Allergies punched me in the throat again today. It’s not as if I have to fight this evil nemesis every day. Most of the time we coexist, but every so often the allergies get the upper hand, and I just have to hunker down and try to survive. I knew I was in trouble straight out of bed this morning, but I thought I could outlast the nasty feeling in my head and throat. I was sure I’d be fine by mid afternoon, if not earlier.

Oh, how wrong we can be. It got worse and worse as the day wore on, and as much as I tried to ignore it, I had to admit defeat. I had told Tammy I would join them for dinner at the coast tonight, but I had to call her at 4:30 and let her know I wasn’t up to it. Up for it, but not up to it. This will probably be the last time they go out to dinner for months and months, so I know I missed out on something special.

I drank orange juice and ate chicken noodle soup, but I’m not sick in the viral sense of the word. The cold that’s gone through the family missed me. As lousy as I felt today, I can be pretty sure that tomorrow (or the day after) I’ll be better, maybe even okay. That’s what usually happens when I have this gunk clogging me up. It’s why I’m not worried enough to call the doctor (or email him, which I think is the preferred method of making appointments with the new HMO).

Did I sit around feeling sorry for myself while the rest of the family was out having fun? Well, yes, a little. But I also did some disk cleanup on the computer while watching the ballgame. I copied a CD a friend had loaned me a week ago. I did a load of laundry. So (as pathetic as that sounds) it’s not as if I wasted the whole day being miserable. I’ve been lots more miserable than this, but it’s hard to take much comfort in that when I’m missing out on something.

I want to join Sunshyn in asking you to think about some of the most helpless and bewildered victims of Katrina, children with autism. If you have the capacity, you might consider helping Unlocking Autism, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with a disaster relief fund to help those children and their families. My family thanks you.