I’ve been sick since before Christmas, and between that and the perpetual fog that hangs over the Valley in a gloomy blanket all winter, I’m starting to resent that I’ve missed a month of my life. I can barely drag myself to work where I do the bare minimum, and as soon as I get home it’s into my fuzzy britches and I curl up in my recliner with a book. I’ve hardly been going outside if I don’t have to, I’ve hardly been cooking, I’ve hardly been.

Oh, sure, I pulled myself together for New Year’s, and I had a good time, but I know better than to drink very much when I’m sick, as those hangovers are particularly vicious, but I had a little and I held my own in our little poker game, so that was fun. Sleeping in the the next day was even more fun though, and it would have been an ideal day to go varmint hunting. We’re quickly running out of that season again, and me without having taken a single shot at a bobcat for yet another year. I can’t bring myself to go sit in the snow and freeze, but I get so disappointed in myself when I don’t make the effort at least.

But I wasn’t feeling too terribly bad this weekend, as long as I kept physical activity just under the coughing threshold, which means I can sort of walk around. We farted around the house on Saturday doing yardwork – I mostly supervised, but at least I was outside. But Sunday was the first shoot of Junior’s winter league trap season. I had a good feeling about this year, and this shoot in particular. Crawling out of bed paid off when we got to the gun club; there were shadows! I haven’t seen the sun in at least a month, and finally getting out and soaking up the rays was an instant mood lifter. It even got hot – I’ve been cold so long that I wore longjohns, and I had to go peel those off in the bathroom.

So finally, my body could soak up some warmth like a lizard, and like a reptile, I basked in it. I’d stand in it until I couldn’t stand it, being overdressed and all, and then go sit in the shade for a minute, coming back as soon as I could. I’m not even cold today, and it’s 43 and foggy with the droplets that go right through your body. I seem to have stored up some of that foothill heat like a biological battery, and it’s done wonderful things for my mood. Of course, I’m still fighting the bronchitis, but that’s to be expected.

And the shoot did go well. Junior shot exceptionally well, which is always fun to watch. A friend of ours is substituting for a sick member of Senior’s team this year, and I like hanging around him. And my parents came by, since this shoot was hosted by my dad’s gun club, and they got to see what trapshooting is. I think they liked it, but I also think my dad’s going to stick with his own brand of shooting competition, which is also interesting.

So all in all, it was about a nice of a day as I could have with a lingering illness, and it makes me think that the rest of the year is going to pick up pretty soon. I’m optimistic about it anyway, and that’s a nice change.