Yuck!

I love you, but stay away from me with your germ-infested self! An interesting article from the Merc about the colds people always seem to have this time of year and never seem to get rid of quickly. Flu is always the one making headlines each winter, but this sounds just as bad and no shot or antibiotics can help; it's up to us to take better care of ourselves.

I have a sheet of paper clipped next to my monitor -- so it's the first thing I see when I get to work -- of hints that I printed out to remind me of what I can do to stay healthy.

"People can do simple things to avoid getting infected:

- Wash your hands frequently
- Get plenty of rest
- Avoid contact with people who appear ill
- Avoid touching your face with your hands

Hand-to-hand contact is the most common form of transmission for viruses."

I add to that "Touch as few door handles as possible," because so many people don't wash their hands when they should! The biggest challenge for me is not touching my face because I do it often and without thinking about it. Like now. My chin is itching simply because I'm aware that I don't want to touch it! Guess it's time for a trip to the ladies' room so I can wash my hands, scratch my chin, use the facilities and encounter even more icky germs, wash my hands again, come back to my desk and put on hand lotion for my now over-dried skin, which will be ready to trap still more germs at my desk. Ah, the circle of life!