Typhoid Mary...

Evocation of Butterflies
1911
Odilon Redon

This gorgeous painting has nothing to do with my post; I just love butterflies, and Odilon Redon is my favourite artist, so I wanted to share this with you.  I suppose you have been wondering (or perhaps you have not been wondering) where I have been for the past several days.  Well, I'll tell you.  Typhoid Mary came to work and spread a really nasty upper respiratory tract infection amongst all her co-workers, and I managed to catch it.  We work in an organization that actually gives seminars on how to wash hands and avoid infection.  We are told that if we are sick, to stay home.  Of course, Typhoid Mary shared her nasty little bug with us, coughing and hacking all over the office, and when we told her to go home she said, "Oh, but I have too much work to do..."  In the meantime, her colleagues were dropping like flies. Of course, it would never occur to Typhoid Mary to cover her mouth when she coughs or sneezes. Goodness, no...

The irony is, we are actually participating in a study, as we speak, that is going to be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  What is the study, you ask?  Well, I'll tell you.  The study is how infections spread throughout a workplace.  We have to wear a little dog-tag, and it is being tracked by sensors in the ceilings throughout the buildings.  It shows the patterns of our movements, the folks with whom we are in contact, and so on.  I told the study guides the other day they don't need to gather research from the sensors, all they have to do is follow Typhoid Mary.  She is consistently the same person who brings infections into the office.

*cough*

In the meantime, I am sitting at home today, my chest covered with Vicks VapoRub and a warm towel, a box of Kleenex at one side, my bottle of Buckleys cough syrup (it tastes awful but it works) on the other side ~~ and watching the beautiful Monarch butterflies fluttering by outside my window. I'll be back to visit all my wonderful bloggy friends very soon, as soon as I have the energy.

*hacheeewww*