I've taken a sickie today. After waking up and finding that I've become the front-runner in the Hangover Stakes, I phoned in with a case of the Yuks. May god have mercy on my soul. I just contacted my mum and told her that I plan to blame it on my sister's cooking for my dad's pre-birthday party (he's 70 come Wednesday, but everybody's at work on that day, so celebrations were brought forward). Mum's reply: 'Don't you dare!'

Which is fair enough, because my sister is one hell of a good cook (steak, noodles, pak choi. Yum!). And anyhoo, this is the second sickie I've taken this year, which, frankly, is no great blight on this nation's financial wellbeing.

The thread title, incidentally, is a play on the made-up 60's dance craze 'Hicadoolah', as seen on one of the more glorious episodes of Family Guy. Mila Kunis - voice of Meg Griffin - is one nice lookin' gal.

Wish I was on a sickie. I'm at work and I've got some sort of 'orrible lurgy.

I think I'll stick it out til lunchtime and then go home and drink my weight in tea.

Drink my weight in tea, go on, I dare ya.

Is posting this news on the internet the best idea?

I was just thinking the same thing myself.

I've had one day off sick this year so far, which is something of a record for me. Still got thirteen days holiday to take, too. Not a bad state of affairs, all things considered.

It's been six years since I last took a sickie. When I did take them, I'd never take just one day off, I'd take 4 or 5. If you're genuinely ill, it's rarely for 24 hours, it normally takes 3 or 4 days to recover.

To be perfectly honest, yesterday was a rarity, as I really don't take that many days off in terms of illness or sickies for that matter. I remember two days where I had these splitting headaches and felt like death, but got over it. And that's it.

Other than yesterday, I'm at work regularly.

There are rare days though, where you just take a look at yourself and say 'fuck it'.