Throw a cape on me and call me a superhero - I am waging a battle against infection and sickness that starts today and I vow that I will not stop fighting until the last leaf has fallen and the last snow has melted.  I am refusing to get sick this year.  I realize it is not enough to just say I am not getting sick; I am going to have to put some serious immunity boosting foods and potions where my mouth is if I want to be successful.

Where will I headquarter my superhero mission?  I am creating a sleep fortress in the room formerly known simply as the bedroom.  Yeah (blah, blah) sleep is awesome and you don't do it enough; we all have heard it a million times.  This is not simply a vow for more sleep, to successfully complete this mission I vow to keep the sleep fortress clean and dust free, I vow I will always wash my sheets in hot water, and I vow to invest in decent pillows to effectively increase the quality of my sleep.  This also means no more flopping into bed half-cocked after a night out... which also means passing on that last libation on Saturday night.

My weapons in this battle?  Multi-vitamins, fizzy immunity drinks, and fruity snacks.  A quick trip to the drug-store and grocers is all I need to make sure my arsenal is stocked.  That, along with drinking plenty of water and not skipping meals will arm me with all of the vitamins and minerals that I will need to stave off the yuck.  An often underestimated component of nutritional immunity is protein.  Protein make you strong like bull, and make me fight sickness like bull.

Last, but not least, hand washing is key... but I vow use caution.  Over washing a germ superhero's hands without properly moisturizing them causes the skin to dry out.  Dry, rough hands give germs something to hang on to for dear life as they prepare to invade the body via the nose and mouth.  I vow to still religiously wash my hands and avoid touching my face (like a good little superhero), but I will be armed with a super-bulk-store-sized bottle o' lotion to keep my hands from drying out, effectively preventing enemy breeding grounds from growing.

Disclaimer - I am not a doctor and I do not play anything on TV.  I was, however, a preschool teacher in a former life and have pretty much determined that this three tiered defense works for me.  But just you wait - I will probably wake up with a helluvah yuck tomorrow before I can make the superhero transformation.