The Daily News
1 Got home yesterday; conked out.
2 Chills. Beginning of a dry hack.
3 I recognize when my body tells me to slow down.
4 Around a bazillion years ago I was driving home on a cold and rainy afternoon.
5 I had an old VW bug that had defrost issues.
6 Same symptoms: chills and a jitters and a sense I was freezing to death. My fingers were icicles. I could see my breath. The cold traveled through me like a thousand ghosts.
7 I couldn't see the road, and went super slow down Story Road.
8 Bright lights suddenly exploded all around me.
9 I drifted to the right and saw that a cop had pulled me over.
10 "Can I see your driver's license?" he asked. The flashlight seemed aimed at my eyes.
11 "Sure."
12 I gave him my license.
13 "Have you been drinking tonight?"
14 That hadn't even crossed my mind. I was trying to get home without freezing solid. I shivered, "No sir, just feeling really cold and sick."
15 He looked closer.
16 "You haven't been drinking, but you look like you need to get home. You were swerving a bit back there. What I need you to do is get home safely, and be sure everyone else is safe."
17 "Yes sir."
18 And I was on my way.
19 What I didn't know was that I was hit with light pneumonia. I got home and couldn't budge.
20 Anybody who knows me knows I really don't like staying home from work. I like staying current and ahead of things, since it is so easy in this profession to fall behind.
21 I especially don't like having substitutes. It's nothing against substitutes, but something inevitably falters and one class doesn't get the lesson, which puts the rest of the week out of sync.
22 It's a hard one to describe but it happens.
23 Teachers like it when all classes are on the same page at the same time. It makes for much easier planning.
24 If I'm usually within a page or two of other classes I can fudge here or joke there and steer things safely home.
25 Pneumonia.
26 I remember going to the doctor and her saying, "You look terrible." She instantly had me coughing into napkins and stuff.
27 I was under doctor's orders to rest.
28 That's sort of a dream to a lot of people, but I was nervous about my classes. Who would fill in? What lesson plans could I possibly make that would take care of a few days of lessons?
29 It didn't matter. You don't mess with something that severe.
30 I somehow made it.
31
32 I had those same feeling yesterday afternoon. I got home and climbed under a comforter. I simply couldn't move. Pure exhaustion yes, but also the shivers and all.
33 I slept through a lot of the afternoon and early eve, then got up and about for a bit, and then conked out again.
34 I got up this morning and felt much more rested. I still have that cough, but that doctor knew just what to do. I don't like taking too many medications, so I stick to water and rest.
35 And healthy eating, which consists of blasting lots of fresh fruits and veggies into shakes. I don't really care if they taste good or not as long as I'm throwing good things into my body.
36 Whew.
37 I feel fine right now, and we are on a minimum day, so if I have to bail, I could bail after school is out. I may need to.
38 Anyway, watch for this bug. It's out there. I had five kids out of one class yesterday, and that is a high amount. If you have those symptoms, take some time off and recover.
39 End of lecture.
40 Dr. Harrington will now report for duty.
41 I feel the worst is behind and that I may have licked this thing.
42 Sure hope so.
43 Take care.
44 See you again.
45 Peace.
10 "Can I see your driver's license?" he asked. The flashlight seemed aimed at my eyes.
11 "Sure."
12 I gave him my license.
13 "Have you been drinking tonight?"
14 That hadn't even crossed my mind. I was trying to get home without freezing solid. I shivered, "No sir, just feeling really cold and sick."
15 He looked closer.
16 "You haven't been drinking, but you look like you need to get home. You were swerving a bit back there. What I need you to do is get home safely, and be sure everyone else is safe."
17 "Yes sir."
18 And I was on my way.
19 What I didn't know was that I was hit with light pneumonia. I got home and couldn't budge.
20 Anybody who knows me knows I really don't like staying home from work. I like staying current and ahead of things, since it is so easy in this profession to fall behind.
21 I especially don't like having substitutes. It's nothing against substitutes, but something inevitably falters and one class doesn't get the lesson, which puts the rest of the week out of sync.
22 It's a hard one to describe but it happens.
23 Teachers like it when all classes are on the same page at the same time. It makes for much easier planning.
24 If I'm usually within a page or two of other classes I can fudge here or joke there and steer things safely home.
25 Pneumonia.
26 I remember going to the doctor and her saying, "You look terrible." She instantly had me coughing into napkins and stuff.
27 I was under doctor's orders to rest.
28 That's sort of a dream to a lot of people, but I was nervous about my classes. Who would fill in? What lesson plans could I possibly make that would take care of a few days of lessons?
29 It didn't matter. You don't mess with something that severe.
30 I somehow made it.
31
32 I had those same feeling yesterday afternoon. I got home and climbed under a comforter. I simply couldn't move. Pure exhaustion yes, but also the shivers and all.
33 I slept through a lot of the afternoon and early eve, then got up and about for a bit, and then conked out again.
34 I got up this morning and felt much more rested. I still have that cough, but that doctor knew just what to do. I don't like taking too many medications, so I stick to water and rest.
35 And healthy eating, which consists of blasting lots of fresh fruits and veggies into shakes. I don't really care if they taste good or not as long as I'm throwing good things into my body.
36 Whew.
37 I feel fine right now, and we are on a minimum day, so if I have to bail, I could bail after school is out. I may need to.
38 Anyway, watch for this bug. It's out there. I had five kids out of one class yesterday, and that is a high amount. If you have those symptoms, take some time off and recover.
39 End of lecture.
40 Dr. Harrington will now report for duty.
41 I feel the worst is behind and that I may have licked this thing.
42 Sure hope so.
43 Take care.
44 See you again.
45 Peace.
~H~
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