Thursday 17 July 2008

The Green Fairy



Of course I have developed a nasty cold immediately after returning from a week off. It's one of those ones that yo-yos from your nose to your throat, then back again, so one day you're sneezing wetly all over your distressed colleagues and the next you're hacking away like a faulty cement-mixer. I should point out here that despite my relatively sedentary lifestyle, hatred of exercise, ineptitude for sports and generally unhealthy demeanour (I cite once again the smoking, and the fact that it's only Thursday and I am mildly hungover), I am very rarely ill. It is one of the unexplained joys of my life that not only is this the case, but also that the resolutely fit, healthy, nonsmoking, gym-member Mr Fishwife is a martyr to every sneeze and stomach bug going. Life is a strange and wonderful thing, n'est-ce pas? AAAAAAnyway - so here I am, bunged and raspy, and while I could kid myself I sound throaty and alluring like Lauren Bacall, the truth is I sound more like someone failing to start a chainsaw in a steel wheelie-bin.

Hence the illustration - the wonder that is Night Nurse. Let those boozehound saddos of the Belle Epoque rave about absinthe, the one true path is L’Infirmière Verte. I took a hefty slug last night before going to bed and slept like a hibernating grizzly. Admittedly I still haven't fully woken up yet, and am expecting to do so just before bedtime tonight, thus starting the whole sorry saga off again, but who cares...

10 comments:

Steve said...

Hot lemonade with a tot of whiskey and a dash of honey... works everytime for me. Oh and it's great for helping you through colds too.

mantua maker said...

I glug down the nectar that is Buttercup Syrup. Recently I read the label and found that it has a slight alcohol content...

Lucy Fishwife said...

Steve - Oh yes, I'm there, and I also stick a couple of slices of fresh ginger in it for added something or other... With a couple of ibuprofen you're ready to rock.

MM - So does Rescue Remedy. In fact Rescue Remedy is just cheap brandy with some flavouring added, as I discovered when I took a huge gulp of it on a very turbulent flight once. You could save yourself the money and just buy a hipflask.

Anonymous said...

Not strictly relevant I fear, but I thought you might enjoy this blog which your "Green Fairy" reminded me of (if I got the link from you originally dur....sorry )
http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/
a joyous source of information for me when looking for aniseed and liquorice based perfumes.
Keep writing and smoking.
K

Lucy Fishwife said...

Titiansmodel - Hello! Thanks for dropping by. As if by magic I am today wearing "Mandragore" by Annick Goutal which has a base note of star anise. Thanks for the info, I am (as you may have noticed) mildly obsessive about perfumes and it's always good to find further sources of fevered acquisition..

Brother Tobias said...

I'm all for the toddy and night nurse approaches. In combination if possible. Just impressed that you timed your cold for the return to work; I always seemed to fold up on the sleeper on day one of my holiday. Get well soon.

Lucy Fishwife said...

Thanks hon! While I'm rarely ill it invariably coincides with my first day back at work. I also combine medication, although I have a pathological fear of overdosing on paracetamol so I always read the labels carefully. A doctor mate told me that you can take the maximum recommended dosages of aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen and codeine AT THE SAME TIME as they don't have the same effects on the body, but it's a one-off emergency measure (ie hangover). Do I sound obsessed at all...?

The Poet Laura-eate said...

As someone with a constitution of paper, I am reassured to hear that even those with constitutions of steel get the occasional cold!

Not that I don't wish you better soonest of course!

Lucy Fishwife said...

Laura - poor you (or should that be "poorly you") - I pass on Mr Fishwife's condolences. I have no idea what makes one person prey to everything going and another not - I put a lot of it down to the fact that I was brought up on cheese with the green bits cut off etc, so I've probably experienced most nasty bugs already. I never get sick on holiday either (apart from sun-related ailments) but to be frank, I'd rather have Bombay Bum and a tan.

The Poet Laura-eate said...

I can only deduce your parents must have sent the green bits of cheese to my parents to feed me!

How solicitous Mr Fishwife is. My thanks to him.