I’ve been sick for days. Worse yet, it’s the third time in less than a month that I’ve fallen ill. I missed hanging out with my friend after a bad break up. I missed my friend’s event ( blogged about on Monday) that she had been planning for a year.

I recently read that the plague is still endemic in rodents in California. A squirrel recently tested positive for being exposed to the plague, passed onto him from some nasty fleas. CNN kindly gave us tips for avoiding the plague if we should happen to be in California:

• Avoid contact with squirrels and other wild animals
• Do not feed or touch wild animals
• Do not touch dead animals
• Do not rest or camp near animal burrows
• Protect your pets by leaving them at home, or by keeping them on a leash and using flea-control methods

After scaring the residents of California, they take a moment to ensure people that catching the plague is highly unlikely. Could it be because few of us are willing to handle dead animals? And how on earth am I tying this into me being sick? I’ve decided to tell everyone that I made the mistake of camping in a burrow. I mean, the squirrels had done the work for me. We’re ignoring the fact that I live on the east coast. To my west coast brethren (one who fears squirrels in particular), you are right to keep your distance.