I got the rockin’ pneumonia and the boogie-woogie flu

And thanks to GrrlScientist, I can say that it probably really is "flu"… rapid onset fever, muscle and head aches, fatigue and a minor sore throat, coughing but not sneezing and not much runny nose. (I do not, in fact, believe that I have pneumonia, rockin’ or otherwise.) But I'm pulling out of it pretty well, compared to the folks who caught the 7-day version of this bug.

My hypothesis, which I plan to run by some of the local physical anthropologists, is this. Because of the amount of public service I do, I was exposed to the various viruses, bacteria, and crud running rampant among the students before Spring Break. This gave me some level of resistance. However, the students scattered to the four winds for Spring Break, and brought back some new virus I was unprepared for.

Anyway, that’s my guess, because I don’t much like the other theory. My addiction to iTunes has caused a significant change in my diet; when I used to drink grapefruit juice with lunch, I now drink Pepsi. This has probably led to a major decrease in my Vitamin C intake, as well as potassium and possibly Vitamin A.

Have I mortgaged my health for free music? Linus Pauling would probably say so. More importantly, so would a fair number of people who actually are biologists and medical professionals.

Then again, I might have caught it anyway, and I wouldn’t have my haul of free songs. If I have to feel like crap, at least I can listen to “The Theme from Shaft”.