I tell ya, I'm all right now, but last week I was in rough shape, to borrow from Rodney Dangerfield. I had a terrible cold that waylaid me for a few days. It's never fun to be sick, but some times are far better (and worse) than others. Indeed, I got a crash lesson in what happens when the irresistible force of an illness meets the immovable object of a crucial workday.

The cold that swept through my family last week got to me noticeably on Wednesday, but it was Thursday morning that found me barely able to move. Unfortunately, Thursdays are my busiest workdays: I'm the production editor for three of the Journal's weekly sections, two of which close on Thursdays. With the relaunch of the Saturday paper in September, my duties expanded in such a way that it's difficult for any one person to fully replace me