Monday, October 11, 2010

Sick, but Happy.

As my bestie Marissa would say, I'm a downed critter.

I spent the entire afternoon in bed (wait, de ja vu -- didn't this happen during the High Holidays?), after a less than stellar visit to my doctor's office this morning. I woke up congested on Friday and whatever I have has gotten worse as the days have gone on. Saturday I woke up with what felt like strep. Today I went straight to the doctor, they did the usual swab, asked the usual irrelevant questions, and shoved an antibiotic at me. I'm still unclear whether she said to take them now or start later, so I went with it and took it today. I've had probably two to three dozen cups of tea over the past two days, countless glasses of orange juice, and several bowls of soup. Sigh. So much to do, so sick, so little time, so not enough energy.

At any rate, the one highlight to my super-long and super-sick weekend was the most amazing surprise: a surprise birthday party! Yes, my birthday came over the chagim without much fanfare, and I went with it. After all, turning 27 isn't a huge thing. It's a nice, divisible number, sure, but that's about it. I was filling really ill Friday, but we had friends over for dinner anyhow, because I thought it was just a really bad allergy day. Afterward, we were to meet some friends at their place for dessert, and I advised Evan that we couldn't be there long -- I really just didn't feel well. We walked over, schlepped up the stairs, threw open the door, and "SURPRISE!" "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" I looked around, confused, mostly because there was another surprise party the next day for a friend in the complex. And then, after a few awkward seconds, I realized it was me. I blame the allergy meds for making me both loopy and slow. All of our closest friends were there and many of them went out of their way to make me gluten-free desserts! There were gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and brownies and an amazing trifle made by my awesome friend, who is behind Modestly Fashioned, and, who, by the way, was the hostess with the mostest who helped Tuvia coordinate everything.

I was, in a word, overwhelmed. The first thing I thought was, here's to all those naysayers who think the apartment community in Teaneck isn't the warmest, friendliest, most welcoming group of people you've ever met. They really are those people. I've never in my life felt so loved, and for that, I'm so thankful. I really do have the greatest crop of friends, and without them my feeling sick would be so much worse than it actually is.

Of course, there are no pictures, because it was on Shabbos and we were camera-less. But, you can imagine. Jews, Shabbos, lots of nosh, booze (thanks for the mixed drinks, D), and more. So thank you awesome Teaneck friends, and, of course, my darling husband Tuvia who managed to keep the entire thing from me (which is what happens when I am so busy that I can't notice all the weird things missing from the house or my husband's wacky schedule).

Here's to another year older, and, hopefully, less sick. Of course, that comes next week.