and think - this is me on an extra hour of sleep!

[rivendellrose]

So, today's been interesting. Last night we (by which I mean "me" - it was less of a "hey, let's" and more of a "I just did," kind of thing) switched out The Boy's plain comforter (which I only allowed on the bed because of the heat and because when we first moved in I was mildly afraid his cat would pee on mine because it smelled of my cat) for my glorious down comforter. Most glorious comforter ever. I adore it.

...This, of course, means that when our alarm went off and The Boy said "Time to get up," I replied approximately "Ngggggggh, noooooo, I'm comfy," and pulled the comforter back over my head. To which he, quite reasonably, replied that perhaps we could skip going to the gym just this once. ♥

* * *

So, for those who aren't in Seattle, I have to say that this whole H1N1 thing has blown into my fair city in a big way in just the past week. See, last week I was... somewhat guiltily amused to hear that 200+ people had it at my alma mater's rival school, WSU. UW doesn't have any yet! ...Mostly because classes haven't started yet. Ahem. Edit: Apparently, I lied about that. Sorority Rush has started. Let's all be shocked that it's starting with them... And the numbers at WSU are still below 200 confirmed cases. The rest are "flu-like symptoms." But here's the thing - last weekend was also the infamous Penny Arcade Expo (aka PAX) here in Seattle, at the Convention Center just by my apartment. And it was packed. The Boy wanted to go, but waited too late to buy tickets, and it was sold out. Which, it turns out, is probably the only reason we are not yet sick.

That's right - there was an uninvited guest at PAX this year - Swine Flu. So, a whole jam-packed convention full of geeks, all holiday-weekend, exchanging germs as only geeks at a convention can do. But we're safe! Because we didn't go! Except some of our friends did... oh, yeah, and where do we work? Oh, yeah - a company full of geeks. Who all went to PAX.

So now, both our departments have received emails advising us that some of our co-workers are out with H1N1. Which leads to the following conversation just moments ago on AIM.

Boy (11:12:14 AM): we just got [company]-branded hand sanitizer :P
Me (1:42:34 PM): ....
Me (1:42:43 PM): WE haven't got [company]-branded hand sanitizer!
Me (1:42:49 PM): they obviously don't CARE about US.
Boy (1:44:28 PM): lol
Boy (1:44:32 PM): I think it was just our row
Boy (1:44:52 PM): the guy who sits across from me is out with H1N1 apparently
Me (1:45:11 PM): hahaha we're going to be sick by the end of the week.
Boy (1:45:18 PM): yeah, no kidding

So, yeah.

For the record: H1N1 is still no more dangerous than a regular flu (so far - so far, it hasn't mutated). We're fine. We're prepared. We're stopping by the store for supplied this evening, just in case, and washing our hands like truly professional neurotics. However. Given the extent to which this shit filters through office environments... I do not hold out much hope of not catching it, honestly. :P

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go try to convince myself that the mild headache and scratchy throat I've had on and off all day is not, in fact, a sign of impending Death Flu (tm).

Comments

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

I tend to catch everything that comes around the office AND I was at PAX, and I've been fine so far :)

As someone pointed out, 20 (doctor-confirmed) cases out of 60,000 people is a pretty small amount. More people seem to be sick from the non-swine sort of flu and generic con crud, which was also going around. Sounds like it was much worse at WSU.

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

...

So what does that say about college living vs. geek cons? LOL

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Lol. Fair point!

Dorms, man. Least hygienic living situation ever. I told you about the time Cora and I got shuffled off to be tested for fricking TB because someone else on our floor in McCarty had it, didn't I?

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

(Note: this is a sweeping generalization and is not intended to insult anyone, but be humorous.)

1. Take a couple of thousand kids who are used to having someone else pick up after them.
2. Shove them all into a small space with no one to clean up after them.
3. Watch the germs take over.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Honestly, it's the numbers and the proximity that do it, IMHO. Sure, there were dormers who had poor hygiene and couldn't pick up after themselves, but the real issue always seemed to be everyone fricking breathing on each other and practically living in each others' laps. And then doing the same in three lecture halls a day, too. :P

At least I can be happy I'm not working at the U-Bookstore anymore. We got every virus on campus through that place. Or, god forbid, the Children's Museum. *Shudders*

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Good! Maybe we'll squeak through unscathed. ♥

Con Crud is definitely a factor there, too, totally. It's just one of those "Oh, damn" kind of things.

WSU... man. I know it was 200 cases over the weekend, but I heard a much, much bigger number on the news this morning (and, unfortunately, didn't remember it). I'm not looking forward to when UW starts up - the dorms are just hotbeds for that kind of thing. I'm glad my cert class is on weekends, not during the normal school week. :P

[darthparadox.livejournal.com]

FWIW, doctors won't actually bother screening you for H1N1 unless you're very young, very old, or otherwise likely to need hospitalization as a result. I'm guessing that for every "confirmed" case there's at least a hundred more.

At least half the people I know who were at PAX caught something. So, from here, the PAX spread looks like it might be in the tens of thousands.

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

Whereas, of the people I knew were at PAX, you and S are the only ones that have gotten sick.

(And I hope you're on the road to recovery now!)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

That's weird... you'd think they'd want to, I dunno, keep track. o_O

Yeeeeeah, that's kind of the impression I'm getting as well. Yikes.

[diea.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking about you every time they mentioned the HINI outbreak in Washington. I wasn't sure which school you had gone to, but I know you live in the area. Anyway, I'm glad you're doing well. Hopefully you won't get anything, and if you do it'll be mild. Drink lots of orange juice!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Awwww, that's so sweet, thank you! I've been keeping up on my liquids, getting lots of sleep, and we bought some supplies (gatorade, canned soup, thermometer, etc) to keep in the apartment, just in case. We'll be good, it's all just ever so slightly unnerving. *Hugs*

Seriously, though - other than the news and some people from work being out, you'd never know there was anything going on. It's kind of funny how life just goes on as usual.

[windrose.livejournal.com]

Holy crap, hon! Here's hoping you avoid getting sick, whether it's H1N1, or just con-crud-by-proxy.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Thanks! We picked up some supplies this evening, just in case we do get sick, but with any luck all the people who actually got the sick will stay at home until they're done being contagious. :P

[nightsinger.livejournal.com]

Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but "mild headache and scratchy throat" are where I was Monday night.

I'm still freaking sick. wtf is this shit.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

....oh, goodie. *Headdesk*

Still, huh? *Hugs* I hope you feel better soon!