Tuesday, November 28, 2006
It's not fun, being sick
So I went to sleep at 9:30p and dragged myself out of bed at 6a and I am still tired today! This is simply not okay. I have been staring aimlessly at my computer for nearly an hour, trying to think of something productive to do (my students are working on independent research). Me thinks it will be a long afternoon.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Cleaning house
I'm at work and have a small "to do" list in front of me, but I need to silence the voices in my head first. And the best way to do that is to get my thoughts out of my head and out here. Or, at least, that usually works.
I used my last journal as a space to share everything and that backfired on me. I have avoided using this journal to share information about my family out of fear that the same thing would happen and out of respect ofr my family members' privacy, but I have to get this out and trust that y'all will not abuse the information.
A few weeks ago I posted a short note to G-d, asking Him to please heal my family. My family unit continues to be strong and well, but its indivdual members keep falling ill. As most of you know, my mom has been fighting cancer since this past spring. After a small scare, she is now one session away from completing her treatment. Fingers crossed and prayers offered that this has worked. I just got back from three days in Chicago and she is looking good - her hair is growing back and she seems confident in her recovery. In addition to my mom, my dad's aunt, who has been growing increasingly weak in her old age, was admitted to the hospital a few weeks ago. She was then sent to hospice; there seems to be nothing left to do and my great uncle, her husband, is also starting to falter (understandably). I'm not terribly affected by it (I don't know them very well, haven't seen them in at least a decade, etc), but it makes my dad so sad that I am very sad about it as well. Around the same time that my great aunt went to hospice, my mom's older brother underwent surgery when doctors found a mass in his colon. It was cancer and pretty well advanced. He went home this past Monday and seemed to be doing well, but was then rushed back to the ER Tuesday night for more surgery. On Wednesday he was transferred to a bigger hospital for more comprehensive care. Unfortunately, his colon has begun to die and he will be sent home with hospice. My uncle is dying. I haven't said that yet, but there it is. No one knows how long it will be, but it is eminent. Of that much, we are sure. The news made for a much quieter Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa's. Not that it was discussed or acknowledged, but just that there was an undercurrent of sadness - you could see it most in my grandma's eyes. And THEN, Friday morning as we are finishing up breakfast, my dad gets a call from his cousin saying his other aunt and uncle are in the hospital - they were in a car accident on Thanksgiving and both broke a leg (my great uncle broke his femur and received nearly immediate surgery and my great aunt broke her leg below the knee - she will have surgery tomorrow). They are both in their late 70s/early 80s. I don't know what the hell G-d is trying to tell me, but I wish He'd find a different way. I also know that I am more than ready for 2006 to end. A lot of great things happened this year, but far more bad ones occurred than I would ever wish on anyone.
Not that it is all bad news. My cousin and his girlfriend seem to have settled well into parenthood and their daughter (who I didn't get to see since she had a cold and stayed with his girlfriend's mom) is doing well. He is also finding success at work and this kid (he's 21, but always a kid to me) who we weren't sure would graduate high school is talking enthusiastically about the certification classes he is taking for his IT job. It is truly awesome to see (and I mean "awesome" in its orginal "full of awe" definition). My other cousin, his sister, is loving her physician's assistant program and continues to amaze me with her passion and commitment. And my sisters are both thriving and doing well. This trip home may have included a lot of serious conversations and tears, but it also included a lot of joy and laughter. And shopping - the girls and I went downtown on Friday (not as crazy as you'd think) and picked up a few gifts (for others and ourselves) before heading to dinner and bowling with Kathryn. It was a fabulous way to end my time in Chicago. I'll be back for Christmas (if not sooner, depending on...things) and I cannot wait. I wasn't sad to come back to DC, but it is always so nice to be...home.
Okay, that should do it for now. It is at times like this that I am thankful for the strength of my family, the love that we all share and the faith that we all have. I know we will get through all of this, but I also know it will not be easy. I suppose I would never expect it to be.
I used my last journal as a space to share everything and that backfired on me. I have avoided using this journal to share information about my family out of fear that the same thing would happen and out of respect ofr my family members' privacy, but I have to get this out and trust that y'all will not abuse the information.
A few weeks ago I posted a short note to G-d, asking Him to please heal my family. My family unit continues to be strong and well, but its indivdual members keep falling ill. As most of you know, my mom has been fighting cancer since this past spring. After a small scare, she is now one session away from completing her treatment. Fingers crossed and prayers offered that this has worked. I just got back from three days in Chicago and she is looking good - her hair is growing back and she seems confident in her recovery. In addition to my mom, my dad's aunt, who has been growing increasingly weak in her old age, was admitted to the hospital a few weeks ago. She was then sent to hospice; there seems to be nothing left to do and my great uncle, her husband, is also starting to falter (understandably). I'm not terribly affected by it (I don't know them very well, haven't seen them in at least a decade, etc), but it makes my dad so sad that I am very sad about it as well. Around the same time that my great aunt went to hospice, my mom's older brother underwent surgery when doctors found a mass in his colon. It was cancer and pretty well advanced. He went home this past Monday and seemed to be doing well, but was then rushed back to the ER Tuesday night for more surgery. On Wednesday he was transferred to a bigger hospital for more comprehensive care. Unfortunately, his colon has begun to die and he will be sent home with hospice. My uncle is dying. I haven't said that yet, but there it is. No one knows how long it will be, but it is eminent. Of that much, we are sure. The news made for a much quieter Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa's. Not that it was discussed or acknowledged, but just that there was an undercurrent of sadness - you could see it most in my grandma's eyes. And THEN, Friday morning as we are finishing up breakfast, my dad gets a call from his cousin saying his other aunt and uncle are in the hospital - they were in a car accident on Thanksgiving and both broke a leg (my great uncle broke his femur and received nearly immediate surgery and my great aunt broke her leg below the knee - she will have surgery tomorrow). They are both in their late 70s/early 80s. I don't know what the hell G-d is trying to tell me, but I wish He'd find a different way. I also know that I am more than ready for 2006 to end. A lot of great things happened this year, but far more bad ones occurred than I would ever wish on anyone.
Not that it is all bad news. My cousin and his girlfriend seem to have settled well into parenthood and their daughter (who I didn't get to see since she had a cold and stayed with his girlfriend's mom) is doing well. He is also finding success at work and this kid (he's 21, but always a kid to me) who we weren't sure would graduate high school is talking enthusiastically about the certification classes he is taking for his IT job. It is truly awesome to see (and I mean "awesome" in its orginal "full of awe" definition). My other cousin, his sister, is loving her physician's assistant program and continues to amaze me with her passion and commitment. And my sisters are both thriving and doing well. This trip home may have included a lot of serious conversations and tears, but it also included a lot of joy and laughter. And shopping - the girls and I went downtown on Friday (not as crazy as you'd think) and picked up a few gifts (for others and ourselves) before heading to dinner and bowling with Kathryn. It was a fabulous way to end my time in Chicago. I'll be back for Christmas (if not sooner, depending on...things) and I cannot wait. I wasn't sad to come back to DC, but it is always so nice to be...home.
Okay, that should do it for now. It is at times like this that I am thankful for the strength of my family, the love that we all share and the faith that we all have. I know we will get through all of this, but I also know it will not be easy. I suppose I would never expect it to be.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Geography lesson
T, a former student who is now in the 8th grade, stops by every morning for a short chat. Today we were talking about his upcoming Geography project on Mexico. We had the following, mildly hilarious, exchange:
T - I got Mexico and I get to interview my roommate.
Me - ::knowing his roommate and that he is NOT from Mexico:: Why are you interviewing W?
T - Because he is from El Salvador.
Me - What does El Salvador have to do with Mexico?
T - ::in a pretty exasperated tone:: El Salvador is IN Mexico.
Me - No it's not.
T - ::with great certainty:: Yes. It. Is.
Me - ::internally:: It's not, I know it's not. Is it? Remember, you once thought New Hampshire was not a state... Crap. No, El Salvador is its own country. ::externally:: Okay...I think I'll double check though.
A quick Internet search later shows us that El Salvador, as I knew, is its own country in Central America. We checked it out on my Peters World Map and then had a long discussion about which continent Central America is a part of. It was a fun start to my morning, but also made me think "They must be pretty early into that Latin America unit." Let's hope, shall we?
T - I got Mexico and I get to interview my roommate.
Me - ::knowing his roommate and that he is NOT from Mexico:: Why are you interviewing W?
T - Because he is from El Salvador.
Me - What does El Salvador have to do with Mexico?
T - ::in a pretty exasperated tone:: El Salvador is IN Mexico.
Me - No it's not.
T - ::with great certainty:: Yes. It. Is.
Me - ::internally:: It's not, I know it's not. Is it? Remember, you once thought New Hampshire was not a state... Crap. No, El Salvador is its own country. ::externally:: Okay...I think I'll double check though.
A quick Internet search later shows us that El Salvador, as I knew, is its own country in Central America. We checked it out on my Peters World Map and then had a long discussion about which continent Central America is a part of. It was a fun start to my morning, but also made me think "They must be pretty early into that Latin America unit." Let's hope, shall we?
Monday, November 20, 2006
Perspective...
I am shamelessly copying this factoid from my friend Wendy's blog, but the message is strong (and the contexting mine), so read on...
I have been getting pretty excited for the holidays. In 48 hours (!) I will be landing in Chicago for three days of love, laughter and food. Especially food. I know many of you will be in a similar situation: gathered around a table (or tables) somewhere, breaking bread with those you love. And, if your hosts are anything like my grandma (and whose in the midwest isn't?), there will be quite the spread - more than enough, in fact, for those gathered to have seconds, thirds and leftovers to bring home. We are a fortunate group and it is important for us to recognize that.
Consider this (here's my cut from Wendy): "If 20 people sit down at your table, representing the world's population, three would get a gourmet meal, five would get rice and beans, and 12 would receive a small portion of rice."(from OxFam/one.org)
Wendy asked her friends to further imagine that they were one of the 12 and a bratty brother (or sister or cousin or neighbor) was one of the lucky three, flaunting his (or her) good fortune and not sharing. That is the reality for millions of people around the world AND in this very country. So keep that in mind and, as you make your holiday plans, fit in time to give back, in some way (volunteering or donating), in thanks of your good fortune. After all, we have no control over the circumstances into which we are born...
Some places for you to get started: www.one.org; www.oxfamamerica.org; www.careusa.org; www.habitat.org (because we are also blessed with secure housing when others are not). 'Tis the season for giving after all...
I'll get off the soapbox now. :) I hope y'all have a VERY happy Thanksgiving and enjoy!
I have been getting pretty excited for the holidays. In 48 hours (!) I will be landing in Chicago for three days of love, laughter and food. Especially food. I know many of you will be in a similar situation: gathered around a table (or tables) somewhere, breaking bread with those you love. And, if your hosts are anything like my grandma (and whose in the midwest isn't?), there will be quite the spread - more than enough, in fact, for those gathered to have seconds, thirds and leftovers to bring home. We are a fortunate group and it is important for us to recognize that.
Consider this (here's my cut from Wendy): "If 20 people sit down at your table, representing the world's population, three would get a gourmet meal, five would get rice and beans, and 12 would receive a small portion of rice."(from OxFam/one.org)
Wendy asked her friends to further imagine that they were one of the 12 and a bratty brother (or sister or cousin or neighbor) was one of the lucky three, flaunting his (or her) good fortune and not sharing. That is the reality for millions of people around the world AND in this very country. So keep that in mind and, as you make your holiday plans, fit in time to give back, in some way (volunteering or donating), in thanks of your good fortune. After all, we have no control over the circumstances into which we are born...
Some places for you to get started: www.one.org; www.oxfamamerica.org; www.careusa.org; www.habitat.org (because we are also blessed with secure housing when others are not). 'Tis the season for giving after all...
I'll get off the soapbox now. :) I hope y'all have a VERY happy Thanksgiving and enjoy!
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Lazy...and annoyed
Blogger has this irritating function that erases the entire post if you try to highlight text past the beginning or end of the post. I have lost more than a few posts that way and have rarely come back to repost after that happens. This time I will (mainly b/c I have time to kill)...
I intended to write a "real" post, but then I sat down to do it and was overwhelmed by laziness (or maybe indifference). So, instead I will hit the highlights of the last week and then share a survey that I rather enjoyed (thanks, Jen!).
HIGHLIGHTS
I intended to write a "real" post, but then I sat down to do it and was overwhelmed by laziness (or maybe indifference). So, instead I will hit the highlights of the last week and then share a survey that I rather enjoyed (thanks, Jen!).
HIGHLIGHTS
- I am feeling much better and wanted to say thanks to everyone who called or emailed to check up on me. I appreciated the warm wishes and all that jazz. I am now simply medicating the legitimate cold that I have and after the misery of Monday/Tuesday, this cold doesn't seem too bad.
- I took a small step towards grown up dating this week when I told a guy I have gone out with a few times that it wasn't going to work for me. It went over pretty well and I'm glad I didn't let it continue on for fear of potential conflict. Granted, I had to run my "message" past a few friends first, but I said from the start this was a small step. Little victories matter too, people!
- My friends Colleen and Dave are finally going to move into their house in my neighborhood. They closed back in August, but there kept being issues with them actually moving in. They got the call late last week and are going to spend a good portion of this coming week moving their things. I'm looking forward to having them as new neighbors (they'll be about 6 blocks away).
- My friend Emily had her birthday party last night and it was a lot of fun. I sat on the sofa with a group of friends and chatted the night away. At one point Colleen looked around at our friends, standing and sitting around talking, and said something about how we had turned into an actual "group" of friends and mentioned how nice that feeling was. It's true - there is a core group of us who always go out and who get along really well and I love it. Even though we no longer work together and even though we only see each other every few weeks, we are real friends and that is such a nice feeling. (A sidebar about this party: Emily had told me weeks ago that she wanted me to meet her friend B, that she thought we'd really hit it off. He was at the party last night and just completely not my type. Even Colleen said, "I can't see you ever dating someone like that." Emily asked me to go talk to him, but I didn't and then he left shortly after arriving. I planned on talking to her about it later, but as we left Colleen told her I didn't want to date him...thanks Colleen. It isn't a big deal, but an interesting story, I thought. Funny how even people who know you well can be so off when trying to set you up.)
- There are many things to look forward to this week: bowling this afternoon with special needs teens; one and a half days of teaching; fall celebration at school; three and a half days in Chicago for Thanksgiving; dinner with Wendy; a whole day just with my sisters; a night out with Kathryn...
SURVEY
You. Can. Only. Type. One. Word.
- Yourself? classic
- Your boyfriend/girlfriend? non-existent
- Your hair? dark
- Your mother? healing
- Your father? caring
- Your Favorite Item: treasured
- Your dream last night: confused
- Your Favorite drink: water
- Your Dream Car: reasonable
- The room you are in: functional
- Your Ex: missed
- Your fear: failure
- What you want to be in 10 years: secure
- Who you hung out with last night: friends
- What You're Not? frilly
- Muffins: pumpkin
- One of Your Wish List Items: money
- Time: fleeting
- The Last Thing You Did: drove
- What You Are Wearing: comfort
- Your Favorite Weather: fall
- Your Favorite Book: changing
- The Last Thing you Ate: toast
- Your Life: full
- Your Mood: expectant
- Your friends: amazing
- What are you thinking about right now? words
- Your car: standard
- What are you doing at the moment? waiting
- Your summer: short
- Your relationship status: single
- What is on your tv? nothing
- What is the weather like? crisp
- When is the last time you laughed? party
Monday, November 13, 2006
SO not a cold
My friend Wendy was right - I do not have a cold (apparently she took some medical courses when getting her linguistics degree...or perhaps she was just better at accepting reality than me this time around). I have a stomach virus, I think. Or the stomach flu...is there a difference? (Clearly having multiple friends who are doctors has not worn off on me.)
I made it through 3 hours of work today. By the end of hour two (and my second seventh grade class), I was quite tired. By the middle of hour three, I was miserable. I lied, told my AP I'd been throwing up and she agreed to get me a sub. Then I did throw up, just barely making it to the bathroom in time. I have been home since 11:30am (again, thank G-d I live so close to work) and have slept for most of that time. I have woken up only to throw up and go back to sleep (nice, huh?). I did force myself to CVS for crackers, applesauce and Gatorade, only to have to drop the basket in the aisle and run outside to throw up in the garbage can. Proof that even big cities have heart? Several people stopped to make sure I was okay. Anyway, that's the update. I hope it runs its course tonight and I can go back to work, but we'll see.
Hope your Monday is going much better.
I made it through 3 hours of work today. By the end of hour two (and my second seventh grade class), I was quite tired. By the middle of hour three, I was miserable. I lied, told my AP I'd been throwing up and she agreed to get me a sub. Then I did throw up, just barely making it to the bathroom in time. I have been home since 11:30am (again, thank G-d I live so close to work) and have slept for most of that time. I have woken up only to throw up and go back to sleep (nice, huh?). I did force myself to CVS for crackers, applesauce and Gatorade, only to have to drop the basket in the aisle and run outside to throw up in the garbage can. Proof that even big cities have heart? Several people stopped to make sure I was okay. Anyway, that's the update. I hope it runs its course tonight and I can go back to work, but we'll see.
Hope your Monday is going much better.
Dropped shoe
I can stop waiting and wondering when it will happen. It has happened.
I have my first, official cold of the school year. Not the sniffles or a sore throat or a headache, a full-on, full-blown cold. Complete with heat flashes, congestion, coughing, a sore throat and an earache. And overall lethargy. It is not very fun at all. Tonight, instead of the gym, I think I'll be at CVS buying medicine and then in bed, trying to get better. With 7 school days until Thanksgiving Break, work is going to be hard enough without being sick.
Ugh.
I have my first, official cold of the school year. Not the sniffles or a sore throat or a headache, a full-on, full-blown cold. Complete with heat flashes, congestion, coughing, a sore throat and an earache. And overall lethargy. It is not very fun at all. Tonight, instead of the gym, I think I'll be at CVS buying medicine and then in bed, trying to get better. With 7 school days until Thanksgiving Break, work is going to be hard enough without being sick.
Ugh.
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