Being allergic to eggs means I can’t get flu shots. Not getting flu shots means I have a pretty good chance of getting the flu, particularly since my formerly iron-clad immune system seems to have adopted a kinder, gentler, first-come first-served attitude lately.

And so when what had felt like a perfectly normal energy crash on Sunday developed to include aching joints, a persistent cough, and that “don’t mess with me, I’m working on a fever” feeling, I knew that all my hand-washing had been in vain. I’m now one of those “people we suspect had the flu but don’t really know because testing them all would be a drag” numbers that you’ll hear about on the news.

Being ill is boring, but I did learn a few interesting things this week. For example, did you know that there’s a whole show called “Flipping Out” on cable? The premise appears to be that people (though possibly only the semi-delirious people) will happily spend hours watching a self-centered, micromanaging, manipulative, OCD guy flip out at his employees while he remodels the houses of the fabulously rich and famous. Apparently this show is also interesting enough to make for marathon material, which is handy if at some point during the day you feel like you haven’t seen enough over-reaction to minor drama, or if you catch yourself wondering if this guy is always like that, or if you just caught him at a bad moment last time you flipped past that channel. The higher your fever goes, the more compelling this train wreck seems, and you may even find yourself watching an entire episode just to see if the poor minion underling will crack under the diatribes that follow such horrible infractions as forgetting to order guacamole with lunch. (The answer, apparently is “yes,” followed by the self-centered, micromanaging, manipulative, OCD guy wondering why he keeps having to hire replacement employees every couple of weeks.)

I also learned that I really REALLY want a diagnosis for whatever’s sapping my energy on a regular basis. Being laid up with the flu is no more tiring than the energy crashes that knock me out every couple of weeks, which is kind of a startling reality check for me. The main differences are that the flu also brought a cough and some pretty intensely achy joints, and that the flu has a name and therefore comes with carte blanche to stay home and watch stupid TV between naps. Although, I suppose contagion also plays a role in just how socially acceptible it is to stay home, and I’m not crazy about the idea of having a chronic contagious condition.

And finally, I learned that my cat really prefers me when I’m radiating a little more heat than normal. When my fever broke, he hopped off my lap in disgust and went to go curl up in a fleesy hammock and gaze at me in disappointment.