"I have a fever and the only cure is more cowbell." Christopher Walken delivered that line in the famous Blue Oyster Cult skit on Saturday Night Live. Well, I have a fever and the only cure is more Yelping. Lots more Yelping, because I am definitely sick with Yelp Review Disease. You might have it too. Yelp Review Disease begins with the sudden inability to enter any business without mentally drafting the opening line of a review. Soon you find yourself evaluating chair comfort, condiment placement, and background music as if you are judging a county fair competition. Friends will notice you pausing mid‑conversation to note that the coffee was "pleasant enough" or that the restroom "could benefit from clearer signage." The urge to photograph your food becomes so strong that meals cool while snapping a photo. By the final stage, you narrate your own life in star ratings, and at that point there is no cure except writing yet another review. And here we are. This is my Year In Review review. I've done these the last couple of years with "Planet Earth" wrapping up 2023 and "Too Much Information" closing out 2024. Now it's "Sick" for 2025, and here are my year‑end metrics. I wrote at least one review every single day of the year though I completed 1643 reviews this year. For 365 days, that is an average of 4.5 reviews per day. Those reviews covered 459 unique cities, including 203 cities I had never visited before. My top five cities... Detroit MI - 100 Charlotte NC - 94 Joplin MO - 35 Tampa FL - 23 Saint Louis MO - 21 My top five states... North Carolina - 515 Florida - 303 South Carolina - 145 Georgia - 111 Michigan - 102 Overall metrics... Reviews - 1643 Firsts - 900 Photos - 6873 New friends added - 153 Compliments received - 2500 Check ins - 685 For categories... Historical markers - 253 Little Free Libraries - 83 Walmarts - 30 Cracker Barrels - 19 McDonald's - 14 ALDIs - 13 Buc-ee's - 3 UYEs hosted - 6 There was no international travel this year, but that opened the door to visiting 24 states. I logged 17000 miles in my Sprinter van, burning 1100 gallons of gasoline that cost almost $3000. I rode four ferries. I boarded 16 separate flights on work trips to Detroit, Saint Louis and Tampa, with 12 of those flights going to or from Atlanta because I'm a Delta loyalist. I hit two round numbers this year. My 24000th review was the excellent 2 Chef's Souparee in Lake Worth that I visited with my Dad, and my 25000th was the Bush's Visitors Center in Dandridge. Yes, the bean company really does have a fabulous visitors center. I recommend it if you're passing through East Tennessee on I-40. The full collection is here: https://www.yelp.com/collection/eIoRNw4BS6qmB1KUjojsBA/ For all of this, I earned 7th place on the list of Most Prolific of 2025. On to 2026 https://www.yelp.com/collection/b7Dz0nCCGFfg9X_eltWrAw/! Happy New Year! [Review 1643 of 2025 - 42 in Belgium - 25191 overall] read more

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I actually get perturbed that sick/infectious people must go out and spread discomfort and illness. I am always in a tizzy thinking where I went, who I spoke to and what I touched when I "catch" a cold/virus. All the hand sanitizers and soap can't stop a cold from latching onto an unsuspecting body. Even at work where I wear a mask almost for the whole working day, I somehow can still catch a "bug". read more

Sick - Having some pho to soothe my throat. (First cold of the 2024 year for me, boooo!) - Zellik, VBR

Don't get me wrong, being sick sucks; but there is an upside to it. The pampering from loved ones when you're sick is very comforting: home made chicken soup or having someone go out to get my favorite food, having the day off from chores, family appreciating what you do when they have to do it themselves. Medicine is my friend, I take what I need to feel better, then curl up in bed with a soft pillow, fluffy blanket and some soothing music to listen to. Did you know that your immune system gets stronger when it overcomes an infection. "The human immune system is remarkable and complex. Typically, the memory it forms in response to infection or vaccination helps to protect us against future disease" - immunology.org. So completely isolating yourself from pathogens (organisms that cause disease); by shutting yourself away from the outside world (when it's not a pandemic of course) actually weakens your immune system. People need fresh air, sunshine, and a little dirt don't hurt neither. Here's some tips from Harvard Medical School on how to boost your immune system: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system A few interesting facts - a low grade fever is your body's way of fighting an infection. - Laughter helps your immune system by releasing dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in the brain, all of which can help decrease stress - healthline.com - We actually need certain bacteria to stay healthy. For example: the bacteria in our gut helps us digest food - healthline.com - Having a pet at home gives the owners greater resistance to germs - scripps.org - Being exposed to some dirt or simple bacteria helps train your immune system on how to react to foreign things entering your immune system. The dirt and foreign substances stimulate your immune system to become more tolerant and help fight off the bad. - https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/a_little_dirt_is_helpful#:~:text=Being%20exposed%20to%20some%20dirt,help%20fight%20off%20the%20bad. Often it's what we do, or not do, to our bodies that get us into trouble: lack of sleep, not exercising, eating junk food, not washing our hands, stressing out. As an anonymous quote says "Sometimes sickness is our body's way of telling us to slow down and take care of ourselves." Listen to what your body, it's the only one you've got! read more

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Being sick is the absolute pits! The last illness I had was food poisoning and it just would not go away! I went to the ER a couple of times, was on meds for a bit and then my Nurse Practitioner just bombed/failed when I asked for a better antibiotic. Needless to say, I changed family practices. My husband is the lowest maintenance sick person on the planet, on the rare occasions he is under the weather. My job is to completely leave him alone. Since he retired and I've been teleworking for over 4.5 years, getting sick is not even an issue anymore. Thank goodness because due to lack of paid time off/sick leave, a lot of ill people would gladly show up at the office spewing germs - YUCK! The best part of being under the weather is my husband's homemade chicken noodle soup! Oh my! It's even delicious when I/we are not sick! Stay well Yelpers! SYOY! read more

Being sick is no fun and fortunately, I am rarely knocked down by illness. It does such to see friends and family go through. If someone you care about is under the weather, care for them and try to make them feel better until wellness returns to them. read more

*** PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT *** My honey has been dealing with an upper respiratory issue for nearly a week. It started with watery eyes, ear pressure & runny nose that evolved into a cough late last Friday. By Sunday the cough was bad and developed into bronchitis and laryngitis. We went to the ER where they ruled out pneumonia, Covid & sinus, infection, throat or lung involvement, which is the main reason for going. We think that RSV is the culprit and that's why I'm sharing this information. A common cold virus called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is spreading across the South, causing an unusual wave of late spring disease, the US Centers for Disease Control and prevention said yesterday. The CDC issued a Health Advisory Network warning to doctors and other health care providers to be on alert for the virus, which can cause pneumonia, especially in very small children and babies and in seniors with other heatlh issues. "Due to this increased activity, CDC encourages broader testing for RSV among patients presenting with acute respiratory illness who test negative for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19," the CDC said in the alert. So what you need to know about RSV is just like any flu it's contagious. Antibiotics do not help, it's a virus and like most flu-like viruses it can present with symptoms like congested or runny nose, dry cough, low-grade fever, sore throat, sneezing and headache. In more severe cases it can can spread to the lower respiratory tract, causing pneumonia or bronchiolitis. Most children and adults recover in one to two weeks, although some might have lingering wheezing. From a naturopathic perspective, lots and lots of hydration, saline (salt) nasal spray is good for breaking up mucus and elderberry syrup that reduces swelling, fights inflammation, and boosts the immune system. Potassium, zinc, vitamin C & D rich foods and/or supplements are highly recommend plus honey, preferably raw, for adults. Bottom line: There's 3 million cases reported every year of RSV bit likely a lot more that are not in the stats. It's the flu and following those Covid protocols like cleaning surfaces, washing hands, etc are good ideas. read more

Sick - My sweetheart still dealing with some sinus ick, so deploying the natural lemon, fresh ginger & honey. Honey for my honey :-) - Zellik, VBR

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