The Clumsies

     It hits me from time to time, usually indicating a sinus or inner-ear infection: the clumsies.  I have never fully recovered from the cold that laid me out in October.  There's a variant of the common cold making the rounds that lingers for a hundred days or more, and that appears to be what I picked up: a couple of weeks of intense symptoms, trailing off to a mildly productive cough, sinus congestion, sneezing and an occasional bout of chills.

     I began the weekend with a headache the usual over-the-counter nostrums wouldn't cut.  By late Saturday, I was a little dizzy.  Sunday, I couldn't stay balanced if I leaned over -- or merely closed my eyes while standing.  Sunday night, I had a definite list to the right and when I laid down, the room wanted to spin.  I had to aim for the left side of a doorway to go through the middle!

     This morning, I started out with sinus irrigation, which later resulted in remarkably loud and complex eustachian-tube squeaking (like hearing chords played on balloons when you blow your nose; 0/10, do not recommend) and the dizziness is much reduced -- but I've got the clumsies.  Nothing is where I reach.  Frying an egg for breakfast, I managed to trail egg white across the stove top, drop the toothpick I used to break the yolk on the floor when trying to throw it away, and catch the handle of the tiny one-egg skillet* with my thumb, knocking it off the burner.  Fortunately, the fire was off and I hadn't used much olive oil.

     After a couple of days of compensating for loss of balance, as it returns, I'm askew.  I don't have much kinesthetic sense or proprioception anyway, and lacking the sure sense of position and motion that good dancers or gymnasts have, it's easy to trip myself up.  I'll have to move slowly, carefully and with forethought for the next day or two.

     And Tam's going to have to tolerate hearing, "No!  Uh-oh!  Dammit." from the kitchen until I get recentered.
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* These little gadgets are both cute and handy.  I have a round one that just fits a large egg, and a square one that will fry three half-strips of bacon or a single egg.  Or, I suppose, one slice of French toast or a lone-wolf pancake.