Oh, man, this couldn't have come at a more apt time. I'm sorry the bug got you and I hope you'll be back on your feet soon. It got me, too. I'm pretty sure it's just a cold, but still, for a singer, a cold is a disaster. I'm no Sinatra, but I've got a guest spot on a podcast this afternoon, a gig tomorrow, and a big (not Sinatra-size, obviously) gig a week from Sunday. And even in my little "working class musician" world, if I have to cancel, it affects other people: the other band members who may have turned down other work because they were committed to my gigs (we're all freelancers)...people who bought tickets (and may or may not get a refund, depending on club policy)...But I'm kind of like the post office motto: almost nothing will keep me from going to work if I have anything to say about it. (Sadly for me, I did have to miss the annual jazz conference, which happened yesterday and Wednesday.)
Singers have to know how to deal with colds. Here are some things I like. (It sounds like you've got the flu, but if you've got cold symptoms, too, these might help.)
A big pot of water: add chopped up fresh ginger, honey, lemon, a dash of cayenne, boil, simmer, and keep drinking throughout the day.
This one's a little dangerous, so be careful: Pour boiling water into a bowl. Add a dash or two of oils like eucalyptus and peppermint. Let it cool just a sec. Lean over the bowl and place a towel around your head and the bowl (to make a tent) and breathe in the vapors. Don't overdo the oils (they can burn, so just enough to help open the passageways).
Qi gong exercises specifically for whatever illness you've got (find 'em all over YouTube).
Mucinex D
Acupuncture and/or cupping
Nebulized saline (if anyone wants to know how that works, I'll put a link)
Neti pot
Tons of vitamin C
There are all kinds of Chinese medicines; you just have to try them and find what you like.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
For singers, when all else fails: prednizone.
Rest, rest, rest (this is one of the hardest ones for me)
What I do when I get the flu which is not often now days because I get flu shots. I find a nice quite place, gab a blanket/quilt (married to a quilt maker) and a book, some hot tea (nothing added) and listen to my wife the nurse tells me what to do.
There's a reason why "Flu" is spelled with the letters "f" and "u"...because that is what it can do to people. Stay hydrated. This too shall pass. Be well in your mind, and your body will follow.
You are so wonderful! Even when you’re feeling badly you write like a scholar and entertain. I love you and hope you escape this “flu” quickly. Your description was excellent and I love the Frank Sinatra story . Please get rest.
I missed you this morning, so thank you for filling us in on your misery. That in itself is heroic. It sounds as though you’re muddling through with rest and liquids—sending healing vibes. Peace and Love.
Here's what I do: curl up in a big old fashioned Lazy Boy with an afghan covering as much of me as possible, a book that doesn't demand a big investment in mental attention, and the TV remote. Then, I cycle between reading, napping and watching, depending on how I feel in the moment.
The old-fashioned rest, lots of liquids, echinacea and zinc lozenges (if you follow that sort of stuff), plenty of sleep. When you are awake, get lost in a good movie that you've seen before and still love (you must have many). If you subscribe to the Criterion Collection, you won't lack for good choices of classic films from all over the world. If not, and you have a library card, you can use Kanopy for many great films for free!
And hopefully, you got the flu vaccine and it helps to get through the worst of it quickly. I am the same age as you, Kareem, and I get covid and flu vaccinations as soon as they're available here in Canada (the pneumonia vaccination is also a smart move).
Dear Kareem, just rest and get well soon! Don’t overdo. Get medical help if you become too congested. Tami flu helps some people. Take it sooner than later. The current flu bug has no mercy. BTW Love today’s post, now take care of yourself. Till Tuesday, love,
Illness becomes you. Literally and metaphorically. This is a literary piece. So different in voice from your most frequently applied expressions. This essay sings while others preach the word. Both approaches are eloquent, but vastly different in tone. I'm in awe since this was created during a period of ill health. You ask how we handle these moments? I don't. I'm incapacitated. I surrender to the illness. Waving a white flag of tissues, I lay in bed, covers up to my eyebrows, passed out, unable to do anything save for blowing snot until my nose is raw and shakily bringing mugs of hot lemon-honey water to my lips. Mostly, I sleep. But, back to the essay. Your description of Sinatra and those who depended on his gravitational pull for their orbits through life reminded me of Joni Mitchell's FREE MAN IN PARIS lyrics as she paints a portrait of David Geffen loving the ability to be a flaneur wandering the streets of the City of Lights, and yet feeling the tug of his responsibilities. Well, enough already with my comment. I post here to avoid editing my own work.
"[A follower] says, flat-out, 'I’d kill for him.' It sounds insane until you recognize that proximity to the legend offers protection and gifts and status. Unfortunately, it also demands total allegiance, especially when the legend feels threatened, even by something as small as a [bad photograph]." Sound like someone we know on the political scene?
During my adulthood I have had various battles with flu. One year I got busy and forgot to get my flu vaccination. I was sick for a month due to secondary infections. The next two times I picked up the strain that the vaccination did not cover. I thought I would have to die to get better. My sons brought medicine, soup, juices, etc to the front door and left on the doorstep. I did not want to expose them. Hang in there. It will go away and you will relish just how good it feels to feel good!
Kareem, get well soon! Only YOU, could notify us of sick leave, with curiosity and nostalgia. :-) My remedy for the flu is hot lemon water (do most mornings anyway), ginger ale and orange juice, plus chicken noodle soup. Tissues, waste paper basket and sleep. Tv programming remains the same. See you next week.
Get well soon!! You're a wonderful writer even when you're sick!
Oh, man, this couldn't have come at a more apt time. I'm sorry the bug got you and I hope you'll be back on your feet soon. It got me, too. I'm pretty sure it's just a cold, but still, for a singer, a cold is a disaster. I'm no Sinatra, but I've got a guest spot on a podcast this afternoon, a gig tomorrow, and a big (not Sinatra-size, obviously) gig a week from Sunday. And even in my little "working class musician" world, if I have to cancel, it affects other people: the other band members who may have turned down other work because they were committed to my gigs (we're all freelancers)...people who bought tickets (and may or may not get a refund, depending on club policy)...But I'm kind of like the post office motto: almost nothing will keep me from going to work if I have anything to say about it. (Sadly for me, I did have to miss the annual jazz conference, which happened yesterday and Wednesday.)
Singers have to know how to deal with colds. Here are some things I like. (It sounds like you've got the flu, but if you've got cold symptoms, too, these might help.)
A big pot of water: add chopped up fresh ginger, honey, lemon, a dash of cayenne, boil, simmer, and keep drinking throughout the day.
This one's a little dangerous, so be careful: Pour boiling water into a bowl. Add a dash or two of oils like eucalyptus and peppermint. Let it cool just a sec. Lean over the bowl and place a towel around your head and the bowl (to make a tent) and breathe in the vapors. Don't overdo the oils (they can burn, so just enough to help open the passageways).
Qi gong exercises specifically for whatever illness you've got (find 'em all over YouTube).
Mucinex D
Acupuncture and/or cupping
Nebulized saline (if anyone wants to know how that works, I'll put a link)
Neti pot
Tons of vitamin C
There are all kinds of Chinese medicines; you just have to try them and find what you like.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
For singers, when all else fails: prednizone.
Rest, rest, rest (this is one of the hardest ones for me)
What I do when I get the flu which is not often now days because I get flu shots. I find a nice quite place, gab a blanket/quilt (married to a quilt maker) and a book, some hot tea (nothing added) and listen to my wife the nurse tells me what to do.
Did you get through without getting worse or spreading it with your mouth open and projecting??
There's a reason why "Flu" is spelled with the letters "f" and "u"...because that is what it can do to people. Stay hydrated. This too shall pass. Be well in your mind, and your body will follow.
You are so wonderful! Even when you’re feeling badly you write like a scholar and entertain. I love you and hope you escape this “flu” quickly. Your description was excellent and I love the Frank Sinatra story . Please get rest.
Dang even with the flu bug, you are a brilliant insightful thinker and writer! May the bug move on soon, and very soon. Thank you, sir.
I missed you this morning, so thank you for filling us in on your misery. That in itself is heroic. It sounds as though you’re muddling through with rest and liquids—sending healing vibes. Peace and Love.
Here's what I do: curl up in a big old fashioned Lazy Boy with an afghan covering as much of me as possible, a book that doesn't demand a big investment in mental attention, and the TV remote. Then, I cycle between reading, napping and watching, depending on how I feel in the moment.
The old-fashioned rest, lots of liquids, echinacea and zinc lozenges (if you follow that sort of stuff), plenty of sleep. When you are awake, get lost in a good movie that you've seen before and still love (you must have many). If you subscribe to the Criterion Collection, you won't lack for good choices of classic films from all over the world. If not, and you have a library card, you can use Kanopy for many great films for free!
And hopefully, you got the flu vaccine and it helps to get through the worst of it quickly. I am the same age as you, Kareem, and I get covid and flu vaccinations as soon as they're available here in Canada (the pneumonia vaccination is also a smart move).
Get well soon, Kareem!
thanks for that recommendation about Criterion, I had forgotten about it
Dear Kareem, just rest and get well soon! Don’t overdo. Get medical help if you become too congested. Tami flu helps some people. Take it sooner than later. The current flu bug has no mercy. BTW Love today’s post, now take care of yourself. Till Tuesday, love,
Dr. jv
Illness becomes you. Literally and metaphorically. This is a literary piece. So different in voice from your most frequently applied expressions. This essay sings while others preach the word. Both approaches are eloquent, but vastly different in tone. I'm in awe since this was created during a period of ill health. You ask how we handle these moments? I don't. I'm incapacitated. I surrender to the illness. Waving a white flag of tissues, I lay in bed, covers up to my eyebrows, passed out, unable to do anything save for blowing snot until my nose is raw and shakily bringing mugs of hot lemon-honey water to my lips. Mostly, I sleep. But, back to the essay. Your description of Sinatra and those who depended on his gravitational pull for their orbits through life reminded me of Joni Mitchell's FREE MAN IN PARIS lyrics as she paints a portrait of David Geffen loving the ability to be a flaneur wandering the streets of the City of Lights, and yet feeling the tug of his responsibilities. Well, enough already with my comment. I post here to avoid editing my own work.
"[A follower] says, flat-out, 'I’d kill for him.' It sounds insane until you recognize that proximity to the legend offers protection and gifts and status. Unfortunately, it also demands total allegiance, especially when the legend feels threatened, even by something as small as a [bad photograph]." Sound like someone we know on the political scene?
Did you really write that fabulous piece when you were as sick as you described? Bravo! Get well soon.
Extra, extra water. Comfort watch: ENDEAVOUR. Long hot showers and flannel PJ's. Feel better soon!
During my adulthood I have had various battles with flu. One year I got busy and forgot to get my flu vaccination. I was sick for a month due to secondary infections. The next two times I picked up the strain that the vaccination did not cover. I thought I would have to die to get better. My sons brought medicine, soup, juices, etc to the front door and left on the doorstep. I did not want to expose them. Hang in there. It will go away and you will relish just how good it feels to feel good!
Kareem, get well soon! Only YOU, could notify us of sick leave, with curiosity and nostalgia. :-) My remedy for the flu is hot lemon water (do most mornings anyway), ginger ale and orange juice, plus chicken noodle soup. Tissues, waste paper basket and sleep. Tv programming remains the same. See you next week.
Sorry to hear you're not feeling well, Kareem. I hope it passes quickly and you are back in fighting form soon.