The Ear That Portends Doom

Some people, usually those with arthritis or a severe injury, feel an ache in their knees when a bad storm is coming. Some people get a rash when they feel stress. I have the Ear That Portends Doom (hereafter ETPD).

It’s not really a magical power. But whenever I am starting to get sick, the ETPD sends me an early warning. It begins to feel like it’s permanently clogged and aches. I find that I begin pressing on the ear trying to get it to stop. For some reason, it is the act of touching the ear that reminds me what this means. If I don’t do something, I’m going down…down, down to sickness town.

The ETPD has been sent me two warnings in the last month. One which I talked about in an earlier post, the last on Friday afternoon. This weekend, though, I wasn’t able to so handily fend it off. I did begin taking Airborne and resting, but I still feel buggy. Today I have a lurking headache and my face hurts a bit, that under-the-skin sinusy pain. I wanted to spend today sleeping, but am currently up for the moment…bored of my bedroom and the couch. I’ve taken refuge in my office and am arranging my iPod (Jim the 2nd) while I listen to “A Breath of Snow and Ashes.”

It’s especially bad timing this week as I have a staff meeting on Wednesday afternoon and a professional development seminar on Thursday. Which means two late evenings for me. Also, it’s just more of a pain to be sick as a teacher than it is in many other professions. I would have to arrange for a substitute and have work ready for them to do in my absence. This would of course mean that I would have to actually go to school to drop it off, in which case, what’s the point? I might as well just stay and work if I can drive down there.

I’ve put a comforting stew in the crockpot for dinner. My nausea from yesterday has mostly subsided. I’m putting that little adventure down to my eating cheese. I just HAVE to learn some time. Today’s dinner has: beef, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, red wine and broth. I can smell it all the way across the house and it’s wonderful. It’s not really stew weather, but yesterday’s storms have put me in the mood for autumn.

I better get used to summer still lurking around or else September’s heat will be especially vexing.

In other surprising news, I’m thinking again about adopting in a few years. I know, it’s crazy, right? I now spend all my days with kids, you’d think that would make me want to avoid that like the plague. I’ve waffled back to the pro-adoption corner. It’s a good thing the hubby is used to my shiny ways. He just sits back and waits to see where I’ll land. Don’t place your bets yet…it’s still early days.