I really shouldn't have taken that nap earlier this evening, but it felt wonderful to lie on the couch with the cats stretched out on me and drift quietly to sleep while Jeff was watching Iron Chef. I vaguely remember opening my eyes once and seeing something about an unusual preparation of fried rice, and then sliding softly back into sleep.

This was a good thing; I think I need the rest. My concern over my general health is starting to nibble at me a bit. First, a serious bout of stomach flu and strep throat within a six-week period, and now a week after finishing up my medication to treat strep, I appear to be coming down with a cold.I rummaged through our horrendously messy kitchen table this evening and found the cold medicine Jeff bought a few weeks ago. It seems to be helping a bit. If nothing else, it will probably help me sleep—once I get sleepy, that is. My nap has thrown my internal clock for a bit of a loop.

What do you do to strengthen an immune system, anyhow? I just realized that I don't know. I'm not going to call my doctor tomorrow morning or anything, but at the same time I know that it wouldn't hurt me to take a few proactive steps to try to make myself well.

I know, I know, try starting with resting, taking better care of myself, and eating better. *laugh* I'm guilty of relentlessly mothering my friends, and I know that in instances like this, it's all going to come back to me tenfold. Maybe I should just hide under my desk now and get it over with.

Jeff has been really kind to me today; he's agreed to call his parents to ask them to come visit next weekend, instead of the day after tomorrow. (Er, well, according to my watch, tomorrow.) We're hosting a subset of the geek crew here for New Year's Eve. There are things still left to do around the house; while I could get them done by Saturday night so that his parents could visit, I'd be exhausted by Monday night.

So, in another week's time, we'll open presents and be happy and merry together. But tomorrow, I think it would do me well to get some rest.

Speaking of people arriving—Heather told me today that Gareth arrives back here in a week. There was, of course, much rejoicing; our favorite Brit is coming back to the place he'd rather call home in the first place. I know that Jeff, especially, enjoys having Gareth in Huntsville. That's not to say that Kat, Heather, Jess, and I are daunting or anything … we definitely are … but I know that another male presence certainly helps combat the fearsome estrogen-fest that is the wondergeek crew.

In other good news, the snow stopped by about seven p.m. A good thing—I've had my fill of wintry weather for the week. Being stuck in a hotel room for three days during an ice storm will do that to you. I can handle the cold, but the thought of having to deal with more ice in the next few days is not a thought that leads to much happiness on my part.

Sigh. Tired. I think my body's adjusting to the medicine enough that I could probably get some sleep now. So, with that, an only slightly appropriate quote that popped into my head:

Methought I heard a voice cry, "Sleep no more!
Macbeth doth murder sleep," the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care,
The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast-- . . . .
Still it cried "Sleep no more!" to all the house;
"Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor
Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more."
    Macbeth, act II, scene 2