A series of unfortunate events

Like many people (or unlike many) I actually enjoy going home for the holidays. Thanksgiving is great, what with the turkey and all, but my absolute favorite event is Christmas. I LOVE Christmas. I love the lights, the tree, the ornaments that serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever except to tinkle and look pretty. And almost as much as I love the smell of fresh pine needles, I love the smell of Christmas dinner. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

As a graduate student, I go to work most days --strike that-- I go to work ALL days of the week. I work most weekends and holidays without thinking twice. So this year when I decided to take three days off the usual work schedule to go home and enjoy some good food, I was really looking forward to it. That's three whole days. I had been relatively healthy and cold-free the entire season up until now (a random fact which will become a key point in the next paragraph.)

Day 1: I arrive at home mid-day. Tired, no exhausted, but nothing too unusual.

Day 2: Christmas Eve. I wake up feeling...off. Throat is a bit scratchy and I feel slightly...congested. By the time we put on our coats and head to a much anticipated Christmas Eve dinner at Sel de la Terre (insert, fabulous Provencal and Southern French country fare) I can no longer breathe through my nose, my eyes are dried out and crusty-feeling and my head feels like it is filled with jello.

By dinner I felt like absolute crap and the saddest part of all (other than my complete lack of appetite) was the fact that I couldn't taste a thing. The sea bass had the most incredible texture, and based on the looks of everyone's faces as they ate it, I am assuming it tasted pretty good. The cheese plate looked divine as did the Bûche de Noël (which my brother gobbled up on my behalf -- with relish.)

Day 3: Christmas Day. Having gotten very little sleep due to extreme sinus pain I wake up late, have a nice brunch with the fam, open presents (thanks for the slow-cooker!) and then take a nap. At dinner I can **almost** smell the gorgeous roast beef, but I suspect this could just be my imagination.

It's now been 5 days and I am finally sinus-pain free. I can breathe through one nostril and have to say that a little R&R really does one good. Rather than go to lab on a particularly cold, wet, miserable day, I spent the afternoon watching Season 1 of the Gilmore Girls and knitting a hat, which I will never wear.

6 DVDs, 20 packets of Tylenol, 2 balls of yarn, and three chocolate bars later (well, just because you can't taste the chocolate doesn't mean you can't enjoy it!) I am feeling almost well enough to start up the New Year with a bang. It's a good thing I still have 3 more days to make a full recovery.

So how was your holiday?

~flutterbyblue