* So after an exhausting bout with an ear and throat infection, I woke up early yesterday morning with a stye in my left eye. I put some medicine into it and went back to bed, then noticed that Oscar the Puppy had gotten sick in the bed and then on the floor.

The poor little guy looked so pathetic I almost cried. I took him outside (with one eye closed), then cleaned up the bedroom. I carried Oscar to the tub and gave him a bath and took him to his room and then I started to get sick. I wrote yesterday’s Capitol Fax with one eye closed in between sprints to the bathroom. I was exhausted all day, and went to bed right after work.

I woke up this morning and the stye had moved to my right eye.

“No way am I doing this again,” I said as I medicated my eye and crawled back into bed with Oscar. We both slept until nine.

* My brain is mostly OK, but my body feels completely spent. The combination of a long weekend at the Phases of the Moon Festival, the ear/throat infection, yesterday’s illness and yet another stye has me feeling like I’ve been beaten up.

If it wasn’t for the kindness of two friends who brought me soup (chicken on Tuesday, beef on Wednesday), I’m not sure I woulda made it. Also, I have a new intern and he drove me to the doctor’s office on Monday and has run some other much-needed errands this week. He’s been invaluable. Good kid. You’ll meet him soon.

And thanks to everyone I deal with every day for trying not to be overly harsh to me during this amazingly screwed-up week.

* With the TMI stuff out of the way, let’s move on to the Phases of the Moon festival. I wanted to write about it all week, but I was too tired, too busy and too ill to get into it.

I posted some videos on my Facebook page (I’ve switched pages, so click here to “like” and follow).

You can’t control the weather, and there will be hiccups with the first anything. It was cold. It rained. It was a bit muddy. I didn’t really care. Everybody was sweet and nice and chill. I loved every moment of it.

* As I told you last week, I missed Thursday because I was working. I arrived Friday evening in time for most of the Grace Potter and The Nocturnals show. Wow, that woman has some pipes…

Grace was followed by The String Cheese Incident, who put on a solid show. After their first set, I went back to the camp site to set up my camper and chat with my neighbors, including Rep. Chad Hays and Rep. Mike Tryon. I’d missed their performance on Thursday and they filled me in on what was going on, how best to get around, etc. Around midnight, some of us ventured forth to see the Monophonics, but I was just too tired by then and wandered back home through what sure seemed to me like freezing rain or even snow. Man, it was cold.

* We started Saturday with an 11:30 am set by Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers. She called it the “hangover show.” The sun came out and she was eventually joined on stage by members of Leftover Salmon…

What a great way to start your day.

We went back to the camping area for a fabulous breakfast, then on to Leftover Salmon, followed by, for my money, the biggest breakout act of the weekend, Jackie Green. Here he is doing “New Speedway Boogie”…

* Tedeschi Trucks Band was the next set I saw, and it was the best show I’ve seen all year…

We ended the night with Widespread Panic. Actually, that’s not true. We had several musicians back at camp (Sen. Don Harmon had left, but then returned Saturday) and they entertained us until the wee smalls. It was freezing cold, but they never stopped playing. We’re going to need a fire pit next year for sure.

* Sunday morning started with a rockin’ set by Leon Russell, then Vintage Trouble, then Robert Randolph…

And then Gov’t. Mule…

Man, I surely didn’t expect to hear “No Quarter” Sunday night.

By then, I had to go home. I missed Railroad Earth (which I really wanted to see) and Widespread Panic’s second set. Not to mention all the side stage acts throughout the weekend that I didn’t make it to.

* Phases was one of the best festivals I’ve ever attended and I will definitely be back next year, but with warmer clothes and boots!

…Adding… Many thanks to the festival organizers, particularly Jeanie Cooke. You’re the best. Thanks to Chad Hays for scouting out a perfect camping spot in advance and for keeping things moving smoothly all weekend - and to Mrs. Hays for being the best “camp mom” ever. Thanks to the local county sheriff and his deputies for being so laid back and so understanding of a somewhat “foreign” culture. The workers and volunteers did the best job humanly possible of cleaning up after Wednesday’s storm, so thanks to them, too. Literally everybody I came into contact with - from the tschotske vendors, to the golf cart taxi drivers, to the security folks, to the artists, to everyone in the crowd - were warm and inviting and friendly. I just couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

Have a great weekend!