Going Wild

Well, the sad crap of the matter is that I got sick, really sick. On Thursday I began feeling a little bit out of it, then on Friday I was all out of sorts and towards evening I felt awful. Saturday was even worse, and, apart from doing my laundry, which was hard, I lay down all day. Sunday was better, but then towards evening I got worse again.

I’m dizzy and achy and exhausted and I’ve had some abdominal pain, along with wrenching headaches.

I hate being sick in Poland.

So, I’ve spent a lot of time in my room since Friday…well, basically the whole time since Friday night. It’s starting to smell a little funny. For one, we have wood sculptures in here that have a peculiar redolence. For two, we’ve had to dry laundry in here a couple of times in the past weeks, and that certainly moistens the air. And worst of all, the ladies haven’t changed my bed linens (which consist of a sheet and a duvet cover—hardly linens at all) as Professor Whipple told me to expect.

Oh, I’ve been showering in earnest and leaving the room fully open, especially as the heat is barely tolerable, but that has also meant a minor invasion of insect species. Just today I did battle with a wasp. It retreated. But I haven’t been killing the spiders in the corners because they catch the moths, flies and dragonflies. On a more pleasant note a butterfly flew in today. I chased it out though, because I don’t want caterpillars eating my precious bed linens. Well, plus trodding on them barefoot would be nasty.

Thank heaven for shampoo and soap or I would feel entirely feral. As it is, I’m sleeping on a Styrofoam mattress with a thin sheet and forest creatures crawling around me.