forgot that my friend who was hosting dinner tonight and then cancelled/shunned me has a daughter who works there. Her daughter came up and said hi and chat, and I jokingly said, "Be sure to tell your mom you saw me and I'm fine. She's shunning me right now you know." It was all said with a smile, and her daughter laughed and said her Mom was a little over the top germ phobic anyway. Well, her shift ended while I was still there, and her mom picked her up (I had no idea) so my friend who would NOT allow germy me over came inside and said (to a restaurant full of people), "YOU DON'T EVEN LOOK SICK!" I again explained to her (and the thousand or so who were now focused on me) that I'm fine. The only test not back is West Nile, and that it is NOT contagious person to person and that I feel great and have the okay to resume normal activities and be out in public. (We may never know what I had, and even if we do, it won't change anything as there are no treatments anyway...and I'm in no danger or anything either way.) It was hilarious. She's a good friend and I love her dearly and am not mad or going to hold grudges or anything like that, but it was soooooo sweet to see the look on her face when I was out, about, and fine. And she was even more shocked to see that another friend was willing to be out in public with me, Patient Zero. Thank you universe. I feel soooo much better now. (And, the friend who cancelled confirmed a new date for next week, which is awesome. I love hanging out with them...vindication!) Things are looking up.... |
|
|
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, karma...........  Laurie and Oscar |
| I have a craving for a baconator... |
| The colleague/friend I went out with is one of my favourite text buddies, and we frequently send late night texts which simply say "baconator." One Friday night, around midnight we were in heavy negotiations to drive to the nearest Wendy's (which isn't nearby at all) and meet in our PJs. We came very close to going through with it. I always go with the intention of ordering a taco salad. I think it, practice it, mentally rehearse it, wait in line repeating it in my head, and the nice young man or nice young lady behind the counter says, "What can I get for you?" In my head I scream taco salad, taco salad, taco salad... In real life I scream "BACONATOR!!!" Sigh. |
| stop that! Now I'll have to go get the Bacon Bits to get over the bacon urge. There goes the sodium level! Congrats on being among the living once again. |
Ummm how to be tactful, 'cause I'm curious?  Well forget tact I'll just go the sheepie tactless "love me now" paw bash type behaviour. Is it kinda normal to shun people who are 'sick with a virus' in your part of the world or are Tracie's friends a little more germ phobic than the average? Just wondering, because its not really an issue here, we all just be stupid and turn up to work etc anyway despite being ill. It's kind of considered wimpy to stay home for a virus, you're supposed to be dying of pneumonia or cancer or something before you take a break from life.  |
Mim wrote: Ummm how to be tactful, 'cause I'm curious? Well forget tact I'll just go the sheepie tactless "love me now" paw bash type behaviour. Is it kinda normal to shun people who are 'sick with a virus' in your part of the world or are Tracie's friends a little more germ phobic than the average? Just wondering, because its not really an issue here, we all just be stupid and turn up to work etc anyway despite being ill. It's kind of considered wimpy to stay home for a virus, you're supposed to be dying of pneumonia or cancer or something before you take a break from life. i have to agree with you Mim i rang in sick with the flu a couple of years ago and was told to come in to work and they would would provide me with a mask and a whole box of gloves so i couldn't give anyone my germs.  |
| I will happily answer that... Tracie's friends are significantly more germ phobic than the rest of the world! Not all my friends...two have stuck by me this month....the rest have vanished. Most of my friends are teachers and others who work in schools, and you'd think that would make them unflappable, but nope. The friend who was hosting is maybe 50 percent as germ phobic as the other friend who is attending....I know it was mostly her fear that ruled out. I love her dearly, but it is a serious issue for her. We all get a week at work to take the dishcloths from the staffroom home to wash (no washer in the building). I always do my week and my friend's week. Her concern? She doesn't want germs from the dishcloths to end up all over her washing machine at home. Now, I was under the impression that the inside of a washing machine was inherently self cleaning...it gets wet and soapy just like the clothes, doesn't it? You cannot even joke about the five second rule with her. In the fall (November) of last year I got some kind of flu. I never got tested as I was sick for a few days and then fine. I had to do parent teacher interviews, and was considering asking my admin to postpone, as I'd been home for two days before them, sick, and still a little feverish. When I called in I found out that my admin had a death in the family. He was off, and I'm the principal designate in his absence. I needed to be there, but he wasn't going to ask me...he was just going to pop in and out and try to be both places. So, I popped some T3s (I LOVE THOSE). They helped with the fever and aches, and worked through the rest of it. I kept a respectful distance, washed my hands constantly, told parents at the interviews that I wasn't going to shake as I was getting over a bug....everyone handled it just fine. No one got sick because of me. But several of my germ phobic colleagues STILL go on and on about that. How could I do such a thing? What was I thinking? And why, oh why, did I not get tested? (Would finding out if it was H1N1 really be helpful? I just wanted to stay out of the doctor's office so people who really needed appointments and were really sick could get in.) I felt yucky, and probably would have benefitted from staying home another day or so, but life happens, and I am the type to do what needs to be done. We've rescheduled (as a result of our chance meeting) for next Saturday night. I just know that my dear friend (and she really is, I adore her except for this germ thing) will sit a minimum of ten feet away from me the whole time. Personally, I still adhere to the five second rule (food/floor) as well. I think that people who avoid germs that much never give their immune systems a chance to develop. I like that old saying, "We all have to eat a pound of dirt before we die." |
| I am in full agreement with the immune system issue. I have a SIL I love dearly. Their 4 kids are the same ages as our 3. My kids got sick, got taken care of at home and got better. Their kids got sick, got immediately taken to the Dr, got put on antibiotics and sort of got better. Growing up, they always were twice as sick as my kids. They were always at the dr for some cough, fever, etc - all minor stuff. Now all our kids are grown. Mine used to scream "abuse!" that we never took them to the Dr like their cousins (and they were like sibs, as we only live 5 miles apart!). Now, they are thanking me for letting them develope immune systems, as the cousins still are more sickly!! |
| We're all bang on the money with the immune system stuff. Science is proving us correct. Kids who are given antibiotics in their first 12-18 months get more ill from upper respiratory infections and more ear infections in childhood. And kids who grow up with pets (ewwww dirt and germs  ) are MUCH less likely to have asthma.And my pet hate, antibacterial wipes and their TV adverts. The ads show houses covered in cartoon germs and cute little babies crawling on the floor where a dog has been sitting (gasp). They just make people germ phobic. And we know over-using all these antibacterial products is contributing to bacteria that are resistant. I read too much medical research but again cold water, soap and a good scrub gets rid of far more bacteria than an antibacterial wipe. So Dawn you can proudly tell you're kids you were doing them a huge favour by neglecting to take them to the doctors when they were kids.  Tracie, one of my cousins is like you're friend she's a nightmare re avoiding dirt, pets,  germs. Thanks for answering my question. I love finding out about cultural differences. Another of my cousins lives in Japan were they are much more nervous of germs than we are, and I was wondering if you guys were more nervous than we slack Aussies. |
| I'd say most Canadians are pretty normal about germs. I just have very weird friends. But then I'm pretty weird myself, in many other ways. I don't fear germs, but don't get me started on axe murderers... |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|