The Challenges of Life

 As I write this for the week, I am in a very fatigued state.  As the school year is winding down, the effects of dealing with five classes of precocious high school juniors is being felt.  But, at home other things have been happening too which are worth note.

I mentioned that Barbara moved back with me in the house back in March, and in all honesty, it was probably a wise decision both on her and my parts.  Since around 2004, Barbara has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes as well as with high blood pressure, but now that she has reached her 60th birthday, her health issues are starting to manifest more now.  Last Thursday, as I was getting ready for work, Barbara said that she was really dizzy and then her left arm went limp and she ended up dropping her toothbrush down the sink.  As anything like this is serious, I called 911, and an ambulance arrived on site to assess her situation.  They ended up taking her to the ER at the local hospital, and they admitted her soon after.  She ended up staying until Saturday, and when they released her the diagnosis was serious.

Barbara, it turns out, experienced a mild stroke, and she was also diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and vertigo as well.  She is home now, but it has meant a few adjustments.  For one, I am back to taking the bus to work, and this morning that proved challenging as it is raining out and the driver on the 21 Route was sort of an idiot - she was not paying any attention to bells when people requested stops, and I almost missed mine.  I have dealt with the issue of public transportation before here, especially in Baltimore where like almost every other service it tends to be ran in an arbitrary fashion and doesn't take into regard the customer's wishes.  Buses, delivery people, taxi drivers - they all tend to do their thing whenever they feel like it and it can be very frustrating if you are on a schedule and need to get to work or to an appointment.  It also seems to be a trait my students have as well, as many of them outright ignore due dates for assignments.  I am still convinced it is a principality spirit over Baltimore, but I could be wrong too.  Any rate, the adjustment means getting up at 5:30 again, and then hanging out at the coffee shop in the afternoon while I wait for my bus transfer.  On the positive there however I did win a free coffee for knowing that Frank Sinatra's favorite booze was Jack Daniels - sometimes it pays to be a music collector!

That is really all the reflection I have for this week, so I will leave it there and have hopefully some better insights next week.