HOT PURSUIT

Putting out a weekly newspaper is challenging enough for a variety of reasons. But then add sickness into the mix and things get a little more complicated.

Within the past week, five staff members came down with… well, I’m not exactly sure what you’d call it. Good cases of the crud, I guess.

It seems we had several come down with a viral upper respiratory illness. Common symptoms like sore throat, runny nose, cough, fever and chills. I don’t think it was necessarily the flu, but whatever it was it sure made the entire body feel sick.

I felt a little slighted over not feeling the best as I’m usually able to avoid most everything. I simply don’t get sick very often. Despite being out and about through most of COVID-19 covering stories, I avoided getting it.

I suppose there was some sheer luck involved with it, but I try to be extra careful and not make others sick.

One thing we’ve all learned over the past few years is how working remotely can be a life saver. And we’ve been taking advantage of it.

I’m able to cuddle up in the confines of my home, avoid other people and complete much of my work remotely. I don’t prefer to do it that way, but it works beautifully when you’re feeling crappy like I was this past week.

Getting the crud has crimped my holiday style somewhat. I have lots of holiday shopping left to do and so little time. I also had a birthday thrown into the middle of it. Let’s just say I think I had the most low-key birthday ever this year. I guess that’s what happens when you become an old conger like me. My older children remind me of that often.

On my birthday, a friend of mine stopped by to hang a bag of over-the-counter drugs and a box of tissues on my front door.

Regardless of how we feel, we were still able to put out a newspaper this week. It may not be the hottest edition ever, but it’s not for a lack of trying and fighting through times when we weren’t feeling the best.

This is a good reminder for everyone to pay attention to your health and stay away from work or wherever you think you need to be. It’s not worth putting others at risk.

It’s certainly not going to delay our special delivery for next week. Our annual Good News Holiday Edition is set to roll off the presses and into your hands just in time for Christmas.

I hope you all stay in hot pursuit of being healthy.