Boo to You, Flu!

I don't know if its my new marriage, new environment or my new job, but my immune system has really got to pot this year.  This marks my third time being sick since June!! YUCK!!!! Poor Geoffrey, he is such a good sport, at least for a little while, when I'm sick, but these past four days have truly shown me what he can handle. 

If any of you know me, I like to keep the house my way and that everything has to be just so so, and for some reason I had really been slacking last week.  I would come home from work and just be wiped out and had no energy to do anything.  I thought that it was just me adjusting back to work from the break, now I wonder if it was tale tell signs of the flu. 

On Friday, I woke up with a stuffy, itchy, runny, nose but that is pretty usual.  (Ever since we have moved my allergies haven't adjusted.)  I went on to school, endured countless questions from the kids, survived breakfast and lunch duty and even two recess duties in briskly cold air.  After my third recess duty, I noticed that my ears were hurting and began regretting not taking something for my allergies.  I have a long break after this and when it was time to get up and move on to the next class, WABAM, I new I was sick.  From then on it was just surviving till 3:30.  I made it home, head hurting, ears throbbing, throat sore, body aching, and threw myself on the couch.  Geoff came home found me still on the couch and took my temp and it was 101.  Me being me, I didn't want to miss EMHE since it was the Joplin show.  Which we were glad we didn't because Kirk (and Peggy's head) had a HUGE shot!  Woohoo!!! Finally Geoff convinced me to go the emergency clinic and what do you know? I had the Flu! 

After that Geoff wisked me home, put me to bed and went to work!  He caught me up on every bit of dirty laundry, cleaned, did the dishes, made food, went grocery shopping, couponed, all the while checking in on my in my pitiful state and taking care of Roscoe.  He was a one man show and couldn't have been more thankful.  He got me through two fever spikes, convinced me to shower and take somewhat care of myself and forced liquids and pills down me like a pro.  Watching him do all of this for me because he knew I was sick was great, but the best part was he did things around the house "my" way so I could relax.  This weekend, I found a whole new level of love for the man I call my husband.  I have never felt so awful in my life, but watching him do it all, without any help or asking from me, is just wow. 

Now I'm sure things will switch back to normal soon, where I will have my responsibilities again, and Geoff will pretend to be helpless for a while, but I will always know, he CAN do it!  And I'm sure he will never let me forget the "one time he did EVERYTHING!"

Cooking...

This picture is not of me...but I do look pretty fabulous attempting to cooking.

So I think my least favorite thing about marriage is the whole cooking/food department.  Don't get me wrong, I love food, I love eating good food and I love baking.  But all the responsibilities that come along with making a meal seriously stresses me out.  Don't get me wrong, I've come along way from when we first got married considering that my cooking arsenal consisted of spaghetti, grilled cheese and cake box cookies.  I'm slowly adding new favorites and things that I can cook somewhat easily.  But I worry every time that I try something new that it won't come out right or that Geoff won't like it.  Geoff has been such a trooper.  He will eat literally anything that I cook, even if it is inedible, and he is always so supportive and encouraging.  

Grocery shopping is the worst.  Since I really don't like grocery shopping I try to plan to make a trip every two weeks.  So making sure I plan and buy everything I need for meals takes quite a bit of preparation.  I also feel like it is my responsibility to save us as much money as possible when it comes to groceries.  I'm trying to coupon, but does it give anyone else heart palpitations? I've read all the blogs, scavenged all the web sites, watch all the shows, but somehow it just hasn't clicked like I think it should.  I just don't get how these ladies on TV can save so much and I can only save a little.  Someday maybe I can be like that....

I guess the whole purpose of this post was just to get some things off my chest, and maybe see if anyone else feels this way?  I can't be the only, right? Maybe I'm feeling this way because I'm coming off an almost two week cooking hiatus thanks to my wonderful Family while we were visiting for the holidays.  I am always open for tips so if anyone has any super secret meal planning/grocery shopping/cooking tips they would like to share with this new chef/wife I'd really appreciate.  In all of the marriage counseling we did, I did not get prepared for this! 

Just a little extra: Roscoe has been rrreeeaaallly whiny and stubborn lately.  He turns two on Sunday and I think we are entering the basset hound version of the terrible twos.