War and Cough

Posted on by Sarah A. Hoyt

There will be memes in a few meme… moments, but– Not because I think I owe you a report, but because I know you guys worry, I thought I’d report on my doctor’s visit in a post, not just comments.

Turns out it’s pneumonia, a bit of bronchitis, and a double ear infection. Which sort of explains why I haven’t been able to work other than blog posts here, not even fun blog posts in the substacks or patreon. Explains but doesn’t excuse of course. Yes, I’m still feeling guilty about long silence.

I’ve been medicated. Don’t see much effect yet. If no visible effect by Monday maybe I should go back.

Anyway, it’s difficult to be this sick as we gear up for civil war. No, not the elections or anything national.

The right blogsphere has been riven — riven I SAY — by an essential and irreconcilable disagreement: Egg nog, or cider?

I’ve declared for cider — warm, with a stick of cinnamon — but things are so bad I live with a nogger, myself. (Even if he’s a nogger splinterist: cold, strictly no alcohol.)

Honestly, I don’t like being this sick as things head up. What if noggers come to the door and force me to consume their noxious beverage? The resident nogger would likely open the door to them!

It’s horrifying how quickly these things can escalate.

All I can do is plead for inter-beverationist understanding and tolerance.

113 thoughts on “War and Cough”

    1. I came here to ask this. And furthermore, real cider or that crap from the juice aisle?

      (Real cider is cold-pressed and turns out opaque, rust-brown, with the soul of the apple in it. Pasteurizing and filtering simply ruins it.)

      I make real eggnog once a year, with eggs and heavy cream and brandy or rum. (I’m not a fan of the whiskey variety.) Get out the nutmeg grater.

      Liked by 1 person

      2. Oh, yeah. This! Real cider, cold-pressed, left out overnight with a bit of yeast* pitched in, then into the fridge to slow the fermentation. Alcohol content comparable to Near-Beer.

        Caution: the longer it ferments, the nastier it gets. Shelf Life is a couple-three days.

        * Bread yeast works well; maybe fancy-schmancy brewers’ yeast would be even better?

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        1. “Alcohol is a waste product of yeast, analogous to the urea in human urine. What you’re drinking is, in effect, yeast piss.”

          Leave it to Dr. Arensky to take all the fun out of drinking. :-D

          Liked by 1 person

            1. This too.

              Photosynthesis caused one of the first mass extinctions, when algae started emitting toxic oxygen into the atmosphere and wiped out most anaerobic life.

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      1. Why not Both? I do like unfiltered and unpasteurized cider if I can get it. A couple of the local orchards make it, but it is only available fresh when they are pressing the cider with the fresh apples. Even refrigerated it starts to go hard within a couple weeks. As for Eggnog, our local Ice cream joint (Richardsons https://www.richardsonsicecream.com/ ) cranks out one that’s to die for, VERY rich (No alcohol and does use pasteurized eggs for safety reasons). It’s made from just before Thanksgiving until shortly after New Years should be on tap soon. Cold teetotalling eggnog may be a New England thing…

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    3. The aardvark brings out real nog and real cider and puts them out on a table with mugs. Also offers mulling.

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  3. Whiskey. Good Irish whiskey, not that overpriced scots stuff.

    And a well pulled pint.

    Additionally, a splash of cinnamon (you don’t want to know how many times I tried to type that feckin’ word) flavoured whiskey in the cider is a brilliant way to warm up so. It doesn’t have to be fireball, it can be others.

    Also, don’t feel guilty about no posts. God in heaven above woman, we’re just after glad ye aint’nt ded.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Aye! Whiskey. Now, I likes me my rye, and occasional bourbon (it’s too sweet for everyday), but… nobody ever went wrong with a little Irish whiskey. Maybe wrong with a whole lot, but… that’s a LESSON… do NOT be drinking your own share AND the folk’s share as well!

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    2. And some lemon and hot water to go with the spirits.

      But Irish?

      How about any of the fine ‘merican distilled wares made by the craftsmen in this country?

      I’ve some local sourced, single cask, Whitherspoon Texas Bourbon awaiting a toast to the future on Tuesday night, no matter what The Script Writer comes up with while tripping on the Cosmic Mushroom.

      (Fun guy should avoid the fungi…)

      Now that I’m thinking about, maybe I can convince the spouse to stock up. For medicinal purposes only…

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        1. I say we go patriotic and do ‘merican! Sarah’s ‘merican too!

          (If we have to go Old World, it’s gonna be tough, since I’m a mixed blended mutt of Slavic, German, Irish and English. Spirits and beer don’t mix.)

          So whiskey or rum it is.

          Then again, my grandfather was a moonshiner of some note…

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            3. Port is a fortified wine (has added alcohol ABV is usually 20% for ruby port) so it holds A LONG time. Quick look 1985 was supposed to be an excellent year for port. Perhaps have it after dinner on your 40th anniversary. Last bit of the bottle may have a fair amount of sediment that will be on the bottom or side so you may want to decant it and let it breathe for a bit before drinking. I think people (rich people mid you :-) ) still consume mid 60’s quality port so it likely will last a LONG time more if unopened.

              Liked by 1 person

    3. Last year I had the chance to do a whiskey tasting. Number 2 was Scots, I think, but it turned out my favorite was Jack Daniel’s.

      Mind you, “favorite,” isn’t saying much.

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    1. Sounds good to me.

      I’m not into eggnog, I am fairly sure.

      Others I think could be maybe to yes.

      I used to be okay with hot chocolate, but now think I am not interested in it much.

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        1. Good hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps…..

          …and Kahlua. We called it a Girl Scout Cookie, way back then.

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  6. I like both. Though this is mostly based on cold/non-alcoholic nog as a kid memories. I LOVE cider. Cold, or hot. It’s good either way. I’m also all about the cocoa, the tea, and light roast coffee.

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  9. I prefer cider myself (cold or hot, spiced or not, hard or not). However, I have no issue with others enjoying egg nog. It’s just not for me.

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  10. I have a mild allergy to apples, so cider makes me nervous, and just the thought of eggnog makes me queasy. So I guess I’m eggnostic, too.

    Now, a nice tot of ruby port….

    Liked by 1 person

    1. On that note ladies and gentlemen I come from X bearing momentous tidings!

      The forces of Nog and Cider have agreed to lay aside their present quarrel to unite in righteous wrath to wreak vengeance for Peanut and Fred!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I only know that name from Dickens A Christmas Carol. Looked up a recipe and it looks quite tasty like a boozy relation to a red sangria. As the recipe consumes a bottle of red wine and and ruby port I can’t think of an occasion where I have enough folks to consume a liter and a half of spiced red wine/ruby port

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  13. If it’s a hot drink it better be coffee or cocoa. No nutmeg or pumpkin spice, cinnamon or peppermint. Those can be had in accompanying baked goods or candies. Or ambiently via candles and luxurious sugar scrubs for the bath.

    If it’s a cold drink I can handle a sparkling cider, extra chilled. Or an apple beer. Maybe a cranberry vodka something or other. Or coffee. Because, coffee. But again, no yuletide baking or candle making ingredients allowed in the coffee, even when it’s cold.

    Coffee is never to be had room temperature or merely warm. Just like the human spirit. Whisky or bourbon are spirits that can be though. And here is the only place that cinnamon is allowed to be had in liquid form. Particularly if it’s in front of a roaring fire in the cold, deep woods, while one is wrapped in plaid flannel blankets and wearing thick wool socks.

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      1. Fed and warm and dozy, with cats by the fire while winter snarls outside… that, O nestmates, is why H. sapiens is worth keeping.

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    2. Coffee and cocoa appear next to the nog and cider, ’cause the aardvark is efficient.

      However, the blue mice and pink elephants really like WIDE-AWAKE drunks, so don’t mix the caffeine and alcohol unless you’re prepared. (The aardvark will think you have it coming.)

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  14. I’m giving directions for a mustard plaster. It really works. You will need a T-shirt you will never wear again, or (traditional) an old cloth diaper.

    Put a coating of petroleum jelly on your chest. Then mix a paste of 1 part dry mustard with 3 to 4 parts flour with cold water. Smear this on the cloth implement, and place it face UP on your chest (in other words, you do not want the poultice directly contacting your skin). Lie down on the couch for 20 minutes or so, inhale deeply as the fumes will help open you up.

    Then remove the poultice, and wash your skin with soap and warm water. You can do this 2-3 times a day. If using a T-shirt with a big logo, put the mixture on the back of the shirt (that doesn’t have a logo or design on it), as you want the poultice unimpeded by the laminated design.

    I hope this helps. My father swore by these.

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    1. Mustard powder?

      We have the ultimate in kitchen sensorary warfare: Dried Worcestershire Sauce powder.

      Now this vile stuff will chase unwanted house guests and evil spirits from the domicile, if you survive it.

      Spouses bought it and I still haven’t figure out what other food items it will work with, if I could dilute it without draining the local lake.

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        1. Neither had I.

          Apparently the spouse was researching dry survival food items and stumbled across the stuff. Came in a order she got with cheese powder and things of that ilk.

          At least the cheese powder is good for popcorn.

          If I could get a NBC suit, I could clear out the mess at the border in about 20 minutes. Probably a war crime to use it.

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  18. Neither.

    Alcohol I rarely drink. Mostly do not like it. What little I do like (margarita’s, some light sweet hard cider), blush/light wine, I can only indulge a little, and that with food. Otherwise it is lights out. Remember everything. Not impaired at all (does not take that much). I just go away to take a little nap. The few times (twice) I accidentally over indulged I was sick for days, I remember every minute, before finally falling asleep. Second time was wine flips (wine with 7up or Sprite). No thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hubby tried for over 2 decades to get me drunk. It just isn’t my thing. I love a good drink. I don’t like not being in control of my faculties. The few times I really tried to comply I just got sleepy real quick. A far cry from the sex-crazed-lush-who-may-not-remember-what-they-did that I think he was hoping for.

      Evidently he’s given up.

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      1. “A far cry from the sex-crazed-lush …“

        I’ve seen too many sloppy drunks to think them the slightest bit desirable. Penthouse fantasies, like sword-and-sorcery fantasies, are best kept two-dimensional. The first seem too likely to involve vomiting and the latter … insects bite, there’s no TP, and I daresay loincloths chafe.

        Not even Heinlein (PBUH) went into the details of catheters in space suits.

        Rgrds,

        RES

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      2. “A far cry from the sex-crazed-lush …“

        I’ve seen too many sloppy drunks to think them the slightest bit desirable. Penthouse fantasies, like sword-and-sorcery fantasies, are best kept two-dimensional. The first seem too likely to involve vomiting and the latter … insects bite, there’s no TP, and I daresay loincloths chafe.

        Not even Heinlein (PBUH) went into the details of catheters in space suits.

        Rgrds,

        RES

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        2. 😂 Well stated. More people understanding that might save a few marriages.

          Kate Winslet has told some very uninhibited, eye opening, and humorous stories about filming such scenes for the big screen. Some of her interviews would be a brilliant addition to any Sex Ed course or premarital counseling 😏.

          I find all drunkenness decidedly anti-sexy. And usually not a bit funny in real life. Usually. There is a Rat Pack Christmas Special I’m fond of where I’m fairly certain they were all well spirited. ☃️

          But in my personal experience, inebriation has never turned me on. Hubby was always deeply and stubbornly disappointed that the more drunk he became the LESS amorous I became … And somehow always *surprised* by this entirely consistent and predictable response on my part. Even after 2 decades. I chose to find this adorably optimistic.

          As for the sword and sorcery fantasies, those are lovely places to visit from the comfort of home. Some ofy favorites. In real life I don’t have the physical strength or emotional constitution to engage at such close quarters. I prefer a responsible distance, an extended mag, and one in the chamber.

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        3. 😂 Well stated. More people understanding that might save a few marriages.

          Kate Winslet has told some very uninhibited, eye opening, and humorous stories about filming such scenes for the big screen. Some of her interviews would be a brilliant addition to any Sex Ed course or premarital counseling 😏.

          I find all drunkenness decidedly anti-sexy. And usually not a bit funny in real life. Usually. There is a Rat Pack Christmas Special I’m fond of where I’m fairly certain they were all well spirited. ☃️

          But in my personal experience, inebriation has never turned me on. Hubby was always deeply and stubbornly disappointed that the more drunk he became the LESS amorous I became … And somehow always *surprised* by this entirely consistent and predictable response on my part. Even after 2 decades. I chose to find this adorably optimistic.

          As for the sword and sorcery fantasies, those are lovely places to visit from the comfort of home. Some ofy favorites. In real life I don’t have the physical strength or emotional constitution to engage at such close quarters. I prefer a responsible distance, an extended mag, and one in the chamber.

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    1. Well, don’t stand too close. Ecumenical conflicts are prone to become more than a little messy. (That thought rather illuminates what is happening on the Left these days, don’t it?)

      Rgrds,

      RES

      Liked by 2 people

  20. Neither, thanks all the same. Alcohol is contra-recommended for those of us with Diabetes and more so for all with Sleep Apnea. I don’t get drunk, I merely nod off after a few sips and proceed to loudly snore.

    By the same criteria, Egg Nog nor Cider is conducive to my blood glucose levels remaining with the recommended range. Beloved Spouse liked to make spiced cider for cold weather and I would have some for sociability’s sake, but if I’m drinking rum I’d liefer have it straight or with a bit of soda. I still fall asleep but I don’t snore quite so loudly.

    Rgrds,

    RES

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Truth be told it isn’t the alcohol that makes be sleepy, it is the glucose jack (not diabetic) and crash. Too much alcohol (happened twice *accidentally, never again) just makes me sick, for days.

      (* Does not take much. Slim line between “okay” and “dang it”. Line moves. So, why bother.)

      Liked by 1 person

    2. And if you use Meformin (old brand name Glucophage) to control your diabetes it’s even worse. A small quantity of beer or wine when I am NOT driving is all I permit myself on festive occasions a couple times a year

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    1. Little Miss Muffet/ Decided to rough it

      And purchased a castle – medieval.

      Along came a spider/who plied her with cider

      And now she’s the forest’s prime evil.

      [author unknown, and probably for a good reason]

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      2. starts singing

        Well,I’ll tell you a story that happened to me
        One day as I went out to Youghal by the sea
        The day it was hot, the sun it was warm
        Says I “A quick pint wouldn’t do any harm”
        I went in and called for a bottle of stout
        Says the barman,”I’m sorry the beer’s all sold out
        Try whiskey, young Paddy, ten years in the wood”
        Says I, “I’ll have cider; I’ve heard that it’s good.”

        curfa
        But I’ll never, oh never, oh never again
        If I live to a hundred or a hundred and ten
        Well I fell to the ground and I couldn’t get up
        After drinking the quart of the Johnny-Jump-Up

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  22. I vote yes, as long either beverage is cold, non-alcoholic, and I don’t have to make it. I get an infrequent craving for storebought eggnog (I draw the line at pumpkin spice flavor, thank you very much) about once or twice a year, whereas cider is just something I drink when it’s made available for non-boozers, so I guess I’m a nogger?

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    1. We like the Hood Golden Egg Nog with a bit (or more) of Horchata added to it. Sadly, the concussion would seem to suggest I avoid alcohol for the foreseeable future or at least til I’ve seen neurology.

      I also like hot mulled cider.

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  23. I’ll see your cider and raise you wassail!

    … if only I could remember what’s in it. Apple juice with sliced oranges, cinnamon sticks and whole cloves all boiled together?

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  26. It is 53F outside, with 95% humidity, grumbling thunder just as it has done all day, with steady cold rain. Time for hot cinnamon tea and a good book, since I got 5K words written on the WIP.

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  30. Cocoa. *Nod*

    …And if I’m not better soon, I’m probably going to have to head back to the clinic myself. I don’t wanna, there were a few days when it actually felt like all my allergies went away…. and now back with a vengeance, ears stuffed and meh.

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  31. My mom was raised on a farm with 40 acres of apples in New England. My grandmother and uncles and aunts still lives on the farm and worked it. We got our cider there, and it wasn’t clear or pasturized, it was from those apples.

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  32. I guess (for many reasons, you’ve just added another to the list) it’s a good thing I never tried alcohol. One ibuprophen puts me to sleep, I can’t imagine what alcohol would do.

    I got caffeine on accident, twice. The results were not pretty, and it’s the innocent bystanders who suffer.

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      1. But I also come from a family with a history of one-drink alcoholics. I avoid any substance that might be habit forming, and avoid most of the rest because I have weird reactions.

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  33. Porch cider–buy two or three jugs at the roadside stand of your choice, leave on the porch until it gets fizzy–is one of the glories of fall lost to us for our own good. Pasteurization is now required by law.

    But you can a passable imitation:

    2 cups unfiltered cider

    1/2 cup club soda

    1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

    No, I don’t measure when I make it. By eye and to taste.

    Toss in a jigger, more or less, of something like brandy if you want a bit of cheer.

    Serve over ice; you’ll lose the fizz if you heat it, but I’d still recommend the balsamic.

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  35. Since I am [apparently] in your AO, Sarah, I’d be happy to drop by and take you to your preferred Doc. Interestingly, I have just been diagnosed with some form of “A-typical” pneumonia and given a load of meds which seem to have started working. Actually found this disturbing since I’ve had three different kinds of pneumonia vaccines that I was assured would last me the rest of my life. Maybe I didn’t get their hidden meaning at the time.

    Get well soon!

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  37. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Whip the cream. You get air nog. It’s good, but you need a spoon to “drink” it. It also tends to separate, so be prepared to stir the punch bowl.

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  38. Alas, I cannot indulge the alcohol molecule. Sober 42+ years. My NA ancestors passed along the “dont touch firewater, fool” gene.

    Wife of a buddy always asked me to bring back a couple gallons of unpasturized orchard cider when I visited folks in PA. (I grew up near some really good apple orchards.) And if the stuff sat in the trunk for a few days, more the better for them.

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    1. Eh. I mostly drink non-alcoholic. Turns out I only drink beer and whiskey around older son and he’s moved away.
      …. tomorrow I might drink myself paralytic though as opposed to destroying myself with anxiety.

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  39. In about 32 hours, everything changes.

    Do -not- get buffaloed into stupid acts. Remember who and what we are. Discern the intent behind the froth-mouthed shrieking. (including what will of course be posted here. Hi Fred. Hi Xi. Hi Vlad. Go fish.)

    The only thing needed to be done immeditely is to remain calm. We have all the time we need to do and to repair whatever we decide.

    We have the rest of our lives to solve any problems. Dont rush.

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