here you are, summer-into-fall cold! I've been expecting you!

Dear summer-into-fall cold,

Yep, here you are, sidling into my sinuses with all the subtlety of a ten-wheeler, reminding me that I haven't been sleeping enough, that my stress levels have been absurd, that I haven't yet figured out how to quiet my own mind, and all the rest. Thanks, summer-into-fall cold: I forgot about all of that, because not sleeping enough, electric stress, and an unquiet mind are not bad enough by themselves.

In case you missed it, here's a blow-by-blow (yes, pun intended, obviously) of my experiences since you arrived:

1. Salutatory sneezing in class
2. Hallucinatory participation in department meeting
3. Second level hallucinations in the hall, where I think there's a halo hovering over my head that turns out to be a curved ceiling molding at the periphery of my sightline
4. Extended quality time with Twitter, which I constantly refresh to keep up with what's happing with Donald Trump's horror show
5. Arising at 6 a.m. to obtain cold medicines from the store, along with a doughnut, because: Saturday
6. Extracurricular sleep
7. Cold medicine dose watch

....and more Twitter. (In case anyone wants to know what Twitter is good for, it's good for things like this.)

Summer-into-fall cold, I am giving you today. All of today, probably, a day when I hoped I would eat an enchilada and see a movie and maybe go shopping and maybe, maybe even grade a little bit. Instead, I am cozied up with the Vicks and the Mucinex and the dog, in bed. I hope you see the injustice.

Summer-into-fall cold, you and Donald Trump can burn in hell.

Sincerely,

htms