Long Week

It has been a very long and weird week for me. Monday and Tuesday I was Happy Camping which was a blast, a lot of work but a lot of fun. A few clarifications about happy camper, I slept in the Scott tent (bright yellow) and there was no heat. Just what I made myself and was able to hold into the sleeping bag. That is why I was in layers and took precautions to make sure I didn't freeze to death. It was training on how to survive if trapped out in the elements. We did get a few comforts, two sleeping pads of foam rather than one, an outhouse was provided for us to pee in otherwise it would have been bottles and all the gear we needed to survive like food, tents and shovels. We melted our own water, dug our own shelters/walls and slept in the cold.

When I got back from Happy Camping, I guess I was worn out because I got the crud. The crud is what they call the sickness going around like the flu or in my case, a virus. I'm sure the virus was just waiting around inside my body for me to weaken so it could attack. Happy camper was that weak point, it took a lot of energy to stay warm and I was tired when we finished. In super good spirits but exhausted. Wed I tried to get up and enter the world but ended up back in bed by 8 in the morning for a long nap. I went back to work and ate lunch but was back in my room by 4 pm. I stayed in the room for dinner which Leslie brought back for me (thank god for good friends :) We watched a movie and then went to bed early.

Thursday morning, I was no better and my throat hurt so bad that I went to medical to see if I could get some meds. That is where I found out that I had what everybody else had, sore throat, major congestion, and coughing. Great. It was sort of funny, well not funny but yes funny, because I saw 2 other guys from my happy camper group in there cuz they were sick too. That is 4 to 5 confirmed cases of people sick from just our happy camper group of 16. It is hard to escape getting sick when you are stuck on station with everyone living and eating in close quarters and sharing all our germs.

Anyway, I spent Thursday in bed. Leslie was the best and brought me lunch, hot water for tea and my computer so I could watch movies. She had me set up with drugs and everything else I needed. I think I would have died without her. I snuck out that night to get some dinner with her and then we watched another movie.

Friday, I attempted work again. I didn't do much. We launched a balloon but I was stuck inside watching the computers, not out with the action. The group was able to get two other balloons launched while I was happy camping. A big balloon and Steven sonde. It was Samantha sonde yesterday.

So yeah, nothing exciting. Just lots of boogers and phlegm and general miserableness. Good news though - Congrats to Leslie for finishing another chapter of her thesis and almost being done!! Love ya dear!

Stay warm everyone and watch out for the crud!