The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Well, I seem to have made it to the finish line.  All my assignments are turned in (some over a full day early!), there are no exams, I'm registered for classes, and I just have one bit of paperwork left to do that I can't do yet because I'm waiting on an email.

This semester has been a hellbeast.  I got sick last week from stress and spent 3 days on the couch, hacking my lungs out and trying to keep down the French onion soup I made from Thanksgiving turkey stock.  (It's surprisingly good with turkey stock instead of beef/chicken!  I may have to do this again.)

Last night one of the Croatians I met working on the Gnalic project a couple summers ago had his going away party - he's been here for the semester studying ship construction - and I went and had quite a good time until 10 pm when I started feeling depressed and bleak.  I left soon after and snuggled on the couch at home in my fuzzy sweatpants, but still felt bleh and went to bed by 11:30 pm which is extremely unusual for me.

This morning I slept in (thanks to a bunch of nightmares that kept me awake in the wee hours) and it was only when I was trying to eat that I realized I was dizzy and nauseated...and sick.  Again.

Despite that, I've worked at my nonprofit job, gotten my online healthcare account set up and my first month's premium paid for, sorted out some crap with my student account, submitted this pay period's time sheet, had lunch, fed the birds, and taken out the trash.

It's appropriate, because I feel like trash.  I may call out of tonight's meeting because infecting people right before Christmas is not good karma.  Plus going out in what is likely to be low 50s high 40s weather after the sun sets with blustery wind isn't going to make me any better, and I need to run errands in Houston tomorrow AND I work the closing shift tomorrow night so I need to be top of my game or stuffed with Dayquil, take your pick.

Somehow I've managed to be quite ahead of the game in some things - I have every last Christmas and birthday gift I needed unless I can find something for my cousin's little girl (been looking but haven't fallen in love with anything) and some catnip for my kitty.  AND they're all wrapped and under my tiny Christmas tree which makes me way too damn happy for my own good.  My entire apartment is tidy, and it's even fairly clean (I scrubbed out the sink night before last, which again, is unusual for me), AND it's decorated for Christmas (thank you, Big Lots/dollar stores everywhere).

Of course, there's plenty of mending and vacuuming and swiffering I both could and should be doing.  But I might just wrap up and lie on the couch and let my poor, swollen head lie back on some soft pillows and with my eyes closed...

Just 9 days til I'm home with my family again!!!

Finals Crunch

Well, it's the first Monday of my two-week finals hell.  Technically, it's a week and a half, since my last paper is due on December 16, but it'll feel like two weeks...or worse, it'll feel like two very long days that just won't end.

I've gotten a LOT done today - did two hours of work for my nonprofit job, sent some rather urgent emails, enrolled in health insurance (huzzah! ...very expensive huzzah, but still), registered for classes, did a sinkful of dishes, took out the trash, and I just now have French onion soup simmering away and it should be ready in 20 minutes or so.  (Had to make it - I need nice warm food to comfort me through finals week, plus although turkey stock made from my Thanksgiving turkey bones will last well, it doesn't last indefinitely.)

I have work from 5-10:30 tonight, and a presentation tomorrow afternoon that is nowhere near ready so I really need to be busting ass on that but damn if I just can't settle down to focus!!  I mean, I've gotten it started but it's just not progressing.  So I'm hoping a few minutes here will herd some of the cats loose in my head and I'll be able to work after I press "publish".

I'm really upset because I was washing one of my pretty IKEA serving bowls and chipped it when it slipped out of my hand and hit the sink.  It's such a tiny chip I hate to throw it away, but I know I can't serve food in it.  Would it be acceptable to keep wrapped candies in it?  It's really a very small chip.  I hope IKEA still makes them anyway.  I'll see when I go to Houston after finals are over to get my parents their Christmas biltong.

Ugh.  Still having trouble focusing.  Perhaps a brisk walk around the building will do the trick??  I can't wait til I'm finished with classes FOREVER!!!!!

Misery

I'm almost certainly ill right now.  I think I'm getting worse.  It doesn't help that it's cold in here - at least I have my mini heater.  I put my throws around my lap, and put the heater underneath (like a giant skirt) and turn it on for two-three minutes.  Then my legs are toasty warm for at least a quarter of an hour if I don't get up to get water.  And hopefully the short bursts of heat won't make my electrical bill hell.

I have three big projects left.  One due this Friday (I work from 11 am onward so I have to turn it in early in the morning), one due the next Friday, and one due the Thursday after that.  I need to get up early and go in to campus to get part of the first done on a campus computer. 

I really feel awful.  I need to work on my projects but my head is killing me.  I wish I could call out of work for two weeks to get all this stuff done.

I think I'll go to bed in a little bit.  I can't get much work done with a nasty headache.