Too Sick to Care...Much

Sleeping sick Deb; Beastreau Biscuit; Catmandoo; Aroofus Gooptus Barkbender; and Abu Dhoggi

I took the week off between Christmas and the New Year, imagining I’d catch up on some chores, sort some old papers, make lots of tasty things to eat, read some books curled up on the couch with a mug of something wonderful and a toasty fire in the woodstove, sleep late - have a real vacation vacation.

Well, the on the couch thing and sleeping late happened, because I succumbed, day 1, to the nasty upper respiratory virus that’s been going around. My brain has been too snotty (that’s a technical Chinese medical term) to do much more than click through old episodes of “Supergirl” on Netflix™ and then fall asleep while they run, so I still have no idea if it’s a good program. The barkie boys have been holding down the far end of the couch, keeping my feet warm, and I can’t smell or taste anything because I’m so full of snot and snivel (another technical Chinese medical term). The Husband tells me this is a good thing, because the barkie boys have been the ate-too-many-Christmas-goodies farty boys, and he says I don’t smell so great either, after a week of being ill. 

Maybe I’ll have enough energy to drag myself into the shower tomorrow. Maybe not. It’s been awhile since I’ve been sick, long enough to forget how strange the brain gets when you’re too tired to get up, too tired to stay awake, the lungs aren’t working well, the head aches, swallowing is uncomfortable, and you just don’t care. I’m the person who always cares: did the dogs get their aspirins this morning? Is there any mail? Did the bank deposit get made? Is it slippery out? Do we need to do laundry? Have the cat boxes been cleaned? Is the check out for the milkman? How will the driving be tomorrow? Did the birdseed get put out? And on, and on, and on …

Instead, I’ve been floating around, crabby and not caring. Not wanting to think. Not checking whether patients have called. Deciding that there’s nothing I can do ‘til next week for the patient up north who ran out of herbs the day before Christmas. It’s surreal, and not necessarily comfortable. But today, and yesterday, and tomorrow, it’s my reality. I can’t imagine how people manage to suck down some over-the-counter cold meds and then go to work (spreading viral joy to everyone they come in contact with, I should point out), and – function.  Feeling how I feel, I really have to wonder how much actual functioning is truly going on. I hope the people with dangerous or vital jobs have the sense to stay home when they’re sick. People with dangerous or vital jobs always have a back-up they can call; and they should do so. I don’t want a sick doctor treating me, and I don’t want a sick electrician deciding how to hook up my dangerous wires, and you don’t want me stabbing you with acupuncture needles when I feel like this, trust me. We aren’t in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, we aren’t indispensible. Most jobs, or chores, or thinking, can be done a little later, or by someone else, with no bad results. Just remember to feed the critters and let the dogs out to pee once in awhile.

For most of us, catching something that’s going around is the body’s way of saying, “You’re doing too much. You’ve burned up your immune system. Stay home and let’s regroup and recoup.” Somehow, working when ill has become a virtue in our world, and it’s a mistake. It does no one any good, in the long run or short run, and it wastes the body’s energies, which could be better used to keep us free of chronic diseases in our later years. 

While I’ve been lying on the couch, I’ve used up two boxes of tissues. I’ve drunk gallons of fluids. I finished the leftovers from Christmas Day (muhamarra = yum!) then made the Husband cook. Or go after take-out. That’s enough counting for this week. 

I expect I’ll be significantly better by next week. After all, today I’ve got enough energy to sit up and whine about how crappy I feel – and share gross Chinese medical terms with you. I even had enough energy to get the weird Chinese medicinal out of the pantry that looks like a wrinkly rose-hip, until you cover it with boiling water and walk away for 10 minutes. When you come back, the shell will have mostly disappeared, and there will be a couple of semi-translucent, globby, amber-colored things in the cup, which you fish out, then drink the fluid. This herb helps eliminate phlegm in the larynx, where this particular virus settles. It fixes laryngitis. It’s the herb I needed two days ago, but was too sick to care about. But today I fetched it, made it, drank it.

So I’ll see you next week. Unless I still don’t care – and then you can expect a call, because that’ll be a sure sign I should stay home a little longer.

Deb’s Muhamarra recipe: measurements are approximate because so much depends on size of items and how many walnuts you grind. Keep tasting and adjusting as you proceed. Takes about 15 minutes or less to make.

12-16 ounces of shelled walnuts, not salted

2-3 roasted red peppers; from a jar is ok

4 or more garlic cloves, depending on size and how garlicky you like things; peeled and stem end cut off

A small handful of grilled, if you can get them, or other nice olives, pits removed

Olive oil – use a nice one

Pomegranate concentrate, often called “pomegranate molasses”

Lemon juice to taste

Harissa seasoning to taste

Some Za’atar seasoning to sprinkle on top (optional)

Muhamarra is basically a dip or spread, so depending on how loose you want it to be, you’ll add more or less olive oil. This dish is easiest to do in a food processor, but traditionally, or if you want chunkier bits, you can make it with a mortar and pestle. 

Start with the walnuts and garlic cloves, and grind them up very small, adding pieces of red pepper or little bits of olive oil to loosen, as necessary. Then add the rest of the peppers and the olives; process until smooth, again adding olive oil as needed. Finally, add the Harissa, lemon juice and pomegranate concentrate, mixing thoroughly, and adding more olive oil as needed. I made my muhamarra more like a paste than a loose dip. Scoop it out into a bowl and sprinkle some za’atar over the top.

Traditionally, you would scoop this up with pita bread. We put it on baked potatoes, which was beyond wonderful.  

This recipe eliminates the breadcrumbs that most recipes call for, and adds olives and za’atar.

Happy Holidays, Everyone!!

Written solely for the blog.