The band played what?

By Joe McAdory

Antibiotics serve a purpose. The name pretty much speaks for itself. But when you take twice the recommended dose, Tylenol cold pills, Excedrin migraine pills and a pair of Motrin just for the sake of cleaning out the medicine cabinet, things get weird.

Doc said I have a bacterial infection in my sinuses. No big deal. Been there before. It ain’t the piggity flu. But jeez, this episode was pretty bad and I was ready to arm myself with enough medical ammo to wipe out the symptoms so I could feel better and do my job without getting snot all over my laptop.

And then there was the Zithromax. Z-Pac. The good stuff. The antibiotics. The nice-looking pharmacy lady said to take two on the first day, one each day thereafter. I didn’t realize she didn’t intend for me to take two at one time.

I downed the Z-Pac, scarfed a can of Chef-boy-ardee ravioli and headed out to Smiths Station for high school football.

Then the ground started moving. Lots of things moved. I thought I was moving, but I was sitting still in the press box at T.C. Britton Field next to the Mix 96 radio crew. My chest pounded. I felt feint. I couldn’t let on that I was suffering from these effects. Here I am covering high school football, something I’ve done hundreds of times over and can do in my sleep, and I’m ... under the influence.

I could have sworn I heard the Smiths Station Marching Band play Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. I chugged some water and got some fresh air. Running on adrenaline, I plugged along. By the end of the game, much of the wooziness had eroded and gave way to weariness. This dude was tired.

I’m happy to say I took the recommended dosage today as I write this from the press box at Jordan-Hare Stadium with the Auburn Band circling the field an hour before kickoff. I still feel a little woozy. Please don’t tell me the band’s playing Strawberry Fields Forever.