It seems that every time I move to a new place, that following winter, I get the flu. It happened to me when I moved to Cincinnati, San Diego, Nashville, and Atlanta. I thought I had almost escaped my first winter in New York without the flu, but, alas, New York is no different.
This morning, I left my apartment for the first time since last Thursday.
Some random thoughts from those four days in seclusion:
1. On-demand HBO and Showtime: worth every penny. So is IFC On Demand, Sundance Channel On-demand...in fact, I am in love with all on-demand TV. I think all of cable TV should be completely on-demand. You read it here first: the real death of cable TV will be when all programming will be search-driven and delivered to viewers on-demand (probably through that internet thing). While I found nothing to watch on regular (programmed) television, I happily filled four days with my on-demand selections.
2. Showtime's The Tudors is my new favorite TV show. I never grew tired of the show even after watching 14 straight episodes (thanks again, on-demand). I did, however, grow tired of Queen Katherine 's only lines for 7 of those episodes being some variation of "But, I love you, Your Majesty, and I am your true wife, and the rightful Queen." She really could have used a copy of "He's Just Not That Into You."
3. MaxDelivery (for groceries/drugstore/dvds) and Seamless Web (for most any restaurant in your area) combined are real life-savers while being shut in and sick in New York. In Atlanta, I thought having a grocery store in my condo building was great, but having someone bring anything you crave to your door within an hour is almost reason enough to stay inside for four days, sick or not.
4. I finally got to use that Tamiflu I stockpiled during the avian bird flu scare. My friend Eric laughed at me for ordering it online. I showed him (btw: expired Tamiflu still works. I read it on the internet).
5. CNN has got to find something else to talk about besides the election. I purposely say "talk about" because despite filling up 22 of the 24 hour news cycle with election "coverage", none of it is real reporting.
6. I am thankful for my new New York friends who checked in on me, offering to bring soup and some company (which, out of fear of further spreading the flu, I politely declined.) I am also thankful for my old Atlanta friends who texted and called to make sure I was fine.
7. Yet nothing can compare to having your Mom and Dad call and check in on you every day, sometimes twice a day. There is still nothing like the advice and comfort of your folks to help you heal faster. That, and MaxDelivery's Chicken Noodle Soup (and cupcakes...and Gatorade...and TheraFlu)!
Don't watch The Tudors? Watch the full first episode of the second season, posted officially by Showtime, here on my favorite website, YouTube:
