Tuesday, February 5

Irma went to work today and I stayed at home with Sunshine. I sat in bed until about 10:00, my temperature now as low as 39.40˚, slowly realising that the aching had formed part of the fever.

I get up and wash which makes me feel better. I then let the cat out and photograph the garden. More snow has fallen but I intend to do nothing about it today. In fact, I don’t intend to leave the house at all.

My head feels like it has begun to orbit my body.

I could not have picked a better week to have flu. I have no teaching arranged and no tutorials that I cannot rearrange. I will send out a flurry of emails to do just that and sit down to a bowl of Weetabix.

I had intended to do my course planning in the second half of the week after I had read three student theses. I will bring these forward and read the theses this afternoon. I will write notes and then email one student and ask for a Skype meeting. The other two constitute notes for preliminary drafts, and I will send short notes of encouragement, asking them to keep me informed.

By 17:00 I will realise that I have managed to stay at home without taking a day off work.

Irma will arrive home shortly after 20:00. We will chat briefly. My temperature will have fallen to 35.55˚ which Irma will declare normal.

At 20:30 I will go to bed.