The MOV crud has me

The Mid-Ohio Valley crud has hit me. My head feels like a gigantic sponge and my voice, I'm told by staffers, sounds like a cross between Capt. Kangaroo's buddy Mr. Moose and Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse.

Except for my head being full (with what I could only hope would be more gray matter) and an on-again, off-again sore throat, I feel fine ... I just don't look it or sound it.

The interesting thing was I've been trying for a week to catch whatever I have so I can't blame it on the swine flu shot I received Wednesday at the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department's clinic in City Park. I have to admit, though, I teased Carrie Brainard, swine flu clinic coordinator, that it was the shot that made me sick when she spoke to the Lions Club of Parkersburg Thursday noon at the Blennerhassett Hotel.

Dick Wittberg, MOVHD executive director, was scheduled to speaker, but he was called away Thursday when Gov. Joe Manchin decided to drop in at Blennerhassett Middle School to talk about the flu. How dare the governor steal my speaker, I teased Wittberg and Brainard, who Wittberg arranged to replace him.

Come to think of it, how dare the governor schedule his annual holiday party at the mansion on the same night the Lions Club is having its holiday bash at the Parkersburg Country Club. Hmmm, who DOES he think he is? I have to admit, I'm not much of a hobnobber and will enjoy being with fellow Lions at our event a lot more than being with those at the governor's party.

My wife reminds, though, there is nothing new about the MOV crude. Nearly every community in which we've lived seems to have had its own crud: Steubenville crud; East Liverpool crud; New Iberia, La., crud. Yet I don't remember a Columbus, Delaware or Piqua crud. Maybe we just called it something else.