active ingredient, my ass!

So, I’m somewhat sick. Translation: I don’t have a runny nose or fever, but I’m coughing a lot and I feel a bit of congestion in my chest. I went to the local (ghetto) Walgreen’s to look for a remedy.

The thing to know about me is that I have no fear of generic brands that have the same active ingredient. If it contains the same percentage and it’s $3 cheaper, why not? I’m sick so infrequently that it hardly matters, right? Yeah . . . not so much.

I was reading the boxes, trying to determine which would be the right medicine for me.

Do I have a runny nose, fever, sinus irritation? Nope

Do I have a sinus headache combined with chest congestion and a cough. Almost, but not quite.

Do I have watery, itchy eyes with a runny nose, fever and chills? No. Thank God.

Do I need a drowsy formula? Hell no.

Am I light-headed with extreme hunger and a desire to laugh at things that aren’t funny? Translation: am I high? No. But at this point, I wouldn’t mind.

Finally I found the right formula: cough with chest congestion.

Right next to the Robitussin, I found the Walgreen’s product. Same symptoms, same active ingredient, $3 less. Bingo.

Well . . . now I’m home, and I took this other (inferior) Tussin product, and I’ve decided that I need the Robi, because something is awry with my Tussin. Whatever the hell is in Tussin, it apparently needs the Robi to get the wellness party started.

Not only have I notstopped coughing, but I think I’ve coughed more in the last hour than I have all day. There’s a rumble in my chest so loud that it scared Phoebe, who was trying to sleep peacefully on my left (serves the little brat right for meowing in my face in the morning, but I digress . . . ).

I have no idea how I’m going to sleep tonight. Do you know what lack of sleep means? That’s right . . . more sickness.

WTF?? No more Tussin for me. It’s Robi all the way.

happy belated 4th

I was too busy partying to blog.

I have a week to catch everyone up on. I was in DC last week for a wedding (June 28th). It was absolutely amazing. The groom is one of my best friends, and the bride — whom I only recently met — is also a very sweet person. I saw them while I was in NY over Memorial Day weekend, and the bride was stressing over wedding plans, but it all came together so nicely. The wedding was really well done. The ceremony itself was held at National Cathedral.

I loved it that they didn’t have any of those little wedding giveaways, like whistles with their names engraved. Once you hit a certain age, those things lose their luster — and let’s face it . . . who really wants to pack something extra. Not I.

I arrived home after the wedding, full of good food and even better memories, just in time to prepare for the 4th of July.

The theme of the week was sleep deprivation. And I’m paying for it today.

Here’s the exciting recap:

Thursday, July 3rd
Work until 2 (yes, I got railroaded in to working longer than expected!)
Go home, eat, change into dress, pack a bag of casual clothes
Go to my 5:00 nail appointment
Attend a wedding at the Park West at 7:00
Leave the wedding at 11:00 pm
Change clothes in my car (on a dark street), and go to the next party at Green Dolphin (more about that later)
Arrive home at 3:30 am. Tipsy.

Friday, July 4th
Sleep as late as possible, which for me only means that I slept until about 9:00 am
Begin watching Design Star marathon, and eventually force myself to get my lazy ass off the couch
Attempt to bake a cake (an effort that was thwarted by my new oven, which spontaneously turned itself off)
Throw batter down the garbage disposal, frustrated
Arrive at friend J’s for barbecue at 4:00 with a big bottle of Malibu Rum in hand
Receive many hugs from J’s alcoholic relatives who LOVE Malibu Rum. I’d never met them before, but I’m pretty sure they really REALLY like me now.
Eat
Play with godchildren (the only kids that I will truly play with)
Eat
Eat
Invite the family alkies from J’s barbecue to join me at Legend’s to see Dad play, fully expecting them to decline
They accepted!
Arrive Legend’s at 10:45.
Buy the crew a round of lemon drop shots.
They like the shots and return the favor.
A couple of times.
Remain until 1:00 am.
Sauced.

Saturday, July 5th
Wake up not feeling so good.
Not good at all.
Not in a hangover sort of way, but in a goddammit-I-caught-a-fucking-cold way.
No matter, still need to meet L. for lunch at 12:00 noon
Eat and drink lots of tea
Go to a HUGE picnic (The Old School picnic) at 4:00
Dance. I didn’t feel well, but the music seduced me.
Talk. Didn’t really feel like talking either, but ran into people I hadn’t seen since . . . well . . .the last picnic, I guess.
Remain until 8:30. Needed to get the hell out of there before it got dark.
Stop at the noodles place to get soothing soup. I thought I was staying home.
Got a call from friend C.
Meet friend C. @ his aunt’s house to meet his relatives
Return to J’s for more cocktails w/alkie relatives
So much for couch time.

Sunday, July 6th
Still not feeling well
Oh well, still have to have brunch w/C. and family
Get my arm twisted to shoe shop w/C’s visiting sister
Return home @ 3:30
Get picked up @ 5:30 by Dad to go to a Caribbean festival
He tricked me — said he would be there for an hour. We were there for 3.
Got mad — was REALLY not feeling well — but refrained from yelling at him
Returned home.
Watched TiVo of Design Star
Slept. Finally.

More info than you needed, right?