Sympathy for the Sick?

I'm fortunate that I don't get sick very often. Colds don't usually last more than a few days, other viruses don't seem to affect me as much as they do others, and hangovers are most often cured by the time the server brings around the second ceasar at brunch. I attribute all this to my Taurus/Ox fortitude (and stubbornness in the form of not being able to admit when I'm ill) :P.

But at some point today, some point between having a non-productive Saturday at the office and having a non-effective workout at the gym, I started to get a case of fever, chills, muscle aches, sore throat, whinyness, and general feeling that I just got hit by a truck.

After stumbling home (why waste money on a cab - oh damn you, stubbornness!), I had to cancel dinner plans and a date (two separate events - yeah I'm that good ;)), pile on more layers of clothing and then immediately take them off in accordance with the pattern of chills and fever, and crawl under the covers.

After struggling and snuggling into my bed, I reflected on whether I would prefer to be in this situation alone, or be in this circumstance with the assistance of a significant other. So here are the results of my reflection time (ah, if only I could bill for this at work...):

Reasons why it's better to have a partner at this vulnerable moment
1. My significant other could reassure me that everything will be okay, even though by this point I have resigned myself to living permanently on the rectangular area that is my bed;

2. My significant other could make tea with honey and chicken noodle soup and feed it to me (half points for picking up these items at Tim Horton's); and

3. My significant other could shower me with attention. Lots and lots of attention.

Reasons why it's better to be all by my lonesome single at this horrible moment
1. I am not spreading my germs to someone else, which a week from now would result in intense beams of hatred coming my way after my significant other has become an involuntary participant of Occupy My Bed (no injunction sought!);

2. I don't have to worry that my significant other is saying the right things to my face, while simultaneously bitching about my neediness on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Messenger, and random chatrooms; and

3. Well, Barney says it best:

*Groan*. That's all, folks. And stay out of the cold!

EDIT: After seeing this little moment in Queer as Folk, I've decided that having a significant other during a time of need is better:

Justin to Brian: ...I thought we had a commitment, and I plan to stand by it. Now get your ass back to bed, you son of a bitch! And eat some fucking chicken soup!

The 6 AM Wake-Up

Alarm rings. Hit snooze button.
Alarm rings again. Slam snooze button.
Alarm rings for the third time. Throw clock against the wall.

Just kidding. I'm not *that* grumpy when I wake up. And especially not this morning.

Why not this morning? Well, from reading about productivity, motivation, self-empowerment, etc., etc., a recurring theme that comes up is that the most successful people get up at the crack of dawn just busting with life. Successful people apparently do all sorts of crazy things before the light of day, including practicing piano (ex. Condoleezza Rice, for anyone who remembers who she even is), exercising, or writing their next great novel.

So, following in their footsteps, I have decided to wake up between 5:30 and 6:00 each morning. Ugh.

And not only wake up that early, but also hit the ground running (not literally) by doing some sort of physical activity (not running). Double ugh.

So this morning, I woke up at 5:48 a.m., groaned for a minute, and then started the 'one hundred pushups' program by doing an initial test. I did 16 good-form pushups in a row, which is okay but not my best, probably because I was also doing some last night. Anyway, apparently over the next six weeks, I will learn how to do 100 good-form pushups at once? For more info about this program: One Hundred Pushups.

Now, you may be curious about why I woke up at 5:48 a.m., and not, for instance, at 5:45 or 6:00 or some nice round number. Well, it's because I was in my "lightest sleep phase" at 5:48 and therefore it was the best time for my alarm clock to wake me up. Seriously. It's the new app I'm trying. Apparently it works wonders: Sleep Cycle App.

I've used the app for the last three days and can't say that I've felt any more "rested or relaxed" than usual.

But there's an awesome cure for that - wonderful, delicious, coffee!