In my first work of fiction – a six-page story about a caveman and a dinosaur, written in caveman language – the asterisk makes several appearances. To a five year-old, flailing away on her father’s manual typewriter, the asterisk was a thing of a beauty. A little flower, a daisy, the prettiest piece of punctuation there ever was.
On April 22nd, an asterisk will power me back onto the New York Times printed list. I’ll be at #16, but the asterisk that follows the 16 means I’m considered a tie for 15 (Christopher Buckley’s BOOMSDAY, which I’m reading right now), and therefore included on the printed list. Call it the Maslin effect, for I can see no other rationale for the book’s comeback.
And now, maybe, just maybe, I can enjoy a week as a New York Times bestseller without the world’s worst head cold. The fact is, between altitude sickness and the cold, I don’t think I’ve had a truly healthy day since I first heard that I was going to make the list. However the cold seems to be abating. Then again, I’ve felt that twice before, and I’ve relapsed twice before.
Whenever something good would happen to me in the past, I’d subconsciously think I didn’t deserve it, so I’d get a cold…a rip-roaring smacking up side of the head sinus head cold..so maybe….
Please note I didn’t say you DID NOT deserve this, you do…but sometimes we’re out own worst enemies health-wise.
I hope you keep heading up the list. And don’t talk your stuff down, it’s wonderful!
Two fingers of a good bourbon, a tsp of honey, the juice of one lemon – add boiling water – drink it in bed, pull up the covers, grab a good book – and you’ll be fine in the morning.
Works every time.
From one head cold to another – maybe I should welcome mine if it seems to bring happy news with it?
Congrats again and enjoy the thrill! Maybe it can make up for the weather we’re expecting here?
Oh Elaine, I might fix one of those for myself! Sounds delicious.
Stress is the big old thing that makes me sick every time. Enjoy your rewards for your great book, Laura!
Vitamin C by the handful, sleep, sleep, sleep, and between naps try Henning Mankell’s The Fifth Woman. It has me wishing they would call off school (for rain or something).
Laura, I recommend ginger tea. Take a piece of ginger, make a few thin slices and throw them in the teaball with your loose tea, or in a strainer that you let steep in the hot water with your tea bag. I don’t know what it is about ginger but I swear it will cure most things. While waiting for the tea to become the strength you prefer, recite this mantra: Dianne said I am a better writer than Lionel Shriver, Dianne said …. <g>
I third Elaine’s remedy. If you don’t like bourbon, use either Scotch or Irish whiskey. If it doesn’t cure it, you won’t care!
My whole family swears by <a href=”http://www.sambucol.com/” target=”_blank”>Sambucol</a> — it’s an elderberry extract which has been clinically shown to cut the duration of viral infections in half.
(Hi! I bopped over here from <a href=”http://www.journalscape.com/keithsnyder”>Keith’s blog</a>.)