By Judy Seifert (Contact / Staff Bio)
October 31, 2009 - 08:40 a.m. EST

I’m scared and I don’t need Halloween to do it.

I’ve got H1N1 jitters so I’ve taken a rather brash action and declared my house and yard a “No Flu Zone.”

I’ve told people who typically stop by my house to drop off photos or story ideas to stay away. Call me or use the convenient drop box located on my porch to get in touch.

I’m opting out of Halloween this year as well, something I haven’t done in the 15 years I’ve lived in Millington.

But all I can see in my head is a vision of children with runny noses, sneezing and coughing as they run up to the porch yelling “trick or treat.”

Well, here’s the trick – there’s no treat this year.

And I’m prepared for the consequences.

My black cat won’t be going outside for a few days and most toilet paper, when strung on trees, dissolves in a few days (I hope) anyway.

I don’t know why I’m so paranoid this year about the H1N1 virus. I got my regular flu shot last month and I remember going through the mass inoculation demanded by the government against the Swine Flu back in the ‘70s. I’m kind of hoping that my body remembers that shot as well.

But the only reason I can really think of this time around is that I really hate, and I mean hate, getting sick.

I hate laying on the sofa for days, body aching, stomach churning, not eating, just coughing, sneezing and wheezing.

Ick.

It’s been at least two years since I had the flu and I remember it as if it were just yesterday.

My mom and I are in the “non-essential” group, so getting a shot probably isn’t going to happen for either of us until late in November or December. By then, who knows?

In the meantime, I’ve been doing everything the CDC is telling us to do. Washing hands, wiping everything with sanitizing gel, and scurrying away from people at the grocery store who sneeze behind me. If anyone coughs, I’m two aisles away in a flash, baby.

So, Halloween will come and go without me this year.

And in a way it makes me sad because I’ve always enjoyed the kids and their costumes.

I guess I could throw the candy, try to get it in their trick or treat pumpkins, but I’m not really a good shot.

Oh well, let’s just hope this flu season passes quickly, and un-eventfully. Maybe the scientists are wrong? They’ve been wrong before, right?

That’s it for me this week.

Bye.In the meantime, I’ve been doing everything the CDC is telling us to do. Washing hands, wiping everything with sanitizing gel, and scurrying away from people at the grocery store who sneeze behind me. If anyone coughs, I’m two aisles away in a flash, baby.

So, Halloween will come and go without me this year.

And in a way it makes me sad because I’ve always enjoyed the kids and their costumes.

I guess I could throw the candy, try to get it in their trick or treat pumpkins, but I’m not really a good shot.

Oh well, let’s just hope this flu season passes quickly, and un-eventfully. Maybe the scientists are wrong? They’ve been wrong before, right?

That’s it for me this week.

Bye.