Matt Ruby's blog

Ya Learn Something New Every Day

I've been home sick for the last three days. It seemed like the flu: fever, headache, body pains, loss of appetite. It all started with a sore throat, though. When my throat stayed sore, I began to suspect strep. I looked for -- and found -- the telltale white spots on my tonsils. "Great," I thought to myself, "strep on top of the flu." The whole flu thing was bumming me out anyway, since I had invested in a flu shot at the beginning of the year.

Well, today I was finally feeling well enough to leave the house, so I went to my doctor to confirm my suspicions about the strep and to get something to take care of it. It turns out all the symptoms I had are also indicative of a strep infection! Seems like the flu shot may not have let me down after all....

No Punchbacks

Where did the game involving "punchbuggy blue, no punchbacks" come from? Was there a time when "punchbacks" were allowed?

I suppose where I'm going with this is, well, isn't it odd how things like jokes and little games get passed between children? I'm pretty sure my parents never discussed any of them with me and I know I haven't discussed any with my children, but still they're the same little sayings and remarks I used as a child, and probably generations of children used before me.