Back when I was a freshman in college, I had a roommate whose name was, conveniently enough, Karen. Karen was this kid from San Antonio, Texas, with ice-blue eyes, dark hair, a sharp mind, and a rapier wit. She was far more street-smart that I could've ever hoped to be. We both began as engineering majors, and while I slogged it out and completed my engineering degree with rather average grades (all the while doubting that things like columns, and moments and torque had anything to do what my calling), Karen quickly realized that her gift was actually in language, and accordingly switched to becoming a successful English major.

Karen was one of those people with whom you could stay up all night Thinking Grand Thoughts and Discussing Lofty Subjects. But she also had two very endearing expressions that were really neither grand nor lofty. One was:

'I feel like hammered dog shit.'

The other:

'Hang in there, li'l buckaroo.'

Karen and I still remain in touch, and over the past few days as I try to work through this horrid, evil flu, I've been thinking about her a lot -- mostly because I've been muttering both phrases to myself repeatedly, in the same way Rain Man would. And the truth is, while I'm feeling pretty puny, I find myself hanging in there pretty well, thanks to my Marcus who has been picking up the slack with Alex (and who made an amazing fish stew last night -- I really have no idea why I didn't just get better instantly, it was that good). Also, Alex, who is still rather snuffly and cough-y herself, has been looking at me with this sort of sympathetic expression, and occasionally patting my cheek: 'You okay, Mummy? Feel better, mmkay? Look, here's a kiss for you. There. That will make you feel better. Feel better, mmkay?'

I'm a very lucky woman.

Couple all of this care from my little family with the fact that I've been very diligent in doing my daily journal (and thus taking care of my spirit), I've no doubt that I'll get through this. Eventually.

Unfortunately, I just haven't had the gumption to get up and out with my camera, so please bear with me -- I will just as soon as I'm able. I'll be nursing my cold again today with lots of tea (and some more of that yummy fish stew), so hopefully I'll get back out and shooting before you know it. In the meantime, if any of you have any sure-fire cures for the cold or the flu, I'd love to have it. As a show of gratitude, I'll pick a comment at random to receive a stack of notecards made from a few of my photographs.

Thanks for your patience!