Trust me, I'm an expert!
The 104 F fever broke on Christmas night. By Boxing Day I was down to a manageable 100 F, and believe me it made a lot of difference. I got up at lunch time and managed to eat a sandwich, the first real meal I'd eaten since Tuesday. During the afternoon I played a few hands of cards with the family, making sure I was sat away from FIL. Then it was back to bed till the following day.
It took till New Year's Eve before I could face going out shopping. Over Christmas our dishwasher gave up the ghost - not funny when there are 7 of you to feed and wash up after. So on New Year's Eve A and I braved the cold and the crowds (what crowds, I've seen worse on a typical Sunday in Southampton) and went to John Lewis. Our new toy arrived 2 days ago and the kids are very happy. We are just waiting for the special offer pan set to arrive (out of stock of course). Needless to say I was very tired after the trip into town. However I managed to stay up till after midnight but had to forego any partying.
One thing I have noticed is that my memory is not up to speed. Someone at our local Home Ed group apologised for not sending me an e-mail over the festivities, containing some information he thought I should read. I needed a lot of prompting to recall that he was supposed to do this and what it was all about. I find myself getting distracted from the job in hand and then forgetting to go back and finish off - I now know how A feels as this is his default position.
Tiredness is still an issue, albeit diminishing slowly. I am finding it hard to wake up before 8.30. During the holidays it was 9.30 and more usually it was 10.00. This was despite going to bed and being asleep by 11pm.
I have been avoiding as much social contact as I can. My immune system has taken a battering over the last 2 - 3 months and I'd like it to recover. As I sit and type this I am feeling snuffly. Last night I sneezed a few times. No more illness, please!
This cold weather is supposed to go tomorrow. Everyone keeps saying that it should kill off all the germs. So how come so many people are ill?!
Saturday, 10 January 2009
Friday, 26 December 2008
A not so merry Christmas
On Tuesday it felt like I had yet another catarrh waterfall down the back of my throat and my cough returned with a vengeance, especially after trying to talk to anyone for more than a few moments. That evening I got really cold. By the time I went to bed I was shaking that violently I could have whipped cream with no voluntary effort on my part. A got me a hot water bottle to add to the double layer of blanket over a heavy duvet, as well as a nightie and socks. It still took over an hour to stop shaking.
During the night I warmed up so discarded many of the extras. The next morning I had REALLY warmed up - to 102 F! Not good. Plus my appetite disappeared (really not good), and family had arrived the previous day for the festivities. One of them has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease so me being laid up with something yukky was seriously not a good idea. Hence I spent the day in bed doing a lot of sleeping and drinking just enough lemonade to stop A nagging at me about dehydration. I was coughing, blowing my nose, drowning in catarrh, going hot and cold yet maintaining the 102 F, couldn't have eaten a crumb, it felt like my eyes were being squeezed out of my head, and my poor leg joints were in agony. Just what you need on Christmas Eve! Mum said it sounded like the flu and to stay in bed. Well I certainly wasn't in any fit state to argue.
Christmas Eve night was a disaster, sleeping maybe 45 mins to an hour then spending the same again awake coughing and trying to get comfortable (oh, and I discovered that too much coughing gives you stress incontinence - hope it goes away just as quick). Needless to say I was a zombie come present-opening time and just mindlessly unwrapped anything passed my way (including one that should have been for my Mum and Dad, sorry Bro). I went back to bed to sleep till lunch was ready. It was more in hope than expectation that I put some food on my plate - it looked and smelt great! Unfortunately 3 bites later (1 roast potato, half a chipolata and a small piece of turkey) that was me full, so back to bed.
Later that evening I was sweating even more. A took my temperature to find it had climbed even more, to 104 F! Half an hour later I got my Mum to give me a tepid bath because, by then, it felt like it was climbing even more and I was beginning to feel a bit panicky. During the night I slept better, though I woke up once and found the pillow and the upper part of the duvet soaked with sweat.
This morning my temperature was pretty much back to normal. Today I have begun to eat again. I managed to play cards for a while this afternoon. I'm back in bed now with my trusty laptop whilst the family get up to their last night of festive frolics.
So, sorry I haven't been online wishing you all Season's Greetings. Hope you all had a good time. I'll be back in circulation over the weekend, fingers crossed.
During the night I warmed up so discarded many of the extras. The next morning I had REALLY warmed up - to 102 F! Not good. Plus my appetite disappeared (really not good), and family had arrived the previous day for the festivities. One of them has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease so me being laid up with something yukky was seriously not a good idea. Hence I spent the day in bed doing a lot of sleeping and drinking just enough lemonade to stop A nagging at me about dehydration. I was coughing, blowing my nose, drowning in catarrh, going hot and cold yet maintaining the 102 F, couldn't have eaten a crumb, it felt like my eyes were being squeezed out of my head, and my poor leg joints were in agony. Just what you need on Christmas Eve! Mum said it sounded like the flu and to stay in bed. Well I certainly wasn't in any fit state to argue.
Christmas Eve night was a disaster, sleeping maybe 45 mins to an hour then spending the same again awake coughing and trying to get comfortable (oh, and I discovered that too much coughing gives you stress incontinence - hope it goes away just as quick). Needless to say I was a zombie come present-opening time and just mindlessly unwrapped anything passed my way (including one that should have been for my Mum and Dad, sorry Bro). I went back to bed to sleep till lunch was ready. It was more in hope than expectation that I put some food on my plate - it looked and smelt great! Unfortunately 3 bites later (1 roast potato, half a chipolata and a small piece of turkey) that was me full, so back to bed.
Later that evening I was sweating even more. A took my temperature to find it had climbed even more, to 104 F! Half an hour later I got my Mum to give me a tepid bath because, by then, it felt like it was climbing even more and I was beginning to feel a bit panicky. During the night I slept better, though I woke up once and found the pillow and the upper part of the duvet soaked with sweat.
This morning my temperature was pretty much back to normal. Today I have begun to eat again. I managed to play cards for a while this afternoon. I'm back in bed now with my trusty laptop whilst the family get up to their last night of festive frolics.
So, sorry I haven't been online wishing you all Season's Greetings. Hope you all had a good time. I'll be back in circulation over the weekend, fingers crossed.
Friday, 12 December 2008
The Lofty Ideals of Youth
My two have never been fame-obsessed, preferring to be in the crowd than stand out from it. D, however, has always fancied the idea of coming up with an accurate (note, not perfect) way of predicting earthquakes and/or volcanic eruptions. This would probably make him famous amongst geologists and people whose lives are regularly affected by such things, but his name wouldn't be on the lips of all and sundry. Today he was talking about coming up with a safe, alternative fuel to hydrocarbons (oil and coal to the rest of us).
K, who normally shuns the limelight even more than her brother, has decided it would be cool (her word) to discover a cure for a disease and has decided to work really hard at college and earn a place at Oxbridge.
Either something will happen to shatter their dreams or I have given birth to two future Nobel Prize winners. And then I'll be famous too. (EEK!)
K, who normally shuns the limelight even more than her brother, has decided it would be cool (her word) to discover a cure for a disease and has decided to work really hard at college and earn a place at Oxbridge.
Either something will happen to shatter their dreams or I have given birth to two future Nobel Prize winners. And then I'll be famous too. (EEK!)
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
College Interviews - round 2
This time last year D was having interviews to choose where he wanted to go to college. He happily settled on the one that was the furthest from home but, as they had let him in to do Adult Education 2 years too early, I was ok with that.
This year it is K's turn. Yesterday she had an interview at D's college. They were quite rigid in their requirements that K would need 5 GCSEs to do A-levels or she would have to do a BTEC instead. Neither option really appealed to us. If she opted for another GCSE then she would have to get the coursework in by February as well as working like a slave to get the syllabus covered. If she opted to do an IGCSE instead (no coursework) then she would have to be ready to sit the exam during April/May. Again, these courses are supposed to be for 2 years so the workload would be crazy. K had it in her head that somehow BTECs were second-rate compared to A-levels and didn't want to do it. You know how intractable she can be about some things.
Today we went to a different college, one that was at the top of her list to go to. They were more than happy to let her do her choice of A-levels as long as she got at least Grade Cs in her GCSEs/IGCSEs. She has already passed 2 of them so it should be fairly easy for her to meet this requirement. K has now decided that she is definitely going here and can't wait for September.
This year it is K's turn. Yesterday she had an interview at D's college. They were quite rigid in their requirements that K would need 5 GCSEs to do A-levels or she would have to do a BTEC instead. Neither option really appealed to us. If she opted for another GCSE then she would have to get the coursework in by February as well as working like a slave to get the syllabus covered. If she opted to do an IGCSE instead (no coursework) then she would have to be ready to sit the exam during April/May. Again, these courses are supposed to be for 2 years so the workload would be crazy. K had it in her head that somehow BTECs were second-rate compared to A-levels and didn't want to do it. You know how intractable she can be about some things.
Today we went to a different college, one that was at the top of her list to go to. They were more than happy to let her do her choice of A-levels as long as she got at least Grade Cs in her GCSEs/IGCSEs. She has already passed 2 of them so it should be fairly easy for her to meet this requirement. K has now decided that she is definitely going here and can't wait for September.
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Oh for a simple life
I'm STILL coughing and I'm not overly impressed. It's now just over 3 weeks since I got this virus and if I wake up tomorrow with no symptoms at all it will not be a minute too soon.
I haven't heard anything from the full-time trainee international shipping clerk interview I went to. As far as my hazy recollection goes (all that excess catarrh production gummed up the memory banks) I was supposed to hear at the end of last week. My referees haven't been contacted so no news is bad news.
I did go for another interview last Friday as a part-time media lab assistant at Southampton's General Hospital. This would see me making batches of algar, ordering supplies and checking them off the files as they are delivered, etc. There is no chance of any promotion to something more technical. And don't get me started about parking! Oh alright then, I'll get started. There is NO parking on site for staff, only doctors and patients/visitors. Underlings have to find a parking space where they can in the surrounding area. Most of the streets have a maximum parking limit of 2 hours so that's not much use. From where I live I would need to catch 2 buses each way, adding a total of about 4 hours to my working day - not a chance! Fortunately I didn't get that job either.
On Tuesday I found an advert for a Trainee Legal Executive with the County Council, paying £18K - £21K. Now that is what I call a starting salary! You only need a minimum of 4 GCSEs and a willingness to take ILEX (Institute of Legal Executives) qualifications so you can lose the Trainee tag. So far so good.
On Wednesday I spent a good proportion of the day at a local Special School, the one that I put myself through the Great South Run for. The headmaster had organised a Vision Day where he, the staff and the therapists could discuss the school's needs and aims for the future. Friend A & I were invited to attend as we have been asked to fundraise the megabucks needed to bring some of this into fruition. Unfortunately friend A couldn't make it so I went alone, armed with a big notebook. The wishlist was divided into 'Short Term', 'Medium Term' and 'Blue Sky' (aka what you'd like if there was a blank cheque book involved). Let me tell you that there was a lot of consensus in all three categories and none of it was particularly cheap. Primarily the school needs more storage space. The size of the equipment that some of the pupils need is huge and there's just nowhere to put it. A good proportion of the attendees would like to knock the building down and start again. This building has been up since roughly the 70s, but wasn't designed with children with mobility issues in mind. Looks like we're going to be busy raising money, which is going to be interesting given the current financial climate.
Today I was having a good think about the Trainee Legal Exec. job. With it being 37 hours per week and studying on top there certainly wouldn't be enough time (or sanity) left to help the school. Husband A had already said that jumping straight back into full-time work after 17+ years as a housewife/mother might be a bit much, and he didn't want me to overdo it. He likes the starting salary for this position (and who wouldn't) but he agrees that I would be beyond exhausted by the end of the week, and that is not good for family harmony.
I suppose it sounds like I'm running from a challenge, and maybe I am. But A's original suggestion to me was to find a part-time job, so obviously a salary below £10K is acceptable to the family budget. This would then leave me time and energy to devote to raising funds for the school, as well as the usual housework/shopping/supervising K's education/etc.
This evening I found another job, part-time, wanting administrative support for the Children's Services team. These have a lot of dealings with children with special educational needs (SEN) and the knowledge I would gain there would certainly be helpful in my fundraising capacity.
Decisions, decisions.
I haven't heard anything from the full-time trainee international shipping clerk interview I went to. As far as my hazy recollection goes (all that excess catarrh production gummed up the memory banks) I was supposed to hear at the end of last week. My referees haven't been contacted so no news is bad news.
I did go for another interview last Friday as a part-time media lab assistant at Southampton's General Hospital. This would see me making batches of algar, ordering supplies and checking them off the files as they are delivered, etc. There is no chance of any promotion to something more technical. And don't get me started about parking! Oh alright then, I'll get started. There is NO parking on site for staff, only doctors and patients/visitors. Underlings have to find a parking space where they can in the surrounding area. Most of the streets have a maximum parking limit of 2 hours so that's not much use. From where I live I would need to catch 2 buses each way, adding a total of about 4 hours to my working day - not a chance! Fortunately I didn't get that job either.
On Tuesday I found an advert for a Trainee Legal Executive with the County Council, paying £18K - £21K. Now that is what I call a starting salary! You only need a minimum of 4 GCSEs and a willingness to take ILEX (Institute of Legal Executives) qualifications so you can lose the Trainee tag. So far so good.
On Wednesday I spent a good proportion of the day at a local Special School, the one that I put myself through the Great South Run for. The headmaster had organised a Vision Day where he, the staff and the therapists could discuss the school's needs and aims for the future. Friend A & I were invited to attend as we have been asked to fundraise the megabucks needed to bring some of this into fruition. Unfortunately friend A couldn't make it so I went alone, armed with a big notebook. The wishlist was divided into 'Short Term', 'Medium Term' and 'Blue Sky' (aka what you'd like if there was a blank cheque book involved). Let me tell you that there was a lot of consensus in all three categories and none of it was particularly cheap. Primarily the school needs more storage space. The size of the equipment that some of the pupils need is huge and there's just nowhere to put it. A good proportion of the attendees would like to knock the building down and start again. This building has been up since roughly the 70s, but wasn't designed with children with mobility issues in mind. Looks like we're going to be busy raising money, which is going to be interesting given the current financial climate.
Today I was having a good think about the Trainee Legal Exec. job. With it being 37 hours per week and studying on top there certainly wouldn't be enough time (or sanity) left to help the school. Husband A had already said that jumping straight back into full-time work after 17+ years as a housewife/mother might be a bit much, and he didn't want me to overdo it. He likes the starting salary for this position (and who wouldn't) but he agrees that I would be beyond exhausted by the end of the week, and that is not good for family harmony.
I suppose it sounds like I'm running from a challenge, and maybe I am. But A's original suggestion to me was to find a part-time job, so obviously a salary below £10K is acceptable to the family budget. This would then leave me time and energy to devote to raising funds for the school, as well as the usual housework/shopping/supervising K's education/etc.
This evening I found another job, part-time, wanting administrative support for the Children's Services team. These have a lot of dealings with children with special educational needs (SEN) and the knowledge I would gain there would certainly be helpful in my fundraising capacity.
Decisions, decisions.
Monday, 17 November 2008
Been for an interview OR Don't judge a company by the building they work in
Gosh! Two posts in one day! Don't get excited, it won't last.
My bright idea about signing on now I am job hunting has bit the dust. Because I haven't paid any NI contributions (and my Home Responsibilities from claiming Child Benefit don't count) for the past 2 - 5 years (try over 17) I can't claim contribution-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA). Because of A's salary there's no way in hell I'd get means-tested Allowance.
To claim either of the JSAs you need to apply for at least 2 jobs per week, use the Job Centre's database to find jobs twice a week, plus buy the local papers on Thursdays when the Jobs section is in. And you HAVE to take the evidence of this in when you go to sign on.
It was whilst I was waiting to find out if the Government were going to sponsor my job hunting that I applied for a full-time position as a Trainee International Shipping Clerk. Now, full-time is not really what I am after at the moment but, having previous transport experience (albeit out of date) that it intigued me. Imagine my joy when they offered me an interview.
I was concerned to discover that the office was upstairs above a shop in the main shopping street. Not the big haulage yard I was expecting. However, all my worries evaporated once the interview started. The job is varied and definitely enough to keep my brain out of mischief. I won't have time to die of boredom, that's for sure. I would start out on the export side of the business, preparing the necessary paperwork, keeping the customers informed of expected arrival dates (and grovelling when the smelly hits the whirly). There is so much to it that I didn't absorb all of it. Everyone is on first name terms with everyone else. Everyone does their share of tea-mashing and running to the post office. The directors in head office are quite happy to chat to whoever answers the phone (the company has offices/warehouses in various cities nationwide).
The salary's not bad either - £15,000. There are pay rises, bonuses, profit shares, performance related stuff, etc to go on that. Plus after a period of time there is private healthcare and a company pension scheme where the company pays in 5% of your salary and you aren't obligated to pay any more in, unless you want to.
I should find out by the end of the week if I've been lucky.
My bright idea about signing on now I am job hunting has bit the dust. Because I haven't paid any NI contributions (and my Home Responsibilities from claiming Child Benefit don't count) for the past 2 - 5 years (try over 17) I can't claim contribution-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA). Because of A's salary there's no way in hell I'd get means-tested Allowance.
To claim either of the JSAs you need to apply for at least 2 jobs per week, use the Job Centre's database to find jobs twice a week, plus buy the local papers on Thursdays when the Jobs section is in. And you HAVE to take the evidence of this in when you go to sign on.
It was whilst I was waiting to find out if the Government were going to sponsor my job hunting that I applied for a full-time position as a Trainee International Shipping Clerk. Now, full-time is not really what I am after at the moment but, having previous transport experience (albeit out of date) that it intigued me. Imagine my joy when they offered me an interview.
I was concerned to discover that the office was upstairs above a shop in the main shopping street. Not the big haulage yard I was expecting. However, all my worries evaporated once the interview started. The job is varied and definitely enough to keep my brain out of mischief. I won't have time to die of boredom, that's for sure. I would start out on the export side of the business, preparing the necessary paperwork, keeping the customers informed of expected arrival dates (and grovelling when the smelly hits the whirly). There is so much to it that I didn't absorb all of it. Everyone is on first name terms with everyone else. Everyone does their share of tea-mashing and running to the post office. The directors in head office are quite happy to chat to whoever answers the phone (the company has offices/warehouses in various cities nationwide).
The salary's not bad either - £15,000. There are pay rises, bonuses, profit shares, performance related stuff, etc to go on that. Plus after a period of time there is private healthcare and a company pension scheme where the company pays in 5% of your salary and you aren't obligated to pay any more in, unless you want to.
I should find out by the end of the week if I've been lucky.
Germs everywhere
Three days after the South Run I started feeling a bit peaky. By the following Sunday evening my throat was dry, my nose was sniffly, but otherwise I felt reasonably ok. Monday was a repeat. Monday evening I looked in the mirror - and found that someone had decided to drizzle white stuff all over my tonsils!!!!! The rest of the week was spent on antibiotics, whilst the viral side of the cold got worse. I had to cancel a Girls Night Out because it was taking all my effort to stay awake and civilised.
Last week I started to improve. This week the coughing has almost stopped, which is more than I can say for D who has been full of germs for just as long. K has had similar symptoms to me but hers have been around for a few days longer and are taking a little longer to go away.
Even now one side of my throat feels bruised when I swallow - no yasty white stuff now. Tonight my nose has started filling up again. Round 2 or continuation of the last 3 weeks?
Last week I started to improve. This week the coughing has almost stopped, which is more than I can say for D who has been full of germs for just as long. K has had similar symptoms to me but hers have been around for a few days longer and are taking a little longer to go away.
Even now one side of my throat feels bruised when I swallow - no yasty white stuff now. Tonight my nose has started filling up again. Round 2 or continuation of the last 3 weeks?
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