Tuesday, June 20, 2006

well it's not like I was busy

I gave C a quick ring yesterday (need second opinion on the exact wording of the engraving to be engraved on R's graduation pressie), only it ended up not being quick as she'd broken her ankle that morning (and this time, for possibly the first time in her long history of injuries, she hadn't even been drinking). She tends to not pay much heed to advice to 'rest' so wisely they have refused to give her a weight-bearing cast for at least a week. In fact they have told her she must lie down for a week, she can't even sit up. OMG. one day at a timeAnd she is the carer for her 80+ year old mother, who has limited mobility although fortunately (in this context at least) her primary care needs are emotional rather than physical. Unfortunately they live 120 miles away and I cannot get away from work this week and then I have a dayschool on Saturday, but I'm going up there on Saturday evening for a few days to get the shopping in and stuff. Oh and I've been volunteered for another working group on local issues. Ah well, ask a busy woman and all that (right up until the time she starts screaming hysterically ...)

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

must ... breath ... deeply

must ... not .... panic

Until today my to-do list for the next month looked like this:
  • catch up on course work I am behind on
  • complete assignment for main course
  • do preparation for summer school
  • do assignments for summer school
  • draft poster presentation for summers chool
  • go to summer school
  • write 1 long report for work
  • write 3 short reports for work
  • spend several days working away
  • do stuff with O (eg swimming, bike rides, theatre)
  • spend a couple of hours a week on community committments
  • lose several stone
  • try to remember to do shopping, wash clothes etc

... the thought of all of which was starting to stress me out but I thought no, I can manage this if I get myself organised, it is do-able. And then today, I find out that I have to add
  • gut house from top to bottom (or move)

R is graduating this summer after all. I had convinced myself that it wouldn't be until the winter now, because the assessment boycott meant that his external examiners hadn't looked at his revised thesis. But now the dispute is settled and the examiners have examined and he is going to graduate on July 12. Which I should be happy about, as it's been 5 years of hard work for him to get to this. Instead I have been in floods of tears at the prospect of his parents coming to visit in less than a month.

We don't actually know if they are coming yet. Although it's unlikely they would want to stay at home for the traditional cultural events, they are going to forn parts the week after so maybe they might not come. It sounds horrible to say it but I hope they don't, I do not need the hassle. R suggested we pay to put them up in a hotel, which sounds a terrible thing to do, but would be better than them staying here, at least we wouldn't have to make the bedrooms fit for parental habitation.

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