The Coughing Continues

Still sick. The whooping cough test came back negative. Since they didn't test for anything else I can now just assume it is some kind of bronchitis. I'm really tired of coughing until I can't breathe or until I nearly throw up. It's a little better than it was last week but it is still taking its sweet time working its way out of me. Bleh.
In other news, I've spent my downtime catching up on a book series and doing homework. The book ended on a cliffhanger, but at least the next one in the series comes out at the end of July, right around the time my class ends!

*Cough* *Cough*

I was going to update on my projects this week but I'm too run-down for a longer post. I started coughing on Tuesday and over the week it got progressively worse, so I finally went to the urgent care clinic today. I thought it was bronchitis but turns out it might be whooping cough. Apparently it is going around right now. I should hopefully get the test results soon to know for sure. So, instead of putting effort into this post I will just leave with some medical humor I found on Pinterest. After all, who hasn't checked their symptoms online and ended up getting a little freaked out?

Replies

I know some of you that are still reading have asked questions recently about some of the different things on my blog, and as far as I know Blogger still does not notify anyone except me when there is a reply to a comment. So, I thought I would take the time to answer and respond in this post.

Shannon - You asked about the Pull-Apart Pizza Bread recipe. I wasn't able to snap a picture of the one I made but I thought it turned out pretty good. It was tasty, quick to put together, and easy to make. Here is where I got the recipe from. And here are some tips if you make it:

• It shows canned biscuit dough in one of the pictures but I used canned pizza dough like the blogger suggested (apparently it is not as good with the biscuit dough). Also I think you could use an equivalent amount of homemade pizza dough.
• I added fresh garlic (about 1 large and 1 medium clove minced).
• I would recommend mixing the dough and oil in the bowl first, then adding the other ingredients and mixing them all together (otherwise the dough pieces start to re-stick to each other). Also, make sure you have a large bowl that will accommodate all the ingredients and still leave room to hand-mix them.
• I used a nonstick bundt pan to bake it in, and I also sprayed the pan with oil - this caused it to get very dark on the outside (though not burnt) while waiting for the inside to cook. Next time I would not spray the pan - the oil in the recipe, combined with the nonstick pan, is probably enough to keep the bread from sticking to the pan.
• Mine was done baking after approximately 40 minutes (after checking to make sure the bread inside was cooked through). I probably could have pulled it a little earlier (it was kind of hard to tell if what I was seeing was melted cheese or uncooked bread dough).

Ali -  I take some of my classes online and some at the campus. Sadly the campus does not have athletic facilities so there is no access to a pool through the school. However, I may ask at my gym if they offer any special student rate. I would love to continue having access to a pool.

Tiara - I have thought about traveling alone but it does make me nervous. Besides safety I think I am most nervous about figuring out transportation. Especially if I didn't have my own car. Airplanes I could do fairly well, but taxis, buses, trains, subways, and rental cars are things I don't have a lot of experience with. And, much to my dismay, I am not the world's greatest navigator, even with a GPS, LOL! But I am encouraged by the fact that you had a good experience, and I am continuing to plan/dream about a graduation vacation!

Everyone Else - Thank you for your comments, they really do mean a lot to me and they definitely brighten my day! I always appreciate hearing from those who read my blog and if you have questions feel free to ask.

Fantasyland

Sometimes for fun I like to plan vacations. I look up hotels and flights and the activities I would do at my destination. Or I plan a road trip and all the places I would stop along the way.

And with summer pretty much here vacations have been on my mind a lot lately. I haven't been on a vacation in two years, I haven't been camping in about eight years, and I haven't even ventured beyond my town's borders in almost one whole year.

I love traveling so much that not going anywhere in a while has me really itching to go somewhere this summer. It wouldn't even have to be anyplace foreign. I could be perfectly happy with a weekend of camping at a nearby campground. Something to look forward to, plus something to shake up this routine of work/school/work/school would be great.

What I would really love, though, is to plan a vacation for after I finish classes next year. Sort of like a graduation present to myself. I would love to pick somewhere foreign or at least somewhere out of state. It would be such a nice reward for getting this second degree and it would be motivation to get through some of the more boring and/or anxiety-inducing classes that I have yet to take.

But reality is I have finances to think about, and the two people I would most want to vacation with have financial issues of their own; not to mention coordinating schedules can be difficult (Edited to add: what I should say is the two people who would be most likely to be up for vacationing with me - all my other friends are either not interested, definitely not able, or would rather vacation with their husbands and kids). Still it is a fun fantasy to have, thus I am off to check on more flights and continue dreaming.

Just Keep Swimming...

I've been thinking a lot about exercise lately. It seems some people get an endorphin rush and a natural high from working out. I seem to have missed the boat on that one. Exercise rarely makes me feel "pumped" and more often than not just leaves me feeling tired. Which is probably why it feels so much like a chore to me.

The only exercise I look forward to is swimming, which is tied to several happy childhood memories from the days when I used to pretend I was a mermaid. It's not so much about pretending I'm a mermaid anymore but rather it feels like more of a challenge and far more interesting than, say, the stationary bike. Which is odd because the stationary bike comes packed with entertainment. I have my choice of TV, music, books, etc. but nothing can seem to make that damn bike exciting. But with swimming I have none of that entertainment and I still feel better about it. Whatever works, right?

Sadly this summer may be the last time for a long time that I will get to enjoy swimming as a workout. When the end of summer rolls around my health insurance is due to be renewed and the company has informed me that my rate will more than double. I got my gym membership back when I had a full-time job and could afford it. Now with only part-time work, plus paying for school, plus the rising cost of health insurance I simply can't justify having a membership anymore.

It's ironic that I have to give up one of the things keeping me healthy in order to pay for a business that would really prefer I stay healthy. Too bad health insurance companies don't give a discount for joining a gym.