I live for this time of year. The cool temperature, the golden sunlight, the colourful trees. Generally me and Autumn have a wonderful relationship full of contented sighs, rigorous baking schedules and cozy sweaters.So far this season has kicked my adorable little prudish bottom to the curb.Sure the weather has been ok, until today. You know, the official first day of Fall and all that? But whereas I have spent the last 3 years in healthy bliss (with the exception of the plague I caught on the train on my 11 hour trip home from NYC in May). This past weekend Shawn and I were hit with some stupid cold/flu thing and I am STILL out of it. I feel like I fell down the stairs and smacked into a wall.I actually blame public transportation for these germs. I have been spoiled the last 3 years with having a lift to and from work every day making my cold and flu season generally germ free. I even missed out on the H1/N1 thing last year as everyone around me in the office was dropping like flies. I didn't get sick once until that train trip home from NYC.I also didn't take the bus or metro through the fall and winter.Connection? You betcha.So due to schedule changes in our lives I have been taking the bus home since the summer and sure enough everyone goes back to school and the germs come out of hiding.I can't even get a stupid doctor's note for this thing. I say that not even bothering to go sit in the CLSC clinic for 3 hours to be seen by a nurse and told "You have a cold. Drink more and wash your hands." If you don't get to the CLSC before 8AM in order to make their 9AM -noon walk-in time, forget even getting to see anyone that day.So I have no doctor's note to keep me home. I have bosses who don't want my germs to keep me home. I went in yesterday morning and was sent home. No one wanted my germs. I feel guilty as hell taking time off when it's so busy in the office but I can't get the people I work for sick because they are holding down the fort. I would have gone in today if I felt any better than I did on Monday. The only difference today (and yesterday) is that my throat doesn't hurt. But my neck does. My glands are so sore it hurts to turn my head.A doctor won't care about what I tell them. They'll glance briefly at me and say "drink more and wash your hands". I have been to a clinc more than enough times feeling like I have the plague and been told that exact same thing. Oh, and "no, you don't need a doctor's note. You can go to work, just wash your hands more." How do you explain that your bosses don't want you there so you need a note to cancel out using all your sick days at once! Argh.So I think I should be able to go in tomorrow. But dear gods do I feel like crap. And disgusting. My nose is stuffed so I can't breathe, but at the same time it's running (how the hell does that work?) It's all in my head this cold.. no coughing (THANK GOODNESS!) but I still can't sleep. And my lips are all cracked and bleeding from breathing through my mouth all night.Ugh.If I'm THIS bad and it's only the first day of fall? I don't want to know how bad the winter is going to be with my taking the bus to and from work. Maybe I should buy a Hazmat suit?Oh, and I could do without today's weather. The rain I don't give a hoot about, but the humidity? ARGH! As much as I have been shivering and sweating at the same time with the cooler weather, I liked it better.I have no idea if I have had a fever as I don't have a working thermometre. One of the mom's at work yesterday told me I did when I was on my way out. She felt my forehead and neck and told me since I was standing there sweating, clammy and with glassy eye you bet I had a fever.I would like this to be over now, please.Ugh.