"You Make Me Sick !"

Some expressions -- like cala lilies that are in bloom again -- are such a strange flower and suitable to any occasion.

I have heard, "You make me sick," throughout the decades of my life. Its generally use is an assessment of another person's character or sense of ethics that is in contrast to that of the claimant. It might be followed by, "I want outta here!" or "I want outta this!" meaning that the relationship needs to change or terminate.

Yesterday was a first (that I recall) when I had to use it for a different reason. It was Friday night and I generally treat myself to a ready-made chicken from the grocery store; you know the type... the kind that is made in a rotisserie and bagged in ZIP-LOCK style packaging. Well, I opted to go out to a pizzeria that also sells other al forno dishes. I picked up the eggplant parmesan with a side of ziti (or maybe it was penne).

The heavy dish remained in my stomach and the heat of the day made me tired. So I laid myself down for a postprandial (or post laborm) nap. I grabbed a bucket and placed it on my bed. At my age, I have learned to make sure that all my bases are covered in the event of unpleasant accidents.

I slept for an hour and nothing had changed (even after taking some chewable TUMS). So, I thought I would "initiate sequence" as Captain Jean-Luc Picard would say. I coughed. And I coughed. And I coughed. And guess what! I coughed up my cookies! There is nothing that quite as horrifying as undigested cheese that is mixed with digestive acids and juices; they stimulate the gag reflex to want to cough up some more.

Thankfully, I was prepared.