Well here I am on a sunny Sunday morning, sitting in the sun-room watching TV! Lazy boy, I hear you say....well, maybe but perhaps I should explain!!
Last Thursday I visited our local GP for my annual medical check up, including bloods etc and came home with more than I'd bargained on.... a sore throat which 3 days later has developed into a "full blown" head cold - runny nose, heavy head, aching limbs and generally lethargic!! Like hospitals these days which are notoriously havens for horrible "staf" infections, doctors' surgeries are usually frequented by patients with all manner of contagious ailments. Being otherwise quite fit and having been convinced earlier in the year to have a flu shot, I guess I'm lucky my newfound affliction is contained to a just a common cold! So here I am feeling mildly sorry for myself, drinking copious cups of tea to flush it out and watching telly.
But I've chosen a great time to be sick - the 4th day of the 1st Ashes Test is on at the "Gabba" in Brisbane - an always fiercely contested cricket series between England and Australia - and after some very exciting batting by the Aussie team yesterday which saw it declare its second innings at 7 for 401, it is now in a very commanding position on day 4 with a mission to bowl out the English side and claim the Test with a day to spare. And as I write, there goes another English wicket - 3 for 72! The home side is on fire and it is simply just so exciting. Suddenly I'm feeling better. And to make me feel even better, I just flicked the TV channel to the coverage of the
Wold Cup Golf Tournament by held at Royal Melbourne Golf Club to see Aussie Champ Adam Scott complete his first hole of the day with an eagle - it doesn't get any better than that!! At this rate, I'll be fully recovered in no time at all. Oh, and did I mention that there is also a full motor-racing program also being televised today - V8 supercars at Phillip Island - an equally exhilarating event - but I'll likely limit my TV "fix" to alternating between the cricket and the golf.
Now when we had our acreage, we simply would never contemplate a day of self-indulgence in front of TV watching an exciting line-up of top sporting events and even now I'd much prefer to be outdoors either gardening, washing cars or simply walking the dog and taking in the great spring weather. But feeling off-colour as I do, I really am savouring the rare opportunity to be entertained by the first class sporting offerings on TV.
On the downside, I decided earlier that I would forgo two special outings today - the first, our usual Sunday morning at Church and the second, our car club's annual presentation dinner being held in Sydney. It was clearly inappropriate for me in either case to selfishly attend and potentially infect so many others and besides, I simply did not feel I could deal with the 200km round trip to attend the dinner, despite the opportunity to publicly collect the two trophies earned at the recent Concours d'Elegance. Not to worry though as the trophies will be held over for us to collect at the December general meeting in a week or so.
So some "Me time" is my lot today - imposed or not. But its not such a hardship given the fabulous sporting spectacles on TV and besides it presents a marvellous opportunity to let the body recover and the mind relax. Almost a spiritual cleansing - not quite but nevertheless, the best way to clear the head and hopefully shed the cold in record time! But sick or well, it is something we all should, dare I say need to, do occasionally as we get older - an indulgence maybe, but certainly cathartic!
