When the Covingtons are sick...

When Ruth is sick, Matthew cooks.
When Matthew is sick, Matthew cooks (or we have LEFTOVERS!!!).

When Ruth is sick, Matthew helps out with the dishes.
When Matthew is sick, Ruth does ALL the dishes (score for me).

When Ruth is sick (in the winter), Ruth sleeps on 3/4 of the bed with a heating pad and 80% of the blankets and pillows.
When Matthew is sick (in the winter), Ruth sleeps on 3/4 of the bed with a heating pad and 80% of the blankets and pillows.

When Ruth is sick, she laments over how much time and energy it takes to wash her hair.
When Matthew is sick, he laments over how much time and energy it takes to shave.

When Ruth is sick, she stops talking.
When Matthew is sick, he cannot stop talking.

When Ruth is sick, she sleeps all day and all night.
When Matthew is sick, he stays awake all day and all night.

When Ruth is sick, Matthew drives.
When Matthew is sick, Matthew drives.

When Ruth is sick, Matthew watches "Once Upon a Time" with her. He proves his love by rubbing her head and agreeing to sit through not one, but TWO hour-long episodes before bedtime. She also watches "Revenge" and "Downton Abbey" on her own because extraordinary sickness calls for an overdose of extraordinarily good TV shows.
When Matthew is sick, Ruth watches "Batman Beyond" and the early Batman TV animated cartoon series with him. They watch two 30-minute episodes before Matthew complains of too much movie-watching and wants to do another activity (Ruth interprets this unbelievable declaration as a testament to the alarming degree of his malady).

When Ruth is sick, going to visit the in-laws is out of the question. Going to Ruth's family to celebrate New Year's Day, however, is obviously okay.
When Matthew is sick, going to visit the in-laws is out of the question. Going to Matthew's family to celebrate his sister's birthday, however, is obviously okay.

And finally, when Ruth is sick, all journal and blog-writing activities cease.
But when Matthew is sick, Ruth gets bored and lonely and decides to write blog posts again.

When Ruth is sick, NO PICTURES will be taken.
When Matthew is sick, he looks like this:

Still adorable. How is it FAIR?