Employment History

In order for my new employer to calculate where exactly I land on the pay scale, I had to forward them a document outlining all of my teaching experience. So I raided the "resume" folder on my computer and made the list. And actually, I was surprised by its magnitude.

I know I started teaching in 2000 and stopped in 2007, which ...give me a second to do the math... means I should have 7 years' experience. Not bad. But I was more surprised by the diversity of my experience.

I had been employed by the same school for 6 of those years, off and on, depending on contract availability. But during those "off" times, I taught in two different areas of Bosnia and also in Chile. There's also the ESL summer camp I taught at one summer, as well as the 6-week English course for casino employees I designed and taught in Niagara Falls. And I can't forget the private language school where I got my start. (I also included the Bridging course I'm teaching starting next week, and my TA work as well. They can ignore them if they so choose.)

I feel too young to have had all these experiences. But compared to others in my field, my employment history is pretty short. It's not uncommon for ESL professionals, especially in this area, to bounce around from from school to school as enrollments fluctuate and contracts expire. Full-time jobs for teachers are hard to come by. But then again, the TESL field seems to attract people who find the idea of settling down unsettling.

Compiling the list was a good exercise for me. It made me feel a little more confident seeing my accomplishments on paper, like I could take on the world - or at least a new group of students.
I don't really know what to expect when I get to my new job (either of them!), but I've already taught mining students, casino employees, children, newcomers, International students, monolingual and multilingual classes, both in Canada and abroad...I'd say it's time for a new challenge.

If I were a summer baby...

If my birthday were in June, this is what I'd ask for:

http://www.tomsshoes.com

I love the idea of gifts benefiting someone other than the giver, receiver and 'businessman'. Last Christmas, just about every gift we gave came from Ten Thousand Villages. It made me happy to know that I was supporting local artisans trying to make a living in Bangladesh or India.

Ideally, I'd like to see a huge reduction in the amount of gifts given/received in our families. But until we reach a family-wide consensus to reduce our consumption by eliminating superfluous gifting, I want to continue to try to support people who could use the support when purchasing presents.

Life's adventures

The other day Darren said to me, "I'm really looking forward to our new adventure," referring of course to our upcoming move to the other side of the world. It was quickly followed by a realization: "Hey, this will be our first adventure together!"

I thought about it for a moment and replied, "What about the living-out-of-a-single-room-because-the-landlord- flooded-our-apartment adventure? Or the MA adventure, followed directly by the other MA adventure? Or the anxiety adventure?"

I could have gone on...there's the passport fiasco at our wedding, the time vortex we encountered in Tennessee, the learning to drive standard episodes, the pre-engagement airplane freakout, the sunburn that changed my life, the birthday bamboo mixup...

I know what Darren was saying, and I too am excited about our first "real" adventure. But it seems to me that all of life is an adventure; some events are just a little more adventurous than others!

Research Blues

Around the middle of the first semester I was approached by one of my professors about switching from the coursework-heavy track to the thesis track of the MA I began in September. I thought about it for a long time, made contact with potential sites to conduct my research, formulated my research question and design, and then decided not to do it.

The route I chose to follow includes 8 courses and then a "Major Essay" (ME), which is in essence a larger term paper. I know it was the right decision - there is very little chance that I could have finished my thesis (never mind its defense) in time to move this August. And I've never taken a single course in stats. Oh, and because of the sample size I was using, the results would probably have been invalid anyway. But today I questioned the choice.

The topic I have chosen to for my ME is fostering autonomy in language learning. I really like the idea of empowering learners to take control of their learning. So do lots of theorists! Unfortunately, not many researchers do.

I have read the majority of the literature on autonomy in language learning that I can get my hands on - including books from Windsor, Ryerson, OISE, U of A and 3 I purchased from Ireland! People have defined and redefined the concepts, and then redefined the re-definitions. They've also argued about the cultural appropriateness of autonomous practices in non-Western settings, and investigated learners' beliefs about roles and relationships in the classroom. And they've described classroom settings in which pro-autonomy teachers have "succeeded" in handing more control over to learners.

What is missing, however, is actual research that shows the benefits (or disadvantages) of autonomy in the language classroom. I have come across only one study that used a control group, without which no finding can ever really be attributed to the intervention. Only one!

I'm finding it hard to maintain motivation when what I'm writing is the mantra my classmates and I have been chanting all year: "MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED". If I had gone the thesis route, on the other hand, I could be helping to fix the problem by actually doing that research. But then we wouldn't be going to Qatar. Sigh, I've just got to get this darn thing written!

Downsizing...again!

The quest to get rid of everything continues. Last year when Darren and I moved from a 2-bedroom apartment to our little 1-bedroom, we thought we did a good job downsizing. As it turns out, we still have a lot of stuff!

In the next two months we have to decide what we're keeping and what we're not. The goal is to take only the necessities (clothes, computer, teaching supplies), and replace everything else when we get there (dishes, sheets, most toiletries). But it's much harder than it seemed at first. For example, we have an electric toothbrush. We love our electric toothbrush. We could go back to manual toothbrushes, but we'd rather not. However, using this toothbrush in the Middle East will require a converter. The same is true for my hair straightener. See? Kinda complicated.

Dealing with the furniture is much easier: our apartment will be furnished so we can pretty much get rid of everything here. Slowly, we're finding homes for our personal belongings. We have a friend whose son will graduate into our "big boy bed;" another family will replace their old rec room furniture with our slightly less-old living room furniture; another couple is inheriting our TV.

If you need anything, let us know. We may just have one that we're trying to find a good home for!

Housewives and their culture shock

These days I spend a lot of my free time (well, the time I call "free" but would better be called "research avoidance") reading up about Qatar. Today I came across a business started by a British woman who has been living in Qatar since 1995. She manages properties in Doha and lets them to expatriates.

We are not in need of her services since the school with which I'm employed arranges for our housing. However, she did have some helpful tips about moving, and it was nice to browse the photos she has posted of potential living spaces. The apartments she advertises look comparable to photos I'd seen on the school's website, which was encouraging.


As I was exploring the site further, I came across something surprising. In the "About Me" section of her website, Maggie cites Dr. Betsy Wells, a family therapist who has lived abroad for over 15 years. She says,

It's not just the employee who signs that contract, often it's an entire family. Typically it's the woman who has the most difficult adjustment and even the most confident women can succumb to feelings of vulnerability and depression.

This quotation probably shouldn't have caught me off guard, but it did. It is assuming that the woman and her children have relocated for the husband's job. Would it still be the woman who has the most difficult adjustment if she is the one who actually signed the contract?

I realize that in the majority of instances, if only one half of a couple works, it is the husband. But I do know men who have taken parental leave and Darren's dream is to work from home so we can avoid childcare costs in the future. Many of the couples I know share responsibilities both inside and outside of the home - they are both employed (or in school) and they both do the housework. It has become a natural way of thinking for me.

It makes me wonder how Darren and I will be viewed when we arrive in Qatar. We had decided that we would move across the globe even if we had only one job in hand. The fact that it turns out to be the woman's job doesn't change our decision. Of course, Darren will look for work once we arrive, but in the meantime, will we be considered odd?

I guess since the first people we meet in Doha will be Canadian, as well, it may not seem so strange. But then again, this woman was talking about expats, too!

Hot, hot, hot

This is the current weather conditions in Doha. Just thought I'd share.

A New Adventure

After months of applications, interviews, questionnaires and lots and lots of waiting, we finally got the word: Darren and I are moving to Qatar. I got a job as an EFL instructor at a post secondary institution in the capital city, Doha. Darren will look for work once we arrive.

In the meantime, we're trying to prepare ourselves for this relocation while life continues. I'm working on the independent research portion of my MA and will teach an intense academic preparation summer program starting in mid June. Darren continues to teach ESL at Brock, finishing up right about the time we are to board a plane for the Middle East.

It saddens us to think about the friends and family we will be leaving behind, but there will be visits...and the Internet...to keep us connected. We're excited about this adventure and what the next few years hold for us.

Snow-covered donuts

It's a lazy, snowy winter day. It's a perfect day for drinking hot chocolate under layers of blankets. Of course, we have work to do: Darren should be marking essays and I should be doing research, but sometimes a person just needs a lazy Saturday.

I don't know how it happened, but we ended up snuggled on the couch watching Transformers this afternoon. In the movie, there is a scene where two characters are in a police holding area, awaiting their interviews, with a plate of fresh donuts.

Now, I haven't had a donut in years. I've had timbits, muffins, and cookies from donut shops, but it has been a couple of years since I've eaten a donut. And I haven't wanted to. But for some reason, from that scene until about 15 minutes ago, I couldn't stop thinking about the delicious donuts. I guess Darren must have been having similar thoughts because it wasn't hard to convince him that one of us (guess which one!?!) should pick us up a half dozen.

The storm the weather experts have been threatening for days now has finally started. Since we live in the basement though, it's easy to forget about what is going on outside. So when Darren agreed to run down to the local Tim Hortons (sic), I got excited, not scared. It wasn't until I opened the door for him that I remembered that today is a lazy, snowy winter day. I begged him not to go, but he can be a little stubborn at times. As he walked out the door I called, "If the roads are no good, please, please just come back!"

About a minute and a half later, he came back. But rather than taking off his coat, he put on a hat, grabbed his mittens and informed me that he was going to walk to get me these donuts. So now I'm at home, waiting for my frozen husband to come back from his adventure on foot.

To be honest, I don't want a donut that much. But it's good for him to be out in the fresh air getting some exercise. If he comes back still able to feel his fingers and toes, I think he'll feel like he has accomplished something today.

And earned a donut!

Ahhhhh...

It's finally spring! What does that mean to me? Well, fewer layers, photo shoots, and a desire to actually leave the apartment, to name a few.

Now, I'm not naive enough to believe that we've seen the end of the white stuff. I heard on the radio (yes, I only cite reliable sources) that there have been only 2 Aprils since they've started keeping records when it didn't snow in Toronto.

But I'm not afraid of a little more snow. There is too much evidence of nicer, warmer times. Besides the fact that the snow has all melted and that people are walking around coatless, I know springtime has arrived because we received 2 wedding invitations today! Once pre-wedding season arrives, can't no one tell me we're still in for some more winter.

Hooray!!

The best

Some people are simply amazing; others need a little more work. I'm part of the latter group. My husband is the leader of the former.

These past couple months have been extremely challenging ones for the Conleys. The never-ending sickness continues, except now we have some good guesses at the cause of it. I've gone back to work and simply getting through each day is a hurdle unto itself. Meanwhile, I'm continuing on my rocky road to emotional stability, the result of suppressing my emotions for years.

Through all of this Darren has been incredible. I can't believe he doesn't get tired of reassuring me with the same messages or talking me down from a freak-out episode or coaxing me to work through yet another issue. I'm sure I'd have given up by now if it weren't for him reminding me of the important things in life and the people who care. I think God gave him an extra dose of patience in anticipation of marrying me.

And somehow he finds the time and energy to get As on all of his assignments.


Sorry, Michelle. I think we may be tied.

Small victories

I made the oddest announcement at work this afternoon. I grabbed my colleague by the arm, spun her around to face me and said in a victorious way, "I didn't have diarrhea today!!" Of course that doesn't mean everything is fine, but I'm holding on to this little victory; I need all the encouragement I can get!!

(Note: I realize this post is incredibly vague. Sorry, but it is intentional. If you'd like to hear the "long version" - what's really going on - I'd be happy to share over the phone. For everyone else - those of you who are utterly confused - don't worry about it. Scroll down a bit farther and you can read about Daylight Saving Time.)

Daylight Saving Time

As of Monday I am a listening teacher again. That means I spend my free time scouring online audio and video sources to find interesting, appropriate and relevant clips to use in the classroom. (while adhering to copyright laws, of course!)

I was trying to find an explanation of Daylight Saving Time - when and why it started, when to change our clocks, etc. - and came across this video taken from a 1950s drive in theater intermission reel. It's interesting that although DST had been around in various parts of the world since WWI, and the law was passed in the USA in 1919, there was an active campaign to not adhere to it years later. It's insignificant 'discoveries' like this that I make that make me wish I had studied history.

To me Daylight Saving Time is simply an annoyance; who wants to reset all their clocks twice a year? But then again, I never complain about the extra hour of sleep in the fall!



And don't forget, we're setting the clocks ahead earlier now: the second Sunday in March. I guess we might as well get it over with, eh?

Welcome "home"

My sister is home from Africa!

My parents and another sister drove to Chicago Friday to pick her up at the airport and then drive her to Forest for a week before she returns to Edmonton where she lives. Once they crossed the border back into Canada (and the cell phone company wouldn't charge roaming fees) she called me on my parents' cell phone. It was so good to talk to her and know that she's 'home' safely.

It really is strange but I feel better knowing that she's in the same country as me. Besides next weekend when Darren and I will drive to my Grandma's in Listowel to have lunch with her, we probably won't see Alaina again until probably some time next year the earliest. That's no sooner than if she were still in Kenya.

Alaina herself commented to a friend in Kenya, "I don't live with my family at home; I rarely see them, but somehow they miss me more when I'm in Africa."

It's true. I think it has something to do with the fact that flying to Edmonton is not difficult. We can get there in 4 hours for $179 each way on a seat sale. We don't need passports, we don't need to make tons of arrangements (we had a place to stay, etc.) and we know the culturally-acceptable ways to act.

That's part of it. The other part is that we have an unfounded sense of security here. Even if Alaina's life was never in danger, just knowing that she was in a developing country is cause to worry. Are there "adequate" medical facilities? Will she have enough to eat? Is someone going to attack her in the middle of the city? We, in the ethnocentric west, hear the word 'developing' and assume the worst.

As it turns out, there was at least one incident where safety was an issue, but that's beside the point. People get robbed, abducted, even killed every day right here in Canada but we aren't consciously aware of the probability of that in our day-to-day lives.

I am not trying to underestimate the danger there is in the world. Nor am I trying to put down the entire North American middle class lifestyle; I am thankful that I don't have to live in fear, always looking over my shoulder. What I am trying (rather unsuccessfully) to say is that even though someone may be in a country we don't know or we've heard dangerous stories from, it doesn't mean he/she is unsafe.

But what I find so strangely interesting is that I know this first hand (I was in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2002 and 2003 when the majority of the uninformed and skeptical western public thought it was still unsafe) and yet I am so happy to have my sister home. I think that shows how easy it is to adapt, both physically and in mindset, to your surroundings. And it also makes me sad to think I've adapted so quickly and quietly.

Another thing I find interesting is that as relieved as we all are to have Alaina home, she probably isn't as happy about it. I'm sure there's a part of her that is ecstatic about seeing people she has missed the past 6 months, but reentry culture shock is incredibly underrated. It will be a huge adjustment to return to this affluent, selfish society. (But as a member of this selfish society, nonetheless I'm glad to have her here.)

Birthday patterns

Unlike my mother, I'm not one to notice patterns in everything. She finds patterns in phone numbers, addresses, names...just about everything.

My husband is like that to some extent, too. For example, we have friends whose house number is 273. Darren remembers that by saying 2+7=9 and 9x3 is 27. Therefore, 273. See how logical and easy-to-remember that is? :)

But I can't help but notice all the strange birthday coincidences in families. My dad, his mother and brother all have birthdays in February. My husband's mother, father and brother also all have birthdays in February. My niece, her father and her brother all have birthdays in June. It seems that in some families birthdays get grouped together.

In each case, however, there's at least one member who is left out of the celebratory month. I say lucky him/her, but that comes from a girl in whose family every member had his/her own birthday month (except my poor mom who had to share with her daughter and Jesus).

Visited Countries

I spent a good part of today reading up on a former professor / employer / friend. It was a very encouraging experience for me. In the process, I found a map that showed all the countries she had visited in the past. Of course I thought it would be neat to see what the Conleys' "my visited countries" map looks like.



create your own visited countries map

The red on the map represents a country where either Darren or I have been. It's interesting to note that for all that red, the only countries we've been to together are Canada and the Dominican Republic.

Recently Darren and I have been talking about our future plans a lot, since February seems to be the month that applications are due for a number of things. Anyway, it seems that every day we discuss how we're going to add red to the map...hopefully in a very "un-red" area.

You'll know more when we know more. :)

Snowy Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day!

We woke up this morning to a Valentine's Day surprise: a balcony covered in snow. When I say covered, I mean it's thigh-deep. It's both cool and freaky at the same time. If we were to open the sliding door, we'd have a mini avalanche in the apartment, which might be novel but definitely not fun to clean up.

This is the kind of day that makes me glad I have nowhere to go. I can't say the same for my poor husband. My school has been closed due to inclement weather (as if it mattered; I'm still off until after midterms) but Darren's is open despite inclement weather. Hopefully they'll have the roads nicely plowed by the time he has to leave. I find the treachery of winter driving traumatic.

Oh, and there's the Valentine's Dinner/social tonight with the members of our small group. I was supposed to bring veggies & dip that I would purchase and cut up this morning, but I'm sure not risking my life (well, at least my mental stability - it's treachery, remember!) to buy broccoli and celery. (Did anyone else get a particular theme song stuck in their head just now?)

I wonder how many people are experiencing difficulty accomplishing everyday tasks today due to the weather? Theweathernetwork.com reports that this particular storm is centred over West Virginia, which tells me that its effects are quite far-reaching. I guess we're all in this together, eh?

Well, at least I can wish you a wonderful Valentine's Day, filled with hot chocolate, long glances out the window at the gorgeous scenery and lots and lots of hugs.

Setting Goals

For someone who has nothing to do in terms of work, I am extremely stressed out. I think I might be predisposed to finding stress in otherwise relaxing situations. Either that, or I have trained myself to do it through years of practice.

When I first fell ill I was stressed about coverage for my class, lessons to send to the supply teacher, what was wrong with me and whether I would ever get better. (I clearly remember the day when I finally said to Darren, “I think this may not last forever!”)

Once the decision was made to replace me until midterm, I felt a huge sense of relief and the stress dissipated…for a while. I’ve been feeling better of late but with that has come a new set of stresses. Now I’m worried about why sometimes I still get blackout-ish vision, whether this apathy and weakness I’m experiencing is truly the direct consequence of weeks of limited exercise and increased resting (or if there is something else silently brewing inside me somewhere), and whether the next time I return to work I will experience a repeat of my 3 failed attempts. Besides that I worry about Darren and his workload, and what direction we should be taking for September.

Since I am one of those people whose mental state has an affect on her physical state, I really need to deal with these fears. So that’s my goal for this week – try to trust more and worry less. That’s in addition to the ongoing goals I set last week: exercise a little each day to build back my strength and do something relational each day. I’ve been quite a failure with the previous ones, so hopefully I’ll do better this week.

Hopefully the last of its kind

Since I know that at least one person checks this blog semi-regularly to see my health status, I thought I'd better update it.

I went back to work on Thursday. This decision was made after considering a couple of factors:

1. I had 4 good days in a row. By "good days" I mean I was able to eat semi-normally, complete small tasks like drive Darren to school, make cookies, stand through most of the singing at church and clean the bathroom. Of course I stopped to take rests, but I was able to successfully my lifestyle - modified.
2. My blood work last week indicated that my levels of sodium, potassium, iron, etc. were good.
   
3. I had a very encouraging visit to the doctor on Tuesday. She confirmed that this was indeed a virus that she likened to the flu (a 4-6 week illness) and advised me to return to work on a reduced workload.
   

So I created a lesson plan that involved me standing very little for Thursday (Ex. I changed all white board activities to overhead ones, etc.) and made the decision to go back that day.

Thursday morning I woke up feeling terrible again. Many of my symptoms that had died down returned and I spent the morning in bed, telling myself that if I just got enough rest that morning, I'd be OK for my 3:30 class. Around 1:30 I headed to work so I could look over the notes the supply teachers had left me and make some final decisions about what to include in the lesson. But sitting at my desk I felt hot, shaky, uneasy in my digestive tract and unable to think clearly. I was kicking myself for even trying to go back when I knew that morning that I wasn't well, but I thought that maybe all I needed was a little push to get back into the swing of things.

I'm feeling a number of things: I'm frustrated because I truly thought I was on the mend. I know this is the third time I've said that, but I was confident this time. I feel foolish for having tried and failed yet again to return to work. I'm also bored. I'm tired of being at home, I miss my colleagues and students, and I want to return to 'normal' life, whatever that is. Besides that, I find myself often doubting the veracity of this illness. Because I have so many good moments, I wonder whether this is a figment of my imagination.

But people are so wonderful. Darren reassures me constantly, despite an intense workload he's bearing. My parents were here and they brought some easy-to-make meals as well as some frozen homemade soup (I was spoiled as a child so now I have a hard time eating canned soup) which was very helpful. And my friends are praying, sending encouraging notes and running errands for us.

I know this is temporary and I'm still not sure what it is I am to learn through this. But in the meantime I guess I'm to rest a little more and build up some more strength.

Will it ever end?

Well, surprise, surprise. Looks like I'm a freak of nature. Or at least that's how I feel.

I had a good weekend. I was out and about. I felt 85% of my normal self. Besides being unable to stand through the worship sequence at church Sunday morning, I lived life in a typical way for me.

But this morning I was feeling somewhat under the weather again. I decided to go to school, though for my one-hour staff meeting and one-hour class. Darren's advice was, "Sit down while you're teaching." That was my plan.

But I didn't make it to either of those appointments. Before going to the office I had to purchase a parking permit for the semester. (Since I've been off for 2 weeks, I hadn't done that yet.) So I parked in the 15 min. visitor's parking area, walked to the Ancillary Office to pay the ridiculous fee to leave my car unattended on school property, and immediately sat down. I felt weak and faint and warm - not good signs. I was promptly cared for - whisked away to the campus health centre by wheelchair, analyzed, deliberated over, and sent to the minor emergency walk-in clinic at a local hospital.

My ride and I spent the afternoon there, waiting to be seen and then waiting for the results of my urine and blood tests, which showed that I am not dehydrated, nor do I have worrisome levels of salt, potassium, etc. in my system. Basically I'm fine, but I can't stand for more than 6 minutes at a time or walk across the college on my own.

I am so frustrated. I really thought I was over this thing. And the worst part is that Darren had a day that rivaled mine for "crappiest day" and I don't have much sympathy (empathy? support? you know what I mean) in me tonight...just lots and lots of frustration. So I'm both healthy-sick and a lousy wife. Grrr!

Beautiful poetry

A few weeks ago our friend Chrissy was over for an evening of catching up and Carcassonne. As as aside, I think this may be the first game that I actually prefer playing with just 2 players. We first played Carcasonne with my sister & brother-in-law and whomever else was over at the time. We enjoyed it immensely but when we got home and acquired our own copy, we were afraid that it would be significantly less fun with a smaller group. But we found just the opposite; the strategy changes with the number of participants, but I think I enjoy it more with only 2 or 3.

Ok, back to the story at hand. While Darren was playing a few rounds of some video game (Zelda, maybe?) and I was making a pot of tea, Chrissy wrote a beautiful poem with our Magnetic Poetry that I think deserves to be shared with the six people who read this blog. My favourite part of the poetry writing was when Chrissy asked if I had any 'creepy' adjectives. I guess she didn't realize that this particular set of magnetic poetry is the romance kit that I bought Darren for Valentine's Day last year.

Without further ado, here you go:


If you would like to make your own poem, check out Magnetic Poetry online here.

Room with a view

I can't stop looking out my window; it's absolutely breathtaking! Darren and I live on the 4th floor of an apartment building and our windows/balcony overlook a field lined with trees and a small creek.

We've had some interesting winter weather the past few days with snow, ice pellets, and some warmer weather followed by colder weather and the result has been something beautiful. The trees are covered with icicles and the ground is covered with snow. And today the sun came out, making everything sparkle.

I ventured out onto the balcony this afternoon to take some pictures, in an attempt to preserve the beauty and share it with you. Unfortunately the photos don't do the view justice, but I'll share them with you nonetheless.






Every time I look out my window I feel very special. I like to believe that God made this beautiful icy wonderland just for me, since I have very little else to do at home sick all day and all night.

And it seems like there's no end in my immediate sight - my boss called and begged me not to bring this bug into the office. So I guess I have a few more days to enjoy the gorgeous scenery.

Year of the virus...pt. 2

The sickness saga continues. This morning began with a long debate about whether or not I had the strength to do any of the following:
(a) drive myself to and from work in the winter storm,
(b) teach my one hour of class today, or
(c) not faint between the time I arrive at work and the time I come home. I finally decided that chances were slim that I could accomplish all 3 of those basic tasks given the way I felt at that moment, and as I started writing an email to my boss including a lesson for someone else to teach, he called me to inform me that the power had gone out at the school and classes were canceled. That was the good news of the day.

Talking with my boss helped me realize that at this point it's probably not enough to rely on what the computer at telehealth thinks I have, so I decided to pay a visit to my doctor. Getting there is a story in itself, since Darren took the car to school today. I realized that I have few relationships that are at the calling-for-favours-such-as-driving-me-to-a-doctor's-appointment-level. I've got to work on that.

But I was disappointed to hear what the doctor had to say, once I made it there. Apparently I have gastro-somehting-itis, which is in fact a virus, and which she expects will take 2 weeks to get over. According to my doctor, 11% of the St. Catharines workforce is out sick. She said I'd probably need the rest of the week at home. I'm hoping to be back Wednesday, at least for the 3 hours that I actually teach.

So that's the latest. Hopefully I'll have more interesting things to write about soon.

2007, the year of the virus?

Since we're already into week 3 of 2007, I figure it's time for a little update from Larissa. Except for a trip to church & Quizno's today, I haven't left the apartment since Wednesday, and that was something I totally regretted.

The new semester started on Monday, mostly as usual. I met my 2 new classes, did some introductory stuff and bid them all, "see you tomorrow." That evening I felt a cold coming on so I took a little nap before getting ready for class the next day. In the morning I got myself ready for work, but after a less-than-pleasurable bathroom experience and much debating about the state of my stomach/head/entire body, on the way out the door I decided to give a colleague a call to get her to cover my classes.

After spending the day in bed (well, between bed and bathroom), I felt much better, so Tuesday morning I got myself ready for work, drove Darren to school and proceeded to drive myself to Welland. About half an hour later, a wave of faintness came over me and I could do nothing but put my head down and try to remain conscious. It was then that a colleague came in to help. A sports beverage, multiple suggestions and much discussion later it was decided that I could neither work nor drive myself home (apparently faint-headed people shouldn't drive in the snow...or in any weather condition, for that matter).

The next thing I now I was being driven to another colleague's house, tucked into bed and cuddled by a big black (lab?) puppy. At the end of the work day, the homeowner returned with news that the colleague who had driven me there (and covered my class) was picking up Darren so he could drive our car - and me - home. I felt so grateful and embarrassed to have caused such a commotion. But mostly grateful.

A call to telehealth on Thursday confirmed that I had a virus and a call to my boss suggested that I take until the end of the weekend to recover. Which I did. Except that this morning again I felt some of the weakness of this crazy virus, but with the help of my husband a successful trip to church ensued! Now for a little more rest and some lesson planning before we try again tomorrow.

Don't get me wrong - this hasn't been the worst week of my life; there have been moments of joy. Darren has humoured me and we've played a few games of Carcassonne, in the last of which I beat him by 3 points after he farmed a 50-point-area. (I realize that will make sense to very few of you, but those of you who can decipher it, you know the joy I felt!) Also, I witnessed for the first time in my life triangular ice pellets today. (see Darren's post for further clarification). And I realized just how fabulous my coworkers are after the way they banded together to take care of me when I was foolish enough to deny the fact that I was sick. Hopefully we won't have a repeat performance tomorrow when I attempt to teach again.