Alas and alack! Sometimes the spirit is eager but the body says no. Last week at InCON, I came down with the horrible “cold” (which seems a gross understatement for such a vile malady) which has made its way around our household over the last little while. I thought I had escaped, due to obsessive hand-washing and a generally sturdy constitution when it comes to viral things, but it was not to be.

I managed to stay upright and reasonably chipper at InCON, and was determined to kick the beastie right out with sheer will-power. But the following three days have seen an ever-worsening round of convulsive coughing and sleepless nights, which finally sent me to the doctor early this morning, on the eve of my eagerly awaited journey to Calgary and Winnipeg for the two conventions there.

The doc suspected pneumonia and told me not to travel, sealing my fate with a note to that effect, and sent me off for X-rays (there may be a superhero origin story here: Coughing Lass) and a puffer to relieve the bronchial spasms. I’m still awaiting results, but went ahead and cancelled my trip. I’m bitterly disappointed, but health comes first. Besides, I didn’t fancy being the plague pariah for the next two weeks.

So here I sit, surrounded by kleenex and lozenges and drinking enough water to float a small ship, dining on chicken soup and herbal tea and vitamins, and taking hot showers more for the sake of the steam than the clean. (I’d draw a cartoon of all that but I don’t have the energy) Although I’ll be missing the Calgary Comics Entertainment Expo this weekend and the Prairie Comics Festival in Winnipeg the next, if you are in the neighbourhood of either of those places, check ’em out. Tell ’em I sent you.

I do think I’ll be well enough by June 11 for Van Isle Con, right here on Vancouver Island, in Sidney BC, and will keep you posted on that. So stay healthy and read comics!

One of my sketch cards from last February, treated to the Prisma filtering process. For some reason this just seemed appropriate for my mood right now.