In which I talk of vomit and the voice in my head (not for the squeamish)

The stomach flu went through our house this past weekend. Actually, strictly speaking, it likely has not finished going through the house, since my husband and I have not been hit.

Okay - I started this post and then felt a wee bit nauseous. Hoping against hope, I walked away from the screen, thinking it might be the power of suggestion.

If it was, it was pretty powerful. At about 3:00 a.m. Monday morning, I found myself hugging the toilet bowl. Enough said.

Sometimes I wish I would get sick - you know, not alot. Not a week's worth and not the flu - maybe just a small cold. Enough to keep me at home resting and not working, running, buying groceries, doing laundry, driving children everywhere. Sick enough to stay home, but not too sick to read and knit and listen to CBC or my Ipod. For maybe three or four days....

But no, instead, when I get sick, I get the stomach flu and feel absolutely wretched for 24 hours. But then I get back up and go back off to work Tuesday - because I am no longer throwing up, although I am not eating anything and so, you know, I owe it to the world to go back out and do my best to save it (or my part of it).

I did, out of respect for that message that Mother Nature might be trying to pass on, forego my run on Wednesday. You think I would, oh I don't know, forego the flipping laundry or something. Not me - I go back to work and forego my run.

It's the guilt complex I think - the little person who sits in my head (we all have one - mine speaks in a tone reminiscent of my Grade 4 teacher who happened to be our neighbour, commenting on the fact that my older brother was late for school AGAIN - like it was my fault).)The little voice said "Come on Jan, you can get up and go to work. Yes, your head is achy, but you aren't throwing up and you KNOW they are short-handed at work and someone will have to cover your late shift because it is YOUR DAY TO WORK UNTIL 6:00. (Yes, my voice speaks in capital letters - doesn't yours? Especially when it is ANNOYED with me).

Of course, if I did get a little cold, I would not even stay home - I would drag myself off to work (where everyone would PRETEND to be glad that I came in, but really wished I had stayed home - which of course I wouldn't have because it is only a little cold).

And of course, if I did get a little cold, no-one at home would be at all sympathetic, because I am Mom and Mom doesn't get sick - and even if she does, she will still make dinner \take me to music \pick me up from practice \empty the dishwasher \nag me to tidy the kitchen until I go stomping off upstairs, muttering about how Mom NEVER made Alessandra tidy the kitchen when she was home etc., etc. Stop me if this sounds familiar.

Really - I've decided it is just easier not to get sick......