Malaria

Many people say that you can't catch malaria in this part of the country. I used to be one of them. I was wrong. It had me in bed for three days straight. Miserable, miserable malaria.

However, there were a few highlights to my few horizontal days.

1. Laying in a comfy bed on my balcony in the early morning, wrapped in a quilt with the cool breeze blowing, birds singing, blue sky overhead, listening as my downstairs neighbor played his guitar on his veranda. (No, he didn't know I was there… and I won't tell him either! Wouldn't want to embarrass him…)

2. Explaining to Mike step by step how to make a batch of banana bread from scratch. ("Are these bananas too black?" "What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda?" "Do you really think it's a good idea for me to use the electric mixer?" "Where is the measuring cup?" "Is this a tablespoon or a teaspoon?" "How do I know if they're done baking?") I think it might have taken him four times longer than it takes me, but he was very cute!

3. My boy learning to rub my back. He's totally mimicking EVERYTHING we do, and so when I was laying on the couch and Mike was rubbing my back... H was too!

4. Oh, the last highlight. Thee jeans (you know... the favorite pair of jeans that you are always wanting to fit perfect again? Always aspiring for? Mine are the American Eagle faded blue jeans that my best friend and I bought the same pair of sophomore year of college. Umm, does that mean they're outdated? Oh, nevermind that.) Anyway.... Thee jeans didn't require any sucking-in to button today. I know, I know... this highlight can be seen as controversial. Should I really rejoice that my jeans fit better? I mean I was very very sick and very very miserable for awhile, haven't been eating much for a couple weeks, really...

Okay ladies... don't even try to tell me you haven't thought the same thing about your pair of thee jeans after you've been sick and puking for a few days… at least some good comes of it, huh?

Anyway, now I've joined many others in the ranks of malaria veterans. Red Cross's blood donation centers can kiss me goodbye forever. I guess I should have known it would happen someday. I am the one that gets a thousand mosquito bites when I'm totally covered from toe to chin when Mike is next to me sleeping in a pair of shorts with no sheet and no bites. Sweet blood they say. Whatever. My time had to come, I suppose.