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Location: Upstate, South Carolina, United States

I think that the Meredith Brooks' song, "Bitch," summarizes me rather nicely. Or, if you prefer, X. dell says I'm a life-smart literary scholar with a low BS tolerance...that also works!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

The Plague

I ended up getting round two of the plague. Go me! I had a fever and have been sick now since last Saturday. It's Wednesday, and without the miracle of drugs I'd not make it to school. I warn the students to keep their distance so I don't breathe on them, and then we continue. Life goes on.

It's funny how a fever will totally knock me out if I have one. Let me clarify: I never feel a fever unless it's high. Numerous times in my life, my mom would tell me, Kira...you're running a fever! I wouldn't believe her until we took my temp. I run a fever with every cold or anything. I don't need a thermometer at this point; 103 is the earliest temp wherein I feel it. 104, my mind gets foggy. 105, I hallucinate and talk to doors. I've had three 105 degree F fevers in my life, and all three times I hallucinated, so I know that's the pattern. The end.

On Saturday, I woke up and was bewildered. It was still sometime in the early hours of the morning, and I had no idea what was wrong (fever of 104). After moving around and being confused, Alex woke up and knew something was odd with me. He made me take nyquil, massaged my scalp, and I fell back asleep. I had chaotic dreams. I think the strangest dreams I ever have are when I have a fever...and typically there are ones I need to pay attention to in the mix. I awoke about two hours later in a pool of sweat, the fever having broken. It came back and broke again several other times, all the way through Monday night. The only good part of it all: the ex had the kids for the duration. I could actually BE sick. Whew!

This week for me is all about reviewing papers. Ug! And today, well, even though it's Vday, my spouse is in another city....so, ug! But the day was still rather cute. Why, you ask? ANDREW! Yes, my daughter's nine year old boyfriend still impresses me. He discovered she wanted a Beta (the fish). He bought her a Beta that was blue (her favorite color) with a red tail (for Valentine's Day...no really, that's what he told me). He got her a container, pretty rocks, a decorative item, and a snail so that she wouldn't have to worry about algae/cleaning it too much. Oh, and also Beta food. Then he bought her seven red carnations. Why seven, you ask? Well, he told me! He said that's all he could afford with his allowance money after buying the Beta...haha! I swear this kid is tremendous. I wish I could just marry them off and never worry about my daughter again.

****

One of my office mates, Jill, received a Valentine's Day card from a student. She said it was ok because it was a friendly one from a girl. She mentioned she only worried about stuff like that if it were from a guy because the guys there are generally much bigger than her. I responded, "Nah, that's why God made men have external genitalia: the great leveler! You can lay a man flat. You know where to hit. You're good." I can thank my older brothers for teaching me that essential knowledge. Thanks Mark, Ken! I appreciate being shown how to deal with a big guy!

****

Speaking of that general issue, I was talking to a former Tech student who is now a Clemson student. He used to make all sorts of suggestive comments to me while I was there. I suspect he was the student who wrote in that one of my greatest advantages as a teacher was "wearing cleavage shirts and being sarcastic." Anyway, I told him that the Clemson guys didn't hit on me like the Tech guys did. I mean, I get maybe a tenth of the outrageous flirting and hitting upon that I got at Tech. I told him it was one of two things: either I had finally, at 37, gotten too old to appeal to even hyper hormonal 18 yr olds, or the guys at CU tried to be more respectful of their professors than the Tech kids. He laughed immediately and said, Oh Kira! You're SO not too old. If you didn't have Alex, I'd be all over you right now!

Heck, it's ok to be pleased by the flattery, right? I mean, I just had a birthday and all and feel older...and that was actually sincere. I feel almost guilty for feeling happy that he said it. It's not that I want ANY student to hit on me. Please don't get me wrong. I just....well, what woman wants to think she's lost "it", you know? I grinned every time I thought of his comment for a while after that.

17 Comments:

Blogger X. Dell said...

(1) I have a bit more difficult time with a fever, maybe because my normal temperature is 96.8 degrees. When I reach 98.6, I feel it. When I reach 100, I shut down. More power to you if you can deal with them and teach.

(2) I see a lifelong friendship for Ari.

(3) At my undergraduate school, we had a couple of same-sex student-teacher relationships going on. Is your officemate very sure about the card's intent?

Just kidding.

(4) Methinks if you still got it at 37, you'll still have it at 47.

11:44 PM  
Blogger NWJR said...

that's why God made men have external genitalia: the great leveler! You can lay a man flat. You know where to hit. You're good

Truer words were never spoken.

5:05 AM  
Blogger Juanita said...

Ewwww, fever! In my humble nurse-opinion, you might have the flu. Yuk! Personally, I never run a fever unless I'm on the edge of death. Seriously. I hope you feel better soon. And that little potential son-in-law of yours? Priceless!

7:02 AM  
Blogger Grant said...

I also think you are hot and would totally do you, in theory. In actuality I like usagimono breasts and not those gaudy boobs of yours that appeal to most Americans, and I tend to think of you like a sister (but one I actually like instead of the ones I already have), so I'm going to let Alex keep you. But you're still hot.

8:32 AM  
Blogger Grant said...

Also, sick or otherwise, you need to blog more. I feel so abandoned - I never hear from you. Rotten sexy person. :p

8:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm the same way you are, X-Dell. My normal temp is 97, so if I have a fever of 100, I'm feeling pretty bad. I made it to 104.6 when I had pneumonia once. I taught all day and had the students play BINGO in French so they could learn their numbers. But I had no voice, so the kids actually had to take turns calling out the numbers for me. I drove myself to the hospital after work, and the emergency room doctor was mortified that I'd been driving. When I returned to school a week later, my students picked on me incessantly because I kept walking right into the door and stuff like that, lol.

Hope you feel better soon. It's no fun teaching when you are that sick. Don't forget to let me know if you don't see the grant pay on the new paystub when they put it on PeopleSoft this week.

8:43 AM  
Blogger Enemy of the Republic said...

You probably shouldn't even visit my blog because of my issues this winter with the plague and my son has had two versions thus far. Good to see Grant here! Thanks for that link, Kira; I bookmarked it. It is beautiful.

1:44 PM  
Blogger Amanda said...

Andrew is so great. Why don't they make grown up versions of Andrew?

Those Tech students are persistent.... ;)

4:27 PM  
Blogger Canoes under my shoes said...

"The only good part of it all: the ex had the kids for the duration. I could actually BE sick. Whew"!

Amen to that, sister! Hope you feel better soon.

And I live for those "still got it" moments. They're fewer and farther between these days, which just makes them all the more sweet when I get them.

5:11 PM  
Blogger SS said...

hope you're feeling better. hailey now has bronchitis and i think she's given it to me. yuck!

and how sweet is andrew! that is too cute!

9:56 AM  
Blogger Valerie - Still Riding Forward said...

I am very sorry to hear you were under the weather but it's good to know you had someone to care for you when you needed it! Lucky you!

Hug Alex for me next time he is home!

10:49 AM  
Blogger April said...

Dammit, I missed your birthday!! I'm sorry sweetness! Happy belated birthday!!

12:36 PM  
Blogger Gary said...

When I was younger, I never felt a fever, but now I feel tired when I get even one degree above normal. If I take asperin, my energy comes right back.

4:43 PM  
Blogger Jezzy said...

I hope you're feeling better now! I have tissues shoved up my nose (yes, very ladylike, I am) so I sympathise.

Anyway, happy very belated birthday. You're still young and gorgeous. I haven't commented in absolutely ages, but I am still reading!

1:28 PM  
Blogger OldHorsetailSnake said...

Cleavage shirts aren't all they're cracked up to be.

4:52 PM  
Blogger Joseph H. Vilas said...

Plague. Bad plague. For a week and a half. Peaked on Valentine's Day. Better now, but not fully. Doctor didn't even give it a name. Argh.

9:39 PM  
Blogger Kira said...

X.dell--it makes sense that you would be very susceptable to fever if your normal body temp is lower than the average. Mine is right on target for the temp, though. I don't know...I seem to have a high tolerance for pain and illness anyway. I still get sick a hell of a lot, but at least it doesn't make me as miserable as it does other people!

NWJR--I really think it's further proof that God is a woman.

Juanita--I agree. I think we had the flu (Jared and I, that is). It took me a while to figure it out because I get a fever with just about any type of illness, but Jared does NOT. So, with him as feverish and miserable as he was, it dawned on me that he had the flu...and then he promptly gave it to me. Yay me.

Grant--if you think your sister is hot, then you need to live in my county. That's common here. And thank you ;)

Angie--did you ever find out about the pay issue? As far as that fever goes, that is too close to 105 for me to have driven, so I wonder how you did it. I would have been hallucinating, which doesn't make for good driving skills. Still, I guess that's one thing moms learn early on...when you don't have a choice, you just DO IT anyway.

EotR--I'm glad you liked that page. The whole book that the brief essay came from is profound and lovely...it's called The Prophet.

Amanda--I think puberty robs many Andrews of their personality. Must be the hormones :)

Laura--yeah, you know, when I was in my 20's I took those moments for granted. Sometimes I was even annoyed by them. But no longer! I appreciate every last one as they get fewer and farther between ;)

Sandra--I suspect that I have bronchitis too right now, but I am afraid to go to the doctor's about it because I know I'm allergic to one of the major meds they use to treat it...but I can't remember the name of the damned drug. So I'd rather just try and get over it on my own. My allergic reaction was pretty severe, so it's just not a gamble I should take. I even tried to call up my mom and ask her if she remembered the name, but she didn't. Damnit. I hope you guys are feeling better by now!

Val--I gave him a couple of hugs since it was a good excuse ;) Yes, he's a great caretaker of the sick in our house, both for me and for the kids. He's had to do both by now...several times!

April--it's ok, I was trying to forget I had another birthday anyway, hon! haha! But Aquarians rock, don't we?

Gary--aspirin has never worked for me as well as excedrin or ibuprofen. Any way you look at it, though, thank God for modern chemistry...haha!

Jezzy--hope you're feeling better, and congrats again on the PhD! that's got to feel great to have that completed and done with.

Hoss--better cleavage shirts with crack than pants with crack, eh?

Joe--yes, and it just doesn't disappear, does it? I bet we had the same thing. I'm still hacking up my lungs.

7:19 PM  

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