Black Cloud

Morrissey clutching our "sign"

I may have stated this before but, I like to write this blog at least once a week. Well, I skipped last week. It was actually kind of hard NOT to write. I did not write because I had 160 essays to grade.

The grading wasn't hard. It was just the time it takes to do it. It's not like I don't have three kids, a cat, a new dog and a relationship with my husband to manage. (Not sure "manage" is the right term). So, as difficult as it was, I had to muster up the enthusiasm to complete them. I am proud to say I was successful.

But just when our joy is at its zenith, when all is right with the world, the unthinkable happens. The black cloud descends upon us.

My black cloud came in the form of an evil virus that gave me a sore throat and a terrible case of the flu. It really isn't THAT surprising when you remember the fact that I pretty much work in a petri dish!

On Tuesday we had to administer the mandated California High School Exit Exam-basically, students must pass this state test in order to receive their high school diplomas.  The good thing is we were out by 12:30. The bad thing-I made it until 11:15 and a substitute teacher had to be called in.

It's so disappointing when you have to be sick on a day when you only have to work half of it! I felt kind of ripped off. Cheated.

I ended up having to take 1.5 days off. Which isn't quite the way it sounds . . .

When you have three kids, a dog, a cat and a husband who is also a teacher-a teacher at the same school, no less, just sleeping off the flu is not an option. Its like a living lesson in the British ideology of a "stiff upper lip." You feel like dying but there is no time to die! You must carry on. You must never surrender.

1) Although coughing up phlegm and also having it literally bubble out of your nose, you must still type out detailed lesson plans for the substitute which keep you up until at least 11 PM.
2) Even when your eyes are at half mast, you drive children to school-even with a Niquil hangover.
3) When all you want to do is hurl your tired body into bed and sleep forever, you have to take care of all the things you don't have time to do when you are at work such as making appointments and figuring what in the hell you are going to arrange for your husband's birthday the next day!

The Birthday
I managed to put together a little gathering at our favorite Irish pub-well, favorite pub full stop-The Harp Inn. I emailed and sent out invitations via Facebook to meet up after work on Friday, hoping against hope that I would feel up to the challenge of an evening out.

I managed it okay. By the time I got to the last class of the day, I felt reenergized and happy to have somethng fun to do on a Friday night. I recall feeling that way oh so many years ago.

Roland's birthday gathering at The Harp

So, his birthday ended up being pretty good. I pulled through pretty well, I'd say.

Updates
Moz the dog: Doing well. Adjusting to our home-although he keeps trying to have sex with the cat. Poor Bonnie.

 Moz has a date with destiny (to be neutered) on March 27th. Thereafter, he won't be so keen to have any kind of "relations."

Bonnie will be relieved!

Morrissey the human: The big news is that he appeared on stage with a red rose when he performed in Columbia which is a sign to his Morrisseys World blog readers that the writer of the blog IS really him. (See the picture at the top of this page.)

Speaking of the blog, Morrisseysworld.blogspot.com is up and running again and it has a new chat feature which allows blog readers to discuss in a different forum than Twitter.

His performance in Sao Paolo, Brazil was telecast and is available for viewing. Click below to see it in its entirety.

Morrissey has also added two dates in May for Hawaii, which would be incredible but alas, we cannot afford it.

So, Morrissey has ended his South American tour but resumes touring in Japan in April and later continues through parts of Asia. 

My black cloud has dissipated a little bit.