Scattered Thoughts . . .

When I got out of bed yesterday morning, the sun was shining brightly!  I can't remember the last time we've seen the sun...  maybe someplace out west last month during our train trip? So, after taking a bunch of medications that I need to take every morning, I started collecting solar astronomy gear to bring out to the deck.  The days and nights that are suitable for astronomy in our neck of the woods are severely limited so I need to take advantage of every available moment if my health allows.  Fortunately, yesterday morning I was feeling well enough to do an hour or two of solar astronomy.  At the very least, I knew that a short burst of adrenaline would carry my flu-ridden body for an hour or two! I had planned to set up the telescope on the deck so I could stay out of the snow and mud but, unfortunately, the sun is still too low in the sky way up here in the north.  When I stepped up on the deck by the time I started moving gear outdoors, the sun was behind the trees.

I'm still struggling to shake free from the flu.  I've been sick since just before we arrived back home from our cross country rail journey.   I still have a cough but not nearly as bad as it was in that first week. My biggest complaint, however, is dealing with the overwhelming fatigue and overall aches and pains.  Then, add in the usual fatigue, bone pain and joint pain from my primary illness and the past few weeks have been brutal.  An hour after getting out of bed in the morning, I need to lay down again.  At that point each day, I hardly have the energy to stand or hold my head up.   We'll see how long this lasts...  I'm tired of it though...

I think I am feeling well enough to get a few blog posts published so I'll give it a shot.  My health is still rather poor and I'm still in recovery mode from a bout with the flu but I'm thinking more clearly than I have since returning home so I should be able to get a few blog entries published today.   The first group of photos that I needed to and wanted to get done were the photos from Adam and Joi's surprise engagement so that is what I tackled first. I was one of the few who knew that Adam was going to propose to Joi but, since we were traveling across the entire United States, I was very light on photography gear.  I would have preferred to have a few flashes, some umbrellas, and perhaps even a more appropriate portrait lens or two.  Everything had to fit in one small shoulder bag though so I had to sacrifice the lighting and heavier lenses for convenience and staying as lightweight as possible.   Since I knew the proposal was coming, I was constantly on t

On our way back home from California, apparently, I picked up the flu. I rarely test positive for anything but I somehow managed to test positive for the flu this time around.  Usually, test results are inconclusive whenever I'm tested and we need to come to some sort of clinical diagnosis instead.  This time around, however, I tested positive for Influenza A.  It was almost too easy! The doctor immediately started me on an anti-viral medication and I noticed a positive difference within a day.  That was good news!  I took the five days of required medication and improved each day but, the moment I finished the course of drugs, I immediately started getting worse again.  This is not so good.   So, now we've been back home for a little more than a week and a half and I am still quite sick with the flu.  I'm coughing, having difficulty breathing, not much of an appetite, sleeping a lot, and I'm generally feeling pretty lousy.   Of course, my primary illness would ty