There Is No Mention Of Figure Skating In This Post

I’ve now been sick for almost an entire week. Laryngitis and snot and the worst rattling chest sounds make me think this is not just a little sinusitis. I coughed ALL NIGHT last night. I tried to sleep sitting up, since that (I thought) would keep the coughing to a minimum, but it didn’t work. I woke up every hour hacking up part of a lung. I should own stock in Puffs Tissues. I went to work on Monday feeling quite rotten and was given an antibiotic and some sinus/cough meds which have not done any good at all. I don’t like taking antibiotics, so I should have declined them, but I didn’t. I still had hope, then.

Now for the good news! Yesterday morning at 10:16 I received a phone call from my lovely boss in which she informed me that she was firing me. She couldn’t be a real woman and just tell me that she was firing me because she didn’t like me. No. She said she was firing me because I was taking too many days off. DAYS OFF because I am sick. Guess where I was infected? Is that irony? I get fired because I got sick. I got sick because I work in a medical clinic that is full of sick people all day and I have direct contact with them for eight solid hours. Well, bless her heart, the witch, she said she needed someone in my job whom she could depend on to be at work. If I’d gone to work sick, I guess I’d still have that sorry-ass job. This isn’t irony, this is a blessing. Truly a blessing. I could fight back, I know, but it would mean that I’d have to hire an attorney, eventually, because this is the largest medical clinic in this area and the Powerful People stick together. No way would they tell me they have a sorry manager who was wrong to fire someone because she missed work due to illness. It’s just not worth it to me to try to fight a battle I’d definitely lose. I think I will, however, apply for unemployment. I’ll have to fight for that, too, but that won’t be difficult. My coworker, the one who sits next to me, was out for an entire week with a migraine and no one said one word to her. Do you detect a little favoritism going on there? That type of treatment is frowned upon by the Employment Security Division and they will hear all about it if I have to use that to get what I deserve. It’s been this way ever since I started the job, and now I can forget about it and move on to something else. I feel better getting this off my rattling, fluid-filled chest.

On the bright side, this is going to be a fun weekend, in between naps. Emily’s birthday is Sunday and we’re celebrating all weekend. She’s having her friends over at her house tonight for a sleep over, so Reece is spending the night with me. He’s sick, too, so we’ll cough and snort together while we snuggle and eat pizza and cookies and watch movies. (Cute digression: Reece called me Wednesday night to tell me I needed to get better soon, and he said he wasn’t feeling so hot, either, and then he said, “This is funny that we’re sitting here talking about our illnesses.” I replied, “Yeah, Reece, we sound like a couple of old people.” He agreed. He’s eight years old and reminds me so much of his dad.) I’m looking forward to getting to spend some time with him.

Saturday night, Emily and I are going to see The Diary of Anne Frank at our local playhouse. We’re both looking forward to that.

Finally, on Sunday, Emily’s actual birthday, the whole extended family is going to dinner and we will shower our darling girl with gifts and have a good time watching her face light up until it is so bright we have to take out our sunglasses to cut the glare. Pictures will be posted.

So, in summary: sick...fired...Reece staying over...seeing a play with Emily...celebrating a birthday. Things are looking up!