AUSTIN, Texas, September 19, 2005 — Have I mentioned that I hate being sick? I get up around seven-thirty. I've had a sleepless night. I think the throat is less sore. It doesn't hurt to swallow. My head still feels stuffy and hurts a little. I call Dad and tell him that I'm not going to swim. He says he's ready to go and he will go anyway. It's good he will go to the class when I don't feel like it or I have something else to do or I'm out of town.

"Getting up and getting ready is exercise, too." He declares.

Well, true, I guess. It's good for him to have something to do. But I'm not going. I going to have some nonfat yogurt and cereal, some coffee, some more Echinacea.

I do have breakfast and coffee and Echinacea. I show FFP how to back up the bookkeeper's machine. FFP and I talk to a friend about finances. Free advice but it seems like good advice anyway about some issues we are confronting.

Before I have lunch, I go up to the CVS and get some liquid decongestant stuff that doesn't promise to be "non-drowsy." Rather it promises to make you drowsy. I eat some lunch and the twelve-hour pill has run its course and I take a swig of this stuff. (Well, the measure of it you are supposed to take.) I eat a sandwich.

I don't ordinarily treat myself with such kid gloves when I'm sick. Usually I soldier on, trying to carry on with everything and get welll as a sideline. But I'm determined to do my best to feel better before I fly off on my trip.

I read a lot of papers. I check on things I've packed. When evening comes I take another (every four to six hour) dose of the decongestant, another Echinacea. I am pretty useless. FFP cooks some Salmon and heats up some canned English peas. I'm not a big fan of peas but I eat. My appetite isn't much. I have a little cheese and three crackers later. I drink a lot of coffee which offsets the drowsy-making drug.

We watch a new CSI. These things are getting to be a stretch. We also watched some sitcoms. I was busy going through a pile of financial proposals from this one outfit. I'm not easily convinced by spreadsheets and pie charts anymore.

When I go to sleep, I'm feeling better. And sleepy. Maybe I'll sleep well tonight. I promised to play tennis tomorrow and I've been feeling good enough not to cancel.