The Worst Cold Ever

So, when you live in Regina the weather is pretty predictable. It has a general arch. January is at the bottom with some of the coldest temperatures and worst weather, it slowly moves toward warmer (with Blizzards and stuff thrown in - but you expect that). It slowly moves toward warmer. Summer is got. August is the peak and it goes back down again - working its way back to January to come back up again. Really, March and October are really the only times when you don't know what to expect. Generally speaking of coarse.

Here in Calgary. Things are different. I guess I don't expect it to get that cold here. That, and when it does get cold it does so for such a short period of time that you forget it quickly. As a result, you are never dressed right. Regina gets cold, you bring out the winter coat, and mitts and put them on right away, you know what is coming. Here, I find that you are never dressed for the weather.

As a result I have caught the worst cold I have ever had! It took me down hard yesterday! And I was not the only one! Of the twenty people in rehearsal yesterday only five did not put up their hands when asked "who is not sick?"

As all good theatre folk do - remedies were passed around. The usuals, tea with lemon and honey, garlic, gargle with various things, different remedy teas, echinecea. But I heard a new one, oil of oregano. I was curious, so I looked it up and this is what I found:

• "used as a drug and herbal remedy since the time of the ancient Greeks and Chinese."
• "The most widely known and spread benefit of oregano oil is its ability to cure mild stomach problems. It is also well known for its cough-clearing qualities. However, Oregano has many other benefits, among these: exterminating fungus, digestive problems, migrane headaches, athletes foot, sore throat, breathing problems, drandruff (and other skin problems). "
• "Oregano is used as an herbal remedy for respiratory problems such as coughs and bronchitis, even though there is no scientific proof of its effectiveness on these conditions."

So for now, I will stick to my Tylenol Sinus, sleep and hot tea to cure what ails me - and leave the "pizza water" as one girl called it, to the actors.