I have allergies - pollen, dust, mold, and until just recently, one of my cats (he died a few weeks ago). On top of that, I live in an area that's perfect for Russian Olive, an invasive species. I'm not allergic to it, but it's an irritant.

So, because I have allergies, I'm accustomed to sinus headaches, lots of snot, and generally irritated sinuses. I usually don't recognize I have a run-of-the-mill rhinovirus until several days after the cold starts. Because of this, it took me a full week to figure out something was wrong: my sinuses were irritated and congested for over a week. Sinus rinses, decongestants, and anti-histamines were barely keeping up. And yet, there was no pollen, no mold, and no cat to cause an allergic reaction.

'Tis a puzzlement!

I finally wised up and wound down. I spent most of Friday afternoon and all day Saturday on the couch in front of the TV, dozing off during my favorite programs. I'd mostly recovered by Sunday. It's now Monday, and I'm planning to ride my bike home. (Even when I was feeling completely run down, I had enough energy for my 10-mile commute. I think that's why it took my so long to realize I needed a break.)

So we'll see if a few days of sloth is enough to recharge my batteries. On the plus side, I haven't taken any decongestants or anti-histamines for days. That encourages me!