Roland Garros 2008 - Day 11

Woke up today and it was apparent I was ill.  More than just a scratchy throat, I have a full blown head cold.  I hate it, because it means I will be miserable for the next several days at work, at the hotel and of course Colleen isn't here to take care of me.  She lets me act like a baby (what man doesn't) when I am sick and I love her even more for it.

I was glad today was a day of rest.  Being ill, I don't think I could have worked out anyway.  I just want this to get done so that I can get back to it on Wednesday.  If not, I still have worked out more this tournament than I did last and I am settling into the notion that I can work out while on the road.  It just has to be a priority in my life.  I need to live to be an old man, I have two very good reasons to do so now. :-)

I got up long enough to turn in my laundry order.  I didn't have a ticket, so I called down to the desk to ask they deliver some.  The brought me one.  Lame.  I had two bags of laundry.  I called the laundry service and managed to get out my "parle Engles?" so they handed me off to the English speaking laundry woman.  She indicated she'd be right up.  When she knocked, I apologized that I had one ticket but two bags.  She said not to worry she was going straight down to the laundry and would take care of it.  I wasn't sure what that meant, but she said it smiling, so I put my trust in her.

I got to work early enough that it was actually dark in the office.  That was an odd thing.  I hadn't gotten here before anyone to this point.  I managed to laze around the hotel even after getting up 3 hours early to not make it to work at 10.  Must be getting closer to the end.

Spent the majority of the day sniffling and feeling pitiful.  Finally, they talked me into leaving early though I only left one hour early and only 2 hours before the end of play for the day.  I walked back to the metro feeling poorly for the first time all day really.  I guess I am sick.  ARGH!  Where is a cigarette and a drink?  I bet if I were fat, smoking, drunk and out of shape no virus could live in my polluted body! :-)

I made a stop at a Pharmacie (yes, that's the only difference in the French versus the English word) to see about some cold medicine.  Pharmacies (oddly, our plural reverts to the French style) are very different here from in the states.  None of the medicines are available out in front of the counter.  None.  The store is full of face creams, lotions, condoms, and feminine hygiene products, but all the drugs are behind the counter.  One more "parle Engles?" and the woman was pumping me for questions about the nature of my symptoms.  I couldn't just get a cold medicine.  She wanted to make sure I had the right one.  So, after explaining I had no fever that I could tell, no body aches, and nothing of a cough other than a very dry throat, she handed me an Actifed Jour/Nuit dual package.  Basically three tablets with some Ephedrine in them to keep me up all day while relieving my cold symptoms and one with a little Benadryl to help me sleep at night while relieving my cold symptoms.  I had the first part handled, now I just needed some supplies and dinner.

I got back to the hotel at a reasonable time, so I went first thing to the closest grocery.  I needed more bottled water and diet coke in the room.  The mini bar fridge holds a decent amount, and buying it out there is obviously cheaper.  As I walked back I saw a place calling itself a pizza parlor.  Pizza is comfort food for me, and feeling like poop, I decided pizza for dinner couldn't be a bad thing.  I dropped off my stuff and found my laundry was back from the hotel service.  The woman when I left it this morning was nice enough to split the ticket into two tickets one for each of the two bags.  I guess I did learn the lesson correctly.

Walked back to the Pizza bistro and it had started sprinkling just a bit.  I walked into a shop where I was almost the only customer in the place.  It always takes me back a bit at how small some of these restaurants can truly be.  I sat down, and ordered mixed grilled veggies in olive oil and a 4 cheese pizza.  It was funny because as an Italian place, they had it written as 4 formaggi pizza.  Formaggi is Italian for cheese, fromage is French for cheese, quatro is 4 in Italian and quatre is 4 in French.  I guess using the number avoids any confusion. :-)  I also ordered a half bottle of wine.  I like that premise.  It is more than one glass, less than getting hammered drinking a bottle by myself.  It is literally a small bottle they uncork in front of me just like any other bottle of wine.  I ended it with a strawberry torte.  Tasty stuff.

Walked back to the room (it was just down the street from the restaurant) and called Colleen at work.  I hated to do it, but the chance I'd be up when she got home from work was low.  I wanted her to know I was a bit ill and that I'd not be able to stay up to call her later.  I miss her, and hearing her voice was good, though she was busy and I always feel guilty calling her at work.  Took a very hot shower mostly to see if I could steam out some of the illness and then drifted off to sleep.

Cheers!