Yes, I have swine flu.

I went to bed at Sunday night with a temperature of 99.6 and woke up with a temperature of 101.1, six hours later it was 102.3. I hurried to the grocery store to get Tylenol to control my fever. My anxiety was recalling thoughts of listening to NPR last spring. Phrases like, global pandemic, 1918 Spanish Influenza, and world wide panic crossed my mind. I found a doctor’s office across the street from (thankfully I have health insurance). After telling the woman at the counter why I was there she instructed me to put on a mask. That was kind of humbling. My fever was starting to become less miserable due to the Tylenol.

Next, they stuck a q-tip up my nose, way farther than a q-tip should ever be placed. Then held it there for 10 seconds. That hurt. After sitting in the doc’s office for 10 minutes the results came back A+. That’s the worst A+ I’ve ever received.

I’ve taken to a diet of soup, lots of water, netflix on demand, hulu, sleeping, daytime television and sleeping on the couch (so the wife doesn’t get sick too). The cough sucks, I’m always tired and I’d love to go outside. Fortunately it isn’t what I thought it might be.

It sucks, but it’s not the end of the world.

If you get it, do the following:

• cancel any plans you might have for the next 5-7 days
• buy a video game
• Rent a movie, watch something online through Hulu or Netflix on demand
• Drink lots of water
• Take Tylenol
• Stay away from loved ones

I’ve been firmy situated on the couch for the past 4 days…
• reading the prez-elect’s first book ‘dreams from my father’
• watching ‘it’s always sunny in Philadelphia’ on hulu. Hilarious … Kind of reminds me of ‘arrested development’, but a little more immature.
• west 5 has become the official bar of snowpacalypse 08
• Tweeting on the company account …
• Enjoying redhook’s winterhook brew and dogfish head’s 60 and 90 minute ipa’s.
• Teaching myself how to make the perfect omlette.
• Keeping tabs on the weather through the Cliff Mass weather blog.
• now … Watching the seahawks play in Seattle snow. It’s a fumblerama out there.

I kind of want it to warm up so I can start riding the bike again. I think it’ll be a couple more weeks.