Sick

Two days ago I was plotting my course around Six Flags Great America hoping that my wife could hang with me as I flew from one roller coaster to another attempting to ride every single ride that Great America had to offer.  Right now I am nursing a 100 degree temp regretting that I even dared go to Great America.

Yesterday I had two different events that I entertained at.  A Spring Kickoff for a Garden and Nursery and then a First Communion party.  The Spring Kickoff was four hours of balloon twisting followed by an hour break before another two hours.  As I drove to the four hour event I began feeling noxious and knew something wasn’t right.  I have never had to take a break mid party and for the first time in eight years, I stopped for a good 10 minutes and walked out to my car to take a breather.  I felt that at any moment a child was going to request for me to make a some sort of balloon creation and I would follow up with a response that began with projectile vomit flying out of my mouth all over the child.  I can promise that I wouldn’t be asked back for next years spring kick off, that’s for sure.

I fought my way through the event feeling worst than I have ever felt while entertaining.  I don’t know if anyone knew it, but I faked fun the whole time.

On to the next party.  It started at six pm and by the time I arrived, the stomach cramps, headaches, and dizziness had taken on a whole new level.  I pushed through it regardless of the fact that at this party the children were actually climbing on me.  Literally climbing on my back and shoulders while I twisted balloons for children.  On one hand I was thankful that they had a couch for me to sit back on since I felt like ass while I twisted balloons, but on the other, it gave the children the impression that I love having them climb on my head as if I were their uncle.

As I left the second party I began to shiver uncontrollably and if the stomach cramps, headache, and cottonmouth didn’t alert me to the problem that certainly did.  By the time I had gotten home and taken my temp I was at 102 degrees.  Not that having a temperature is weird for people or anything, but for the first time in my adult life, I had a fever.  Seriously.  I have been sick dozens upon dozens of time, but never a fever.  My wife panicked since she had never seen me with anything above a 98 degree temp.

After a rough night of little sleep and horrific stomach pains, I decided to go ahead and head out to Great America today.  Bad decision.  A word of advice, never ride the Iron Wolf roller coaster while nursing a headache.  For what I thought would be a great day at the park, I ended up riding a couple of rides, picking up my discounted season pass (nerd, I know) and calling it a day.  I don’t know if it was the rides today or the fact that I though eating fried chicken, potato salad, and a hot dog was a good idea.

The weirdest part of the last two days is that I am sick of balloons, which doesn’t bode well since I am a balloon entertainer.  I don’t know if it was the twisting sick thing or if I have hit a wall, but this weekend made me seriously rethink the whole “I want to exclusively be a balloon guy for a living” mentality.

Hopefully that feeling will go away once I feel better since my next night of balloon fun is Tuesday night.