Archive for the ‘The Turbulent Tuesdays’ Category

It’s Tuesday! Ahem. I mean, it’s Tuesday…

So, to start the day, I got ready, was only running 5 minutes late (which is about 10 minutes less than usual) got out the front door and to my car before I realized that I had Slappy’s keys. I got in the car, assuming he could just use mine and started to drive off when I noticed that I had BOTH sets of keys. So, I parked the car, ran upstairs and dropped the keys off with a sleeping Slappy.

I got back out to my car and started it. Just as I was getting ready to pull out, the garbage truck pulled in front of me. The SLOW garbage truck. And of course, I had my air conditioning set to send in “outside” air, and by the time I realized this and went to change it, my entire car smelled like garbage. Which is really ironic since I had just thrown out my car garbage bag into the very trashcan that was being emptied into the garbage truck.

And truth be told, the garbage smell is only slightly more offensive than the apparently permanent smell of cinnamon scented cat foot (cat food from Gustav evacuation when it spilled ALL over my trunk, cinnamon from the air freshener I tried to use to cover it up. Mark this one under FAIL).

Then I got to work, where I had to track down a teacher who had a paper I needed like last week, but who informed me that she didn’t give it to me because my classroom is “so far away.” Dude. Then I taught all day.

Which was kind of a feat because I’m feeling fairly lousy. I’m finally coming to the end of my Xanax taper and am now alternating taking 1/4 of a dose and none each night and subsequently on days like today, in which I have no Xanax in my system, I feel like crap. My headache is worse (and different), I’m nauseated, and just generally feel badly. It’s especially difficult because the taper has been going so well and I so want to be done with this drug, but right now the side effects of discontinuing it are worse than staying on it and it’s hard to convince myself to plow ever forward. It’s going to get better right? RIGHT?

I also still have the mother effing face tingling. It’s literally like when you have pins and needles, only it’s in my face, only the right side of my face. It’s not constant, but it’s frequent enough to be extremely obnoxious. I’m going to the neurologist on Friday, though I need to remember not to say anything about it because Slappy’s parents will be here on Friday and they think that a) I’m a hypochondraic and b) having brain surgery was, and I quote, “the worst idea ever.” So, brain talk cannot happen while they’re around. But that’s okay because the massive quantities of ranting that will happen will make up for it.

I also stopped by Tulane to get my medical records and I think the lady misunderstood me and made copies of EVERY MRI I’ve ever had there, which is not a bad thing, but it’s a really really really really slow thing.

And finally, as a sort of reward for getting through the majority of the day, I checked my online transcript and found that all my grades are in. And they’re all A’s. I’m so incredibly excited, I almost changed the name of this post to Triumphant Tuesday, but you know, that would ALMOST classify this as not whining. And I surely don’t believe in that.

So your turn. How was your Tuesday? Trippy? Traumatizing? Tantalizing? Tell me all about it (in the comments!)

So, much of this actually happened on Monday, but since it’s still affecting (effecting? Seriously, how old will I be when I learn that?) my life today, I’m counting it.

Last night, Slappy and I went to the gym. In retrospect it was a pretty lousy idea, since I’d had a headache since Sunday night, but I wanted the exercise. And then the exercise made my head about 30 times worse, so we left before beginning a 3rd, tie-breaking game, of racquetball.

When we got home, Slappy asked me to grab him a pudding while I was in the fridge area. Only, the pudding got stuck, so I sat down in front of the fridge, under the open freezer.

Yea. I know. Smmmmmmart.

About 20 seconds later, I hear crashes and feel pain. As it turns out, while I was sitting on the floor, two of the icepacks, which have frozen into 40 pound bricks with extremely pointy edges, fell out of the fridge. And onto my head. Both of them, beautiful bullseyes on their targets.

And I’ll admit it. I cried sobbed, unconsolably for a few minutes, because DUDE, that hurt.

And then I reached up and felt the ridiculously instantaneous goose-egg on my head, which was not just painful, but actually noticeable with my hair pulled into a pony tail. That’s how big it was. My ear also took a beating and within ten minutes turned a beautiful blue color.

The great irony here is that I had opened the freezer in the first place, TO GET ICE PACKS. For my HEAD. I know, sometimes the irony is almost too much. I got hit on the head with ice packs, while trying to get some ice packs for my head. Oh universe, you’re just so funny.

I also had the distinct pleasure of, for the first time ever, being awakened by a headache in the middle of the night. I would imagine it had something to do with the flying icepacks, but honestly, I laid in bed for a few minutes wondering if I should go to a hospital. I woke Slappy, he said mumble mumble mumble that I should be fine and told me to go back to sleep. So I took more tylenol than any of you will approve of and went back to bed.

It was better in the morning, but today has been far from comfortable in terms of head pain.

I also had to write an entire exam for a course that I only teach 2 sections of, while the other 4 teachers who teach 5 sections of the course twiddled their thumbs in wait. Not to mention that I had to write a completely different exam last week for my other classes (and they’re wildly different. Like teaching home ec and physics…). So today has been draining, among many other things.

And I was totally going to tack something on here like, today has been draining, but the weekend is almost here, and then I realized that FAIL the weekend is still 3 full work days away. I mega-loathe Tuesdays.

So, comments have be SPARCE around here. It’s your turn, give me something, anything. How was your Tuesday? We don’t discriminate, we like good and bad Tuesdays. We just might hate you a little inside for the good ones. (Kidding!….Kind of…)

Today was one of the longer Tuesdays in the history of time. I left for work at 6:55 and got home after 8pm. And have I mentioned yet that I feel like hell? Because I do. I’m pretty sure it’s a sinus infection and bronchitis and will be calling the doctor tomorrow to find out.

On the upside, I finished writing the final exam for one of the classes I teach and I finished up lab 2 of 5 by taking test 1 of 4 this week. I’m not even close to being done, but I’ve got one test down and 3 left to go. This week.

Today was, for some odd reason, a constant auditory assault. Everywhere I turned, people were saying things that I couldn’t escape from.

Like one of my students, who, during a discussion about the Swine Flu and a student asked me why they called it the Swine Flu. I explained that it was named that because it came from pigs. And she replied that she knew that, but why then, wouldn’t they call it the Sine Flu? Because apparently that’s what pigs are called. You know, since they’re all so kickass at math.

Then, my chemistry teacher had a little bit of trouble with one of our vocabulary words this week. We were studying the light spectrum, however, she couldn’t seem to say spectrum, but instead, speculum. And I almost died from laughter. Because seriously, we had to look at all the entire visible speculum and dude, that’s just not okay. Or ultraviolet speculums. (Or, like I texted my husband, ultraviolent speculums, which is a whole different kind of torture…). And she must’ve spent 30 minutes talking about it. Seriously.

Then, I was waiting out in the hallway for my test to begin when one of the other students in the class, one that I find wildly obnoxious, started talking about her home life. Apparently she lives with her Grandmother and from what I could glean, they share a bed. That’s not even the bad part. She proceeded to tell us about how her grandmother needs to go to bed with the television on and constantly wants to watch soap operas because, and I’m quoting here, “the lady hasn’t gotten laid in 30 years.”

I think I need to jam a fork in my ear to wiggle that mental image out. Dude. That’s your grandma. That’s not okay.

And now I’m sitting down to study for my two Thursday tests because my Wednesday test should be pretty straightforward. Should, being the obviously key word there. I’m SO ready for school to be over. And also? to stop coughing. And to stop feeling like my face is going to explode everytime I bend over. You know, the small things in life.

So, your turn (and dude, I got 20 VERY helpful sinus suggestions, so you have no excuse not to comment, I know you’re reading). How was your Tuesday?

So, in case my absence wasn’t noticed, things have been a little insanely busy lately.

And will continue to be for the next 3 weeks. Next week, I have 4 tests, the week after that I have 2. All while trying to finish lesson plans for the end of the school year and oh, right, my final exam is due to my department chair next week too. Because that’s totally written and ready to go. Pshaw.

I could probably whine on about my classes winding down a little too quickly, simultaneously, and test filled-ly, or I could tell you tales of dissecting a rat today and the fact that every time I touched it’s finger or toenails a little bit of me died, but instead, I’m going to whine about health stuff, because, well, it’s my blog and I’ll effing whine if I want to.

Several of you have inquired about the headaches, because I haven’t written anything about them. I wish I could say that my silence has indicated a positive change, but that’s just not even close to the case. As I type these very words, my head pounds with a new level of ferocity and the flights to and from Los Angeles were absolutely miserable. My brain does not tolerate the pressure changes well and I’m just trying to make it through the next couple of days in hopes that things will settle down on their own soon.

I am off all headache medications and halfway through the never-ending taper of Xanax and while I’m glad to not be on drugs, I’d take just about any amount of drugs if it would do something, anything, about this pain. Yesterday I took 4 8 hour tylenols in an hour because something had to work. And truth be told, I felt better. But that was only because my throat, which has been terribly sore, felt better. My sinuses hurt significantly less. And my tense neck muscles seemed less achy. I suppose a double dose of tylenol should help some things.

But my head. Oh my head. It did not bend, it did not waver, it just kept right the hell on hurting as if the tylenol were just candy bits and not analgesics.

I wish I had a new answer, or a new idea or a new theory to try. But I’m completely tapped out. I know I should probably call the neurologist, but I just don’t even really see the point anymore. We’re going to do the same dance of, well, what drugs are left? What are the side effects? And in the end I’ll suffer through some side effects, likely with no positive benefit, and we’ll discontinue that one too.

I so badly just want to know what the hell is going on. I still have not had a single satisfying answer of why I had 8 months without headaches and now 9 months with them. What happened? What changed? What went wrong? Or even, what went right initially? I yearn for answers and as usual, I find myself falling short. Frustrated. Tired. In pain.

I long for the day I can jump on here and tell you that the pain is gone, but I’m losing hope that the day will come. It just seems unattainable now.

So, how was your turbulent Tuesday? (Leave it in the comments. Unless you’re going to tell me not to whine, in which case, don’t because my mood is not stellar today and I’m liable to track you down and throttle you.)

Today was turbulent, but one of the things I realized about turbulence is that it isn’t always bad. It’s just…turbulent. And that’s a part of life like everything else. We don’t get to only have the good. The good wouldn’t be good without the bad. Turbulence is necessary, even if uncomfortable. (I promise all the “deep” posts will end soon. Like, probably tomorrow.)

Today was a lot of things.

It was tragically sad for a family and thousands of others mourning with them.

It was exhausting.

It was thrilling (for reasons I’ll explain tomorrow).

It was exhausting, again.

It was satisfying.

It was challenging.

Today, I lived the turbulence. Because I can. Because for whatever reason, today, I’m alive and I feel like I owe it to the world to rejoice and feel blessed in that. Even if it means working, thinking, learning and living through endless head and emotional pain, as I did today.

I don’t know what the precise words for today are. I don’t think I have that vocabulary. But I know it was worth it.

How was your turbulent Tuesday?

So, it’s that time again.

I almost didn’t write anything today, because frankly, things weren’t really turbulent, which pretty much rocks, however, I can’t go without saying anything. That’s no fun. Besides, I wouldn’t want to stop the whining. What would I do if my blog was INTERESTING?

So I had my chemistry lab. I handed my professor my doctor’s note, to which she asked, “is it valid?”

And guess what? I didn’t punch her in the face.

I also didn’t retort with, “No, you caught me. How ever did you see through my lie and know that by asking I’d give it up?”

Instead, I said, “yes, and please feel free to call my doctor if you feel that’s necessary.” I didn’t mention that they won’t tell her jack crap because of a wonderful set of rules call HIPAA, I just didn’t think that was necessary.

I seriously cannot believe she asked me if it was valid. Bucking fitch.

I also had my second exam in the class today and it went relatively well. I think I might have screwed up one part of it, but it was a fairly small part and I think I did the rest of it correct, so I’m not overly concerned. I am kicking myself a little bit, because in retrospect, the mistake was pretty stupid, but you can’t win them all I suppose.

Or can you? Because I got back my last exam and got an 89/84. Which is because she had to curve it and I already had a perfect score. Can we file that under SUCK IT? Because, um, yea. I’m not usually a gloater about my grade, but for the first time in my life I want to make copies of it and paper her car and office with them. Because that’s about as classy and responsible as one could possibly be. (I hope it’s not your first time reading here. I’m usually not like this. This lady is crazy. Like infectious kinds of crazy.)

And now I’m going out to dinner at Jacques-Imo’s (one of my very favorite NOLA restaurants), where, because I bragged about having a good day I’ll probably contract food poisoning to even it all out, but at least it’ll taste good going down.

So, your turn. How was your Tuesday? Turbulent? Tremendous? Trepidacious?

Tell me, I’m inTrigued. (okay, that was a stretch. Shut up.)

Edited to add: Aaaaand now I seem to have a urinary tract infection. Thanks universe, that was totally necessary.

So, for this week’s Turbulent Tuesday I’m keeping it short and sweet whiny.

I went to work today, with the never-ending headache. About noon, I felt much worse. Which is hard to imagine considering how shitty I felt this weekend. No retching, but just all over horribleness. Headache, chills, aches. All of it.

Not good.

When I got home from work, I had a 100+ degree fever. When I took my temperature a few minutes ago it was much closer to 101 degrees. I have a headache and a wicked sore throat. I think it’s probably a virus, but either way I feel like I’m being dragged through the gutter right now. Which is a fancy way of saying I feel like a big pile of crap.

I skipped both my labs tonight, which will I’m sure cause some totally unnecessary complications next week, but there was no way I could even be upright for 6 hours, let alone engaged in the class.

And now I have to sacrifice another sick day and stay home tomorrow. I know I shouldn’t feel guilty for missing work when sick, but I do. Especially because I stayed home yesterday (when I didn’t have a fever, but did feel like crap). But obviously, I am not well, and maybe if I wallow in bed tomorrow, study some and rest a lot, I’ll be back on my feet for real on Thursday.

So my Turbulent Tuesday was short and unpleasant. How was yours? Tell me all about it (in the comments), even if it was good. Misery loves company, but we also love a good party pooper.

So I realize I totally didn’t do the Turbulent Tuesday last week, which is really ironic since it was like the most turbulent day I’ve had in a solid year, but I remembered today and I’m bringing it back, whether you liked it or not.

First, the new medication. It’s a mood stabilizer, which is weird, because I don’t feel any more stable at all. In fact, I feel like crap. I’m EXHAUSTED all day and not sleeping at night. And I have a massive headache today. Which, I know the medication shouldn’t prevent yet, it’s only been 4 days, but if it can make me feel like crap all over in 4 days, it should be able to do its assigned task in that amount of time. Just sayin’

Anyway, back to the sleep issue. I can’t even seem to get into a deep sleep when I try to dope myself up with Phenergan. Which I’m primarily taking because this medication is making my stomach feel like it’s rotting. I wake up with bile in my throat and am constantly wanting to chug pepto bismal by the gallon, just to make the acid stop. And, as if that wasn’t enough from one little pill, this stupid medication has taken away one of my greatest loves: the flavor of Diet Coke. Dude. Not okay. I can’t be tired all day from a medication and simultaneously grossed out by my favorite caffeinated beverage. And I’m only on 10mg right now, I can go up to like 40 or 50. Don’t hold your breath.

Today was, for whatever reason, the longest day of work ever. I mean ever. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I know where we’re moving now and I have my eyes on the prize: June 1st. Which is approaching at the speed of a herd of freaking turtles. Seriously, this week alone has been the slowest ever. (Why no, I’m not feeling superlative-y, why do you ask?)

It’s like every little thing is making me extra crazy because I know that it’s almost over and realistically, a lot of this stuff is stupid. I really don’t need professional development inservices anymore. I’m PROFESSIONALLY DEVELOPED. Honestly. I see why it’s important, I don’t see why it’s important when you’re moving in 69 days (no, I’m not counting, why do you ask?)

And then, as with each Tuesday, we have the ridiculously fantastically moronic chemistry lab. This week, she spent the first HOUR trying to find a chemical. Yea. Prepared, as usual.

Then we took a quiz, which the person next to me cheated on, again. I don’t know why this bothers me. We’re not at an Ivy League school, it’s hardly even an institution of higher learning, but damnit, I’m not taking the quiz with my notes, and you shouldn’t be allowed to either. In this class where things are right or wrong, you shouldn’t get an unfair advantage at being right.

AND, for whatever reason, my lab partner can’t dissect the word HOMEWORK and discover that hey, maybe you can’t do all this work 5 minutes before the class starts. And no, I WON’T GO GET MY LAB SO YOU CAN COPY IT you jackass. Seriously. This is the same guy who asked me for an answer on the exam last week, which I did not give him because HELLO, that is cheating.

And speaking of exams, of course she doesn’t have it graded. When asked she said she was going to grade it this weekend, no problem. Hi, if it’s no problem, why is it that you couldn’t have graded it last weekend?

All that said (and potentially a later rant added after I find out my biology lab exam grade…), it was a Turbulent Tuesday with a silver lining. Two, in fact.

First, I had to stop at home during my lunch (grumble grumble) because I left my class stuff at home and wouldn’t have time to go home and get to class by 4. So when I stopped at home, I checked my email. And guess what I found? An email from the kickass school I’ll be attending for the next 3 years, letting me know that they received my deposit and that I should write down August 20th and 21st as my orientation.

I’m not breathing a full sigh of relief, because God knows that never seems to work out well, but, they took my deposit. Holy shit this is really happening. Like really really. On August 20th I’m going to go to my first day of orientation for a grad program I worked my ass off for. WOW.

The other silver lining was that apparently, one of the people who complained on my behalf about the crazy chemistry professor, made some really good points to the DEAN OF THE SCHOOL. Because our lab professor said several times tonight that she was going to have to alter some of her grading practices to allign herself with the department. That my friends, is music to my ears.

So, now it’s your turn. Tell me about your Tuesday. Was it turbulent? Tranquil? Temperate? Torturous? Don’t make me keep listing ‘em. Spill it (in the comments).

I want to know, how was your turbulent Tuesday?

I’ve decided that since Tuesdays are my least favorite day of the week (combination of not even being halfway through the week, being tired from Monday and having 6 hours of class in a row) that I would stop trying to hide it. So, I introduce to you, Turbulent Tuesdays. I could’ve called it Bitching Tuesday. Or Catharsis Tuesday. Or Whine-and-Moan Tuesday, but those were not as, catchy. Let’s say catchy.

So Turbulent Tuesday it is.

The idea is this: each Tuesday, I’m going to want to bitch to you, but I always feel bad, so now, I’m designating Tuesday as bitch-off day. Basically, I’m going to stop apologizing for whining on Tuesday (as for every other day, well, them’s the breaks).

And in turn, you share whatever is making your life turbulent with the group (in the comments). Misery LOVES competition company. Let’s keep each other company.

Today for me was a did-you-know day.

Did you know…

-that going to a 4 hour professional development conference is really really really helpful when you’re quitting said profession in 2 months?

-that if during Monday’s professional development conference you accidentally drink out of someone else’s drink, it will without a doubt, be the most contagiously sick person in a 20 foot radius’?

-that it only takes about 24 hours for the first sign of a mother freaking cold to show up?

-that it’s difficult at this stage to determine if it’s a mother freaking cold from drinking after typhoid Mary or if it’s the first sign of the flu, which is practically crawling on every surface at work?

-that the cost of a parking ticket for parking on the middle of the grass at the school is lower than the cost of parking in a parking spot in the lot without a permit?

-that next week I’m totally parking on the front lawn instead?

So, tell me: how was your Tuesday turbulent?