The past few days have seemed a little bit foggy.

Suddenly Kleenex and cough drops have become my best friends.

And decongestants are the only reason I'm able to work this week.

I've finally succumbed to a sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head (thanks for your help, NyQuil) cold.

Up until this point, I thought I was avoiding illness pretty well. Despite not getting enough sleep during the week, despite high stress levels and poor diet, I was waking up feeling pretty good each morning.

Until the first sign of a sore throat appeared Saturday. And the sniffles Sunday, until Monday all I wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep.

Instead, I was visiting friends in the Cities. The car ride home made some nap time available, but for the rest of the weekend I was on the go.

I've never been so excited to visit the medicine aisle at Target.

More than anything, I wished for a sick day like I had during my school days.

Staying home sick from school when I was younger meant a full day of rest. My mom would set me up with blankets and sheets on the couch in the living room. A glass of 7Up was nearby.

I would close my eyes and listen to my mom tell the school secretary I would be out sick and that she would pick up my homework later.

The television stayed on for most of the morning. I nodded in and out of "The Price is Right" and daytime soap operas.

My dad would call me at noon from work to see how I was doing.

During lunch, chicken noodle soup soothed my sore throat.

In the middle of the afternoon, I would usually shut the television off and sleep until the rest of my family came home from work or school.

The evening provided the diagnosis. Would I be going back to school the next day? Did I still have a fever? Could I walk around without feeling dizzy?

If I thought I would return to school, that meant finishing up homework. Doing word problems and worksheets brought me back to reality.

When I returned to school, I never really felt like I had missed too much. My friends would say they were glad to see me back. I carried around cough drops and Kleenex for lingering symptoms and settled into the school day.

I would be missing out on a lot more if I stayed home from work. Interviews would have be re-scheduled. Stories wouldn't get done. Heck, you wouldn't be able to read this "riveting" column today.

Actually, after making your way through this, you might just wish I had stayed home in bed.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at :mailto:cari.quam@austindailyherald.com