sick again

I've got a bit of the momsal (몸살), a generic Korean term for a sort of all-around sickness—a slight fever, a runny/stuffy nose, a slight cough, and a general achiness. The runny nose plagued me all night, depriving me of a decent night's sleep (which has been a problem for a while, even before this cold), despite my use of a neti pot that I brought with me from America years ago. I used the neti pot again this morning to irrigate my sinuses, but the runniness continues. It may take several treatments before I see any real progress. I also gargled with salt water to take care of an incipient sore throat. As part of my usual morning ritual, I normally brush my tongue and the whole inside of my mouth (cheeks, gums, palate, etc.), and I finish off with a Listerine gargle (a deep gargle in which I sing a low note to allow the liquid to descend far into my throat). Listerine also has antibacterial properties, although many experts will tell you that it's no substitute for good old salt water. I just consider the Listerine an extra kick in the ass after the salt-water gargle.

I stopped by the pharmacy at work and got myself some multi-symptom cold medicine. Took two tablets along with some ibuprofen for my back, which is also aching today. Such are the ravages of old age. I'm turning 54 this year, and today, at least, I'm feeling every year. I'm tired, I don't want to be in the office, and I just want to curl up in bed and finish reading The Terminal List. I'm at the part where Reece is actively taking everyone down now. One kill was inadvertently funny: Reece sneaks into his target's room and finds the guy asleep in bed. As Reece tries to decide whether to straight-up kill the guy or make it look like a suicide, the guy suddenly sits bolt upright, waking from a dream or something. This puts the guy's mouth in perfect alignment with Reece's suppressed .45, and Reece, startled by how the guy sat up suddenly, reflexively pulls the trigger. What a way to go, eh? Wake up and die.

Here's hoping I'm over this cold by the weekend. One benefit of feeling blah is that there's no desire to eat. So I guess today is going to be a fasting day. If I get hungry tonight, I'll grab a fistful of almonds. I always have almonds handy these days.