Germs are not your friends

We took a little break for Thanksgiving and for Johnny and I to take a short vacation before our holiday gigs start. We've got three shows in the next week or so, plus some irons in the fire for New Year's, so it seemed like a good opportunity to get away for a bit, right?

Well, in theory, getting away is good. But when "getting away" means "traveling somewhere far away to experience new germs and bring home a respiratory ailment," right before you have a bunch of gigs lined up, then getting away is not so good.

Yes, I got a cold during our trip - on the second day actually. Nothing like getting sick when you're away from home and will be for several days. Congestion, sore throat, coughing. Oh, and we were on a cruise for a few of our vacation days, so toss in a little sea sickness, too. Stellar.

I swear, I wasn't this guy. I was not
Patient Zero on our cruise. I PROMISE!

And did I mention that hotel/cruise ship tissues are made from sandpaper and ground glass?

I'm thinking of starting a petition that there should be some kind of law that tissue manufacturers can only legally make the lotion-infused and/or ultra soft kind. I realize that Congress is a little busy right now trying to keep the country from falling off the fiscal cliff, but it's cold season everywhere, so I think I could get some traction. There must be at least one legislator with a cold who would see the merits of my proposal and carry the bill.

But before I tackle the greater good, I must concentrate on the task at hand: knocking out this cold before our holiday shows start in a few days. Now that we are home, I'm using SOFT tissues, pharmaceuticals, herbal remedies, a NetiPot, aromatherapy, guided imagery - whatever I can throw at this thing. Wish me luck, or these next few shows are gonna be one of our "alternative" stylings, a.k.a. The Staylyns All-Male Vocal Revue. Just in case, Joe, get ready to hit some high notes.