Oh, do, dot agaib

In case you were wondering, the title of this post is my pathetic attempt to say I got another cold this week. This one was a doozy. I seem to be mostly over it now, but my chest is still a bit rattly and I still have a nasty cough, but at least it's not as strong or protracted as it was earlier. It all started very quietly on Sunday, and just kept getting worse as the week progressed until sometime Friday. Still, life goes on, but the mone flow doesn't, so I had to teach and tutor again this week. Monday, junior high math, and the science teacher next door, who I've worked for several times already this year, arranged for me to be there on Friday. Good thing, too, because I ended up subbing for that same science teacher on Tuesday as well. They had a week-long packet on the periodic table they were working on, so I got them started on it on Tuesday and wrapped it up with them on Friday. And Thursday I had another junior high math job.

But what about Wednesday? Now there, I really lucked out. I got one call, and it was late, for a high school PE job. With the way I was feeling, I knew I couldn't handle it and turned it down. So I eventually had no job. That is extremely rare for me any more, but I took it as a good sign. I went back to bed to sleep off the cold (it helped a little, I think, but not enough), and didn't get out again until 1:00 in the afternoon!

I've also come to a big decision this week. I've decided that, if I'm going to get a real teaching job, I have to quit teaching. Subbing and tutoring is just taking too much time and energy, and ultimately getting me nowhere. I have no time to lead any sort of normal life, and what little "free" time I have is spent catching up on sleep, eating, or getting ready for the next week. I feel like I'm spinning my wheels. So, with my wife's help, I'm investigating other opportunities for something that will pay decently, give me some badly needed benefits, and not sap all my time. If it works, that will actually give me time to apply for jobs and take the classes I need to keep my certification up, and then I can apply for jobs next spring. Either that, or I'll find some new career. I've given too much to teaching and gotten little in return, so now it's finally time to see what else I can do. I'm scared to death, since I don't really know what else there is out there that I can do, But for my own health, sanity, and peace of mind, I know it's what I need to do.

And on that note, this is going to be my last post, at least for a while. If I have some interesting news to report I'll put it up here, but these regular weekly recounts have come to an end. Since it doesn't look like anyone has been reading them anyway, and I have so little time to devote to it, it's probably just as well. Thanks, you've been terrific.