Are you serious?

As a kid, one dreams of snow days, days off for any reason. Boy was I shocked when I moved South of the Mason Dixon and realized gone were the days of having Pulaski Day off right near my birthday. As I mentioned in my previous post we have only have one FULL week of school since January 3rd, and this week is not unlike the others...another snow day tomorrow!!! I can only imagine what my family in Chicago must think of pitiful Louisiana after they've been digging snow out for months, and we are getting snow days. The first "snow" day we had in January we only got ice. Mind you Southern states are not well equipt for ice, especially with all of the "high" bridges. Again, moving to the South was the first time where I really understood the signs, "bridges may be icy"- they are. The second snow day, we actually received snow! February is when we had a snow dusting last year (that only lasted a few hours) but this years snow managed to stick around almost 24 hours and actually covered the ground. Before I mention our third snow day (which is tomorrow) I feel I need to pause and explain waiting for snow days as a kid.

As a kid part of the excitement of snow days was waking up in the morning and finding out there is no snow! Fast-forward to today, by 4:30 pm the Caddo and Bossier Parishs had canceled school and Desoto (my parish) followed up around 5:30pm. At 4:30 the weather was approximately this: not a cloud in the sky, sunny, and 52 degrees- and we're getting a snow day based on a forecast!!! Please don't take this as complaining, but more of a common sense thing, wait until it's at least cold, or raining or something...

As a teacher, I love the days off too, but am finding that I've lost a whole week of teaching in the past month due to snow days and holidays...hmmm, but again, will just push things back and not complain. After all we have a week off for winter break at the end of this month. Watch it be sunny and 60s the whole time!

In other news, I did have strep throat. Anyone who knows me, knows that the last place I ever want to be is in the doctors office. I definitely inherited my Dad's genes on this one. From the moment I make the appointment (whether it be a well or sick visit) until about an hour after I actually leave the doctors office I am nauseous and jittery. Once arriving to the doctors office I am a total wreck and usually cry, faint, or vomit...sorry docs! I'm probably the only woman in her 20s who still asked her mom or husband to go to the doctor with her, and be in the exam room...

Well, by Monday evening I had pretty much had it with this illness. I can usually take a cold pretty well, but I'm just plain grouchy and moody when I have a sore throat. So I went to an urgent care facility in town. I only waited about 15 minutes to be taken back into the room where the nurse Jeremy asked me the usual questions, you know, the ones that you fill out on all the paperwork before hand, and then told me the doctor would be with me shortly. I hate the little room! Honestly, I was not even nervous or scared about being there though, mostly because it was 7pm and I was exhausted and felt like crap! I was lucky to be put into a children's exam room, because there was a movie playing. It was pretty bad, Shark Tales, maybe...but since I hadn't brought a book or work in with me for the HOUR AND A HALF WAIT I was glad to have a movie to watch and it kept my mind busy. Although I was very tempted to lay down and go to sleep. Once 8pm rolled around I really thought I had been forgotten about, since that was their closing time, so I peeked out of the room and asked the nurse if I could keep the door open because it was getting stuffy.

Eventually the doctor came in, asked the SAME questions from the paperwork and nurse and said I probably had strep. Test results were positive and after another half hour of waiting I was sent on my way to Walgreens to pick up my best friends, antibiotic 1 and steroid 1. I got a full night's sleep on Monday (half in bed, half on the couch) and no more sore throat (mostly). Still have the runny nose, but I can handle that! Still praying that Mason can avoid this all together.

Tonight, I was feeling well enough to go to our OSC function, which was a BUNCO night. I think it was our best social so far this year. I had never played Bunco before, and it was so fun! I even won the prize for having the Even Stephens score card (9 losses and 9 wins). So, maybe Mason will get to go out with me to Newks tomorrow (a local restaurant), that is, if it isn't closed for a snow day.