herbal tea & honey

ask almost anyone who knows me very well and they'll tell you i'm not one to slow down for much. i'm not a fan of "doing nothing" on the weekends and usually have a pretty lengthy lists of projects to do, books to read or new recipes to try. my grandpa claims i'm not happy unless i have a calendar full of people to see, meetings to attend and deadlines to meet. he also says i live mostly for tomorrow, always planning and trying to determine the best path in life. he knows me better than anyone and i think he's nailed that description...

until the inevitable sinus infection settles in for a few weeks, almost always in october. this year, it came a bit early and shows little sign of leaving.

for most of the past few months, i've been treating tension headaches, backaches and sore eyes. none of this has slowed me down: projects continue, books are read and new recipes tried. on a bit of a tangent, i think a combination of stress and using a less-than-perfect computer monitor at work has caused most of these aches and pains. i can't even come close to explaining how strongly i feel the need for a good boss, someone who has time to listen to ideas, provide positive feedback and offer constructive criticism. having little else for comparison, the first year of my career has been about as disappointing as taking a class with great topics and assignments that is unfortunately taught by a horrible professor. you learn as much as you can teach yourself. while my plan is to keep chugging along and doing my best, i certainly hope a good boss enters the picture relatively soon.

back to the topic at hand. all of those tension headaches, backaches and sore eyes have done little to get in the way of my go-getter mentality. this sinus infection, as usual, has gotten to me. between the constant pressure, sniffling, itchy ears and watery eyes, i've found little motivation to read any books or work on any projects. the buckeyes played a night game last night, usually a reason to dress up in buckeye gear for errand running, make chili for dinner and spend a few hours jumping around the living room. while i did wear my osu jersey for most of the day yesterday, mike made our chili and i didn't move from the couch during the game. instead, i laid under a big blanket with my a sweatshirt hood covering my ears and a tissue box nearby. about halfway through the game, i opted for some herbal tea with a teaspoon of honey. mike's suggestion. he thought it might clear up the congestion and make me feel better....

.... it was amazing.

while i still spent the next hour with a hot washcloth on my eyes --- and a frozen hockey puck on my forehead, which i asked for in the middle of napping and mike actually had on hand --- i felt a lot better overall. i don't recall taking my contacts out or going to bed last night, but i certainly remember the calming sensation i felt after that cup of tea. and i definitely feel better this morning than i anticipated i would last night. i think a cup of tea may become a nightly routine. if it won't cure my sinus infection or get rid of those other aches and pains, it can at least slow me down enough for much needed rejuvenation at the end of the day .....