...just can't shake it.

Man, oh Manischevitz. Just when I think I'm over it... I'm right back in the sack with the hot water bottle, the aspirins, various broths heavily laced with hot pepper, and a wee dram as analgesic and general disinfectant.

It's been this way since ...ferchrissakes! Since the 9th! That's almost 2 weeks!

It couldn't have come at a worse time, either. Being chosen as the blogger to represent Democrats Abroad from the convention floor with better credentials than CNN has brought a lot of attention to our little rag here ...and a dearth of posts that could justify my selection.

I finally broke down and went to the doctor today ...but they're swamped with flu-boys like me! They put me on stand-by for 3pm and I went to the café on the corner in hopes of swaddling me sore tonsils in a little Irish coffee. So I sits down, I does, an' peruses the front page of La Nacion and what does I see?

"Because of Flu Epidemic, the House-call System could Collapse."

Yep, that's something you have to know about Buenos Aires if you don't already... doctors make house-calls. Real doctors. Real houses (yours!) and real calls. They come out with little black bags just like in black and white movies.

Well, I was proud of myself for not adding anymore strain to that fine system but I was surprised that there was any kind of epidemic goin' on. As far as I knew, it wasn't even flu season! No one that I know has the flu. Maybe everybody got their shots except for me. Next year, I'll be right there in line with my sleeve rolled-up waiting for mine. BOSTASHA, dis is shit fer birds. Here endeth the lesson.

Anyway, I'm now trying to juggle a phonecall from my "handler" in DC and my newly scheduled squeeze-in with my medico. Looks like I'll pull it off just fine. But with my head right now, I wouldn't trust my judgment on anything.

Depending on how things shake-out, I might drop youse a line regarding the outcome of my visit to the ol' Doc, today. I intend to make my case for some cough syrup... with a major codeine componente, che. I think I was prescribed that once before here. It was effective.

Despite what you may hear from the occasional traveler through these parts, Argentina is NOT a place where you can find OTC medications that would require a prescription in the US.

Quite the contrary, Argentina is very restrictive about prescribing anything that could vaguely be described as a narcotic (clonazepam, notwithstanding.)

In fact, dentists in Argentina are not even licensed to prescribe codeine. Imagine that in the US!