Dusk and Fog

The very early morning hours, just before the sun comes up, and the late afternoon hours just as the sun goes to bed are my very favorite times of the clock. Those dim hours give much inspiration for quiet reflection. Today's dusk is even better.

As I walked out of my apartment to get the mail, I realized that not only could I see a huge fog bank beginning to make its way inland, but I could smell it and feel it on my skin. The sky was pale yellow, as the sun I presume was sinking below the horizon. The fog had made its way through the park across the street, obscuring the jungle gym and the trees and turning the grass white.

To me, that kind of fog is absolutely the most beautiful thing on God's green earth. It muffles all sound, turns the world quiet. Paired with the dimming light, it infuses everything with a wonderful peacefulness that calms the soul. The air was cool after a long warm day, and the fresh taste of the wet air made me feel great. I could breathe it in deep without inspiring a coughing fit (of which I constantly suffer after my bout with the flu week before last).

Now I have the evening to look forward to, both at home and at work. The world as I know it is slowly being enveloped in beautiful obscurity. How I love the fog.

There is a last time for everything...

On Monday I subbed for a preschool moderate/severe handicap class. I didn't do much, not knowing what to do, and the class was very capably handled by several very competent aides. The kids were cute...all of them were about 4 to 5 years old. And several of them were sick. These were kids who weren't really able to go to the potty by themselves, much less cover their mouths or blow their noses. They sprayed stuff everywhere. We dutifully cleaned up all the messes, including the ones under their noses....but it didn't help. How only a few kids were sick, I don't know. They should all have been sick. And all who were should have been at home, in bed, with mom nearby.

Instead they were relying on me, among others, and they got me sick. Monday night I had a bad headache. Tuesday I subbed for a 5 grade class all day, and had a slightly sore throat and a headache all day, with the sore throat getting worse as the day progressed. I canceled my job for Wednesday, and good thing too, because Wednesday I started leaking. By the end of Wednesday I had consumed 3 extra large boxes of Kleenex, and by the end of Thursday, another 3 were added to that toll. Today has been just as bad, except that I am coughing now too. And the coughing has been pretty nasty. Throw in several days of off and on chills and fevers, and three nights of very uncomfortable and restless sleep, and you can see how crappy my week has been.

The doctor that I finally got in to see today gave me a couple of things. One of them is an antibacterial drug that I'm to wait to use another day, in case this is viral, which means it has almost run its course. The other is a syrup for the coughing, that also has Codeine in it, which should put me to sleep. Yay! I have partaken of the syrup and am now waiting to be blissfully unaware of my surroundings.

As I wait, I mourn the lost opportunities of getting to sub for a high school biology teacher (who had two periods of AP bio to boot), getting another few hours added to my meager payroll at Starbucks, and having my brother visit. He has a race tomorrow, and was going to stay the night and spend Saturday with me, but now for obvious reasons, he made other plans. Oh well.

Aside from the drugs and the obvious desire for all of this to go away, I wish I had my mommy here, to give me a hug and tuck me into bed....growing up sucks when you are sick. This is the LAST time I EVER sub (babysit) for a preschool class. EVER.