We are two part-time academics. Ellen teaches in the English department and Jim in the IT program at George Mason University.

Bridget Jones style -- not very well · 11 May 07

Memo to self: 116 pounds (clear loss of another 5)! 2 glasses of wine. Bad night though, very bad: went back to old habit (though kept damage in limited space and read enjoyable intelligent book, vijay Mishra’s Bollywood Cinema: Temples of Desire and still, very warm, sultry in house).

This morning put air-conditioning back on before J left for gym. Ha! So there!

Saw Dr Villafuerte this morning; she and I thought together over my continuing bad cold and misery (honk like a goose when cough, burning big sneezes, itch, terrible ear pain, sore and parched throat, hard cheeks, constant need to blow nose, nose leaking, headache, aching shoulders and tight chest, not sleeping, prowling about house, making notes towards paper in Pitman on sten pad), misery, I say, for over a week with a computer between us. She stands and types into it as I talk and she responds. Then we look at what we see. Who is the Virgil here?

Anyway: have amoxicillin, new kind of cough suppressant, and something for ear pain. Advice is to take zantac once a day and then weight loss will cease and parched throat disappear. Use hot pad on back and neck. Ibuprofen. Also rest. “You must rest, Mrs. Moody!” Phone on Monday if no improvement. She said we must watch out for secondary infection (“bronchitis!”).

Appalling inhumanity of those who removed non-prescription cough suppressants which worked off the marketplace. Indifference of powerful (who can write their own prescriptions).

Resolution: way of resting not rush paper on film adaptations. Not worry self about due date. Woman herself has hedged after all. Return to women’s memoirs this evening. Read The Rise of the English Actress in relaxed manner, and start to decide which 18th century woman’s memoir or biography should come next.

Must stand by true self and keep to ideal of meaningful projects first, publication (& conference papers, reviews &c) second. This will lead to sense of rest. Keep Feynman in mind (“What do YOU Care What Other People Think?”).

Must avoid word “must” after this diary entry?

Chava

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Posted by: Ellen

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