I went to my doctor earlier today. He has diagnosed me with bronchitis, RX’d me the meds the quack at the minute clinic refused to give me and then told me to stay home until Thursday earliest. I’m out of sick days, I’m short over 360.00 because one of my kiddos decided they needed the funds more than I did and lifted it when I was breaking up a fight. We don’t know who. It’s going to be a blue blue Christmas in our household. But, we have each other and we have food and I’m okay with that. We’ll just sit around and watch movies and look at the lights on our trees. Or better yet, resurrect an old tradition we started when we were REALLY broke back in 2001 – each night, cruise a neighborhood and look at lights, with Christmas music playing. Spawn loved it and it was quiet time for the two of us to just be with each other and not let outside distractions bring us down. We focus on our blessings and we have plenty of those.
And, yes. I said TreeS. Plural. There was one in the attic from a previous tenant so we’re going to put it up and use it. God knows I have enough decorations and lights! And tree toppers! We’re going to celebrate the Reason for the Season and bypass the merchandising. Make it more real. And we’ll dig in our pockets and throw our change into the Red Kettle and bring the bell ringer some hot cocoa.
As a result, my Nanowrimo will not be completed this month. It will give me time to spend on it like I like because I actually like the characters and I want to flesh them out more. and make it look like it was not written on a whim. Between the stomach virus, bronchitis, Thanksgiving, my principal passing away… It’s just… no. No. I’m run down and I’m getting ready to go into the craziest season for me and I’m NOT going to even get 2 weeks off. I’ll spend the first week of Christmas vacay, unpacking my room and setting it up. Which reminds me, I have to Pack it up. They are opening the school 2 Saturdays for 5 hours and I have TWO rooms to pack. I just can’t do all this.
To make it worse, Spawn is coming down with it.
Part of me KNOWS I just can’t and another part of me feels like a failure.
And now, the meds are taking over. I better clear off my bed.
zee's muse 
Sounds like it’s all been too much. Sorry to hear about the bronchitis and the theft. I hope you can recuperate now, though.
What Guylty said. How does the system work over there – if you take too many sick days you don’t get paid, is that right? That sucks. And how stupid, too, as if you can regulate how sick you’re going to be.
I must say, there’s a lot to be said for bypassing the consumerism and going back to the meaning of Christmas.
Feel better soon (both of you!) 😘😘😘
We earn our sick days – 1 day each month. They do roll over from year to year if we don’t use them. I knew a teacher who was able to retire on full benefits a semester early because she rarely took a sick day in 30 years and she called them all in.
In most places I’ve worked, you pretty much granted those 10 days at the beginning of the year, however here, they make you earn them as you go. Right now, I don’t care. Spawn has this now. He NEVER gets sick and I gave him this crap! He just emailed his professors to tell hem he’s not going to be in and I’m scrounging stuff for him to take as well.
In the U.K. you are off sick if are sick, and if you need to be off for more then a week you need a doctor to sign that you really are sick. So some people take lots and some hardly any… if you regularly take lots your manager might want to know why, of course. There’s a lot about the American system of work that I think is a bit daft… I worked for the U.K. base of two big American companies in my past.
So sorry spawn is sick too now… 😞 And that’s the other crazy thing… you shouldn’t need to scrounge medicines 😡😡😡
Scrounging was a poor choice of words on my part. I have a SHITLOAD of cold and flu meds at my disposal. I’ll be trying to decide which ones to give Spawn. He rarely gets sick and gets over stuff quickly, something he got from his sperm donor, rather than me.
Sounds like it’s been a difficult time. Hope you both feel much better soon
I do to. I hate sounding like a bottle of bubbly in my bronchial tubes when I’m trying to sleep. Also the dreams this stuff conjures…. scary.