Alternative Lurgality

This week I've been knocked for six by a chest infection. I'd like to say it came out of nowhere but the truth is I fear I brought it on myself by partying too hard at the weekend and blatantly disregarding my health, which is why I feel there is no option other than to accept my fate as graciously as possible. The problem is, I'm not feeling very gracious in defeat, far from it. I'm feeling bored, frustrated and desperate to get back on my feet (not to mention into the gym - four weeks til triathlon - aaaaargh!).

It's a funny old thing being ill. When you first come down with the lurgy you almost relish having a day off work - no matter how bad you feel, a Lemsip and an episode of Jeremy Kyle are guaranteed to hit the spot. By day two, however, you start to feel concerned about the backlog of work that's building up (or is that just me?), and find yourself checking your emails so frequently you may as well be in the office. Day three, however, is the worst of all. By now not only have you have exhausted the sympathy of your friends and colleagues but you're also beginning to tire of your own company. You're still too weak to be up and about, and yet you're plagued by the feeling you should be on the mend by now. You've lost your appetite for both food and daytime TV and can no longer be bothered to wash yourself in spite of the regular bedsweats you've been experiencing (nice). You are, in short, lonely and fed up.

Still, it could be worse. The Conservatives could have come out on top in the election......ah.

On the bright side, this time off has meant my fledgling relationship with Twitter is coming along nicely - I'll stop short of calling it a love affair, since I still have absolutely no idea how to use it, but I am beginning to see how useful it might be for developing writing contacts, which can only be a good thing, right?