The Things Our Mothers Teach Us

Remember how, when you got sick, your mother would give you a pot to keep by the edge of the bed, "just in case" you couldn't make it to the bathroom? I got to relearn that little nugget of motherly wisdom yesterday morning.

I was laying in bed, quite ill after a night of repeated vomiting and attempted rehydration, when a wave of nausea dealt me a Tyson-esque bodyblow. In the ensuing two seconds between realization of imminent puking, and puking, it was all I could do to lean over the edge of the bed before the contents of my stomach all came pouring out (again). I saved myself from a bigger mess thanks to a flash of inspiration -- namely, that puking on a hardwood floor is better than puking on the bed. The only thing in my stomach at that point was some water (Joe Speaker previously warned me away from the red Gatorade), so the mess was easily cleaned up.

You can bet I grabbed a large pot out of the kitchen immediately afterwards and placed it right by the edge of my bed.