10-1-97 - 216 - Down 7 pounds from the beginning of last month. I hope that antibiotic kicks in soon. Went to work today. Thank God it was early day. Elementary schools get out at 2:00 on Wednesdays. I got home at 2:10 and fell asleep on the couch. Didn't wake up until 5:00. Guess I should have taken another day off. I work again tomorrow and then Friday afternoon. Hope I'm not pushing it and going back too soon. If I don't feel any better tomorrow I will stay home from class again tomorrow night too. Can you believe that you even need a doctor's note for college. I have one for Monday night and I know he will give me one for tomorrow if I feel like I need it. Come to find out the doctor said I was close to having pneumonia. Guess I managed to dodge a pretty big bullet this time. Keep the faith:)
10-4-97 - Still not feeling up to par. Worked the last three days of the week and came home exhausted. I only work half a day Thursday. Came home and took a three hour nap and still only made it half-way through class before having to come home. Thank heaven the instructor understood. I think he just got tired of my coughing and hacking and was really glad to see me leave. Went up to the college library to do research this morning and then took the kids to Walmart this afternoon. Got home around 3:00 and went to bed. Just got up at 6:30 and put supper in the oven. I hope I start feeling better soon. I am getting tired of being tired all the time. Took Timothy for his allergy shot yesterday and the dr wanted to know why I was coughing so much. Had to tell him I can't take cough medicine and go to work cause it puts me to sleep. After one teaspoon of it I can sleep 12 hours straight and I am supposed to take it 4 times a day. What a joke. Oh well, enough complaining for now. I have lost another 2 pounds since Monday. Guess that is one good thing. Keep the faith:)
10-5 - Slowly but surely getting better. Still spent a good part of the day on the couch. Tried to do some school work, but couldn't seem to pull it together enough to concentrate. I hate feeling this way and hope it will pass soon. Felt so bad that I didn't even go out on the boat with my husband and kids. We had a beautiful day in the mid 80s. Did manage to watch the Orioles play Seattle today. They clinched this series and will play either the Yankees or the Indians for the American League Championship. I sure do hope they can go all the way. It has been a long time for us Oriole fans. Haven't been in the World Series since they won in 1983. We are all pumped. Keep the faith:)
10-6 - Well, I finally got smart and turned down 3 sub jobs to stay home and take care of myself. Once again spent almost the entire morning sleeping; but feel much better this afternoon. Even feel well enough to clean the house, which is in pretty bad shape I must say. Hopefully this won't make me too tired to make it to class this evening. I have to go because I have a doctor's excuse for last week; but not one for tonight. The house sure is quiet with everyone gone. I am glad I work most days because all this quiet would drive me crazy. I'm used to my 3 kids and 3 or 4 of their friends being here. Seems like our house is the neighborhood gathering place. I don't mind; because at least then I know what is going on. Some of the kids get here around 10:00 on a Saturday and don't leave til I chase them home when it starts to get dark. In all that time, their parents never call to see if they are here and some of them are only 10. My husband says they are using me as a free baby sitter. Maybe he is right; but as I said, at least I know what they are doing and I like it that way. I have a feeling if the kids were at some of their friends houses they would be allowed to do whatever they wanted and not have any guidance the whole time they were there. Oh yes, my weight was the same as it was Friday.
10-8 - Today is the best I have felt in about 2 weeks. I still took a nap when I got home from work, but I feel much better tonight. Have had to go back on the cough medicine again. Just can't seem to shake the coughing. Sound like an old hound. I walked for about 20 minutes tonight on the treadmill. Then I started to get tired; so I decided I better quit while I was ahead. Hopefully I can walk farther tomorrow. I just typed a rough copy of my second essay for freshman comp. Hopefully I do as well on this one as I did on the first. This one was on family rituals. I used our Christmas traditions as examples and used info from a book on how they started years ago. You would be amazed at how some of our traditions started. See you tomorrow. Keep the faith:)
10-9 - Well, I walked a little bit more today and didn't get as tired. Maybe things are finally looking up. I am typing this while watching the Orioles play the Cleveland Indians again. We are beating them 4 - 2 at the present time, but it is only the sixth inning. I hope we go all the way. Got myself a new Oriole shirt to wear to work tomorrow. They are having an Oriole day at the elementary school where I sub all the time. I am subbing in my favorite SED class tomorrow. Was supposed to be in the Media Center; but got switched out to SED. I read on the list where Dana is subbing in a special education class tomorrow. I prefer special ed over regular ed. The classes are smaller and the kids are generally more well-behaved. (Well, in most cases. I wouldn't necessarily say that is true of the SED class. They can be real pills; but I still like subbing in that class.) I am thinking of making special ed my major and elementary ed my minor. It will take longer to get a degree in special ed; but I think it is something I was meant to do. Well, keep your fingers crossed for the Orioles for me. Keep the faith:)
10-10 - Things went well at school today. I was switched to the Media Center for the last hour and a half this afternoon so that the last class would get their lesson in and get to exchange books. It is kinda hard to switch gears in mid-stream like that; but I am getting used to it. So many times this year I have been supposed to be in one class and have gotten switched to the SED class. It's a good thing I'm a mother. That makes it a little easier. I don't sweat the small stuff. Yesterday and today are the first days I haven't had to come home from work and take a nap. Guess I am finally getting better; though my throat still hurts. Am finished taking the antibiotics. The dr wants me to get a flu shot because of the nature of my job. Haven't gotten it yet because of this bronchitis. Maybe next week. Keep the faith:)
10-11 - Just got done watching a heartbreaking ball game. The Orioles lost to the Indians in the 12th inning. We are playing the next two games in Cleveland. If they win, that means the Orioles don't go to the World Series. It has been 14 years since they have won a Series. I sure hope they get their stuff back together and win this thing. Had a pretty good day. Ate sensibly and got some exercise in. Hope to be able to walk a full three miles tomorrow. It has been a while since I have felt strong enough to do it. Didn't take a nap yesterday; but was in bed by 10:00. I seldom get to bed before 11:30 most nights. Here lately I have been taking a nap and been in bed by 11:00 most nights. Still have a bit of a sore throat and my voice still sounds kinda croaky. Will never be able to get a flu shot at this rate. Have had to take the cough medicine again for the last two or three nights. It tastes horrible and really throws me for a loop. This has got to end soon. Keep the faith:)
10-13 - I couldn't journal yesterday because our computer screwed up. My husband had to completely re-install Newscape today. Had a good day today. Subbed in the Media Center. Next Monday I start long-term subbing in a special education kindergarten class. There are only 7 kids in the class. The sub coordinator hates when I long-term sub because all the teachers who always ask for me to sub in their classes get upset with her when I am unavailable. I feel sorry for her because it isn't her fault; but if they expect me to turn down a long-term job because they want me to sub in their rooms, they must be nuts. You get paid more per day when you long-term sub. Besides, I like knowing that I have a job each day rather than waiting for a call every evening or morning. It will be hectic because I have to stay with them while they eat lunch, I will have cafeteria duty and bus duty and will have to go to their specials with them. Oh well, it will be interesting. Keep the faith:)
10-14 - All the talk of the Canadian Thanksgiving on the list made me hungry for turkey. So I figured, who cares if I live in Maryland; I fixed turkey breast for dinner tonight. Sure did taste good. I was even able to pace myself and quit before I felt as stuffed as the turkey. Make my dressing with fat-free chicken broth instead of butter so I saved a whole lot of calories there. Even made the mashed potatoes with skim milk and butter buds so they were real low fat also. All in all, I think I did a pretty good job of making it a low-fat feast, and no one even noticed the difference. I can tell all the low-fat cooking has made a difference. My husband's cholesterol levels were way down compared to where they were last year. I have got to get back to my full schedule of walking. I have managed to get further on my trip to Pensacola. Should reach Baltimore tomorrow; just in time to take in one of the play off games. Sure hope the Orioles win! Keep the faith:)
10-15 - Didn't get called to sub today; so did an observation for my Education class. I was very impressed with the teacher. Her class was working in small groups (they call it cooperative learning) making travel brochures for St. Michael's Island. This is a small historical town on the eastern shore of Maryland. They visited the place last Friday and this is an extension of their learning experience. The teacher moved smoothly from group to group offering encouragement here and suggestions there. Her class was well behaved and the students worked well together. I also had a good day eating. Had a light breakfast and a turkey sandwich for lunch. Had chicken and potatoes for supper. Still haven't really gotten my appetite back completely. Some days it is better than others. Have been drinking enough water to float a battle ship. Don't ask how much that is; just know it's a lot. Have reached Baltimore in my walk and plan on taking in the ball game. Will post my experiences in my Pensacola page tomorrow. Keep the faith:)
10-18 - Well, I got my flu shot yesterday. Now all I have to do is go two weeks without getting the flu. That may prove difficult working in a special ed kindergarten room. What is it with parents that they send their kids to school when it is obvious to everyone else that they should be home in bed? We have had kids come to school with fevers of 102 degrees or more. That is a little crazy if you ask me. I realize that it is hard to get off from work or find a baby sitter when you have a sick child, but some things just have to come first. I take a day without pay to stay home with my kids when they are sick. I don't get paid sick leave cause I just sub and have no benefits. Oh well, enough of that. I had a terrible day yesterday. I was hungry all day long. I guess it wasn't a total loss because I did eat apples for snacks and not candy or junk like that. I just haven't had a day where I felt hungry all day like that. I was real good though and didn't eat anything at all after dinner. Guess it wasn't a total loss. Hope I don't have any more days like that. Keep the faith:)
10/19 - Today is a cloudy, rainy day. Just the kind of day to curl up and read a good book. However, I have read all the books in the house, even the kid's books, and the library isn't open today. Could go to the dollar store and get one of those trashy romance novels; but they bore me. Give me a good old Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or Tami Hoag novel. Oh well, guess I will just to buckle down and do my homework. Gotta go, time to leave for church. Keep the faith:)
10-21 - Had a good day today. Ate a small breakfast and had a sandwich and apple for lunch. I did have about 2 ounces of pretzels as a snack this afternoon. The room I am working in has snack in the morning and in the afternoon; but I passed when the teacher asked me if I wanted anything. It will be a long 6 - 8 weeks in that room with snacks all the time. I will have to take in carrot sticks or apple slices to eat when they eat their cookies or chips. Wish me luck. Keep the faith:)
10-25 - Well, somehow the last three days have gotten lost. I know I journalled and now they are gone. This is not the first time this has happened to me. Schools were closed for professional day yesterday; but I had to work. Ordinarily as a sub you don't work professional days; but since I am long-term subbing I have to work them. I really don't mind as it is another day's pay for me that I wouldn't have gotten. We went to the new Target store and got some clothes for the kids. It wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. My next pay check I plan on getting some for myself. If my husband is good, I may even get him some. Keep the faith:)
10-28 - Well, daylight savings time is over and I hate it. Of course, I hated it when it was still dark at 7:00 in the morning too. Guess there is just no pleasing me. The kids in the room I am working in are doing real well learning their lunch numbers. They almost have them memorized. Today we worked on making a pattern with some links they could put together to make a chain. The teacher said it was too difficult for them but I could try if I wanted to. We only worked with two colors and they did pretty good putting first one then the other. When they have that down, I will try another pattern with them. We will work on it right after lunch before the teacher comes back into the room. I don't feel like we need her negative vibes while trying something new. They are a real neat group of kids and should be able to try new things once in a while. Keep the faith:)