I'm thankful for: brunch

We were invited to a brunch on Sunday. The food was absolutely delicious (the hosts had made a menu from which we had to pre-order, so they everyone ate exactly what they wanted. I went ahead an ordered the big brunch menu and it was so yummy I wolfed everything down in no time), the company was really nice, the atmosphere was very relaxing and fun.

There should be brunches like that more often. I'm very thankful for having friends who went through all the trouble of organising all that. I had a wonferful time.

I am thankful for: other people's help

As I've mentioned a few times before, I'm very very busy right now, and in fact a bit overwhelmed. I have assignments due and exams coming up for university, and I have tests to grade and preparations to make for my teaching and for my subbing next week.

So when my fellow students started posting the answers to the prep questions on Facebook, thus saving me a huge amount of time (simply by finding the right information in the right articles is a big time saver), I was just so grateful. We have been encouraged to work together, so there is nothing wrong with sharing the answers, on the contrary, and this might actually mean the difference between passing and failing for me. 

I've been so overwhelmed, and as all the coursework and most of the readings are in Norwegian I've felt so unprepared that this is a huge, huge help and I will use it as much as possible. So I'm thankful for my generous classmates who really didn't have to share and for the internet, once again, for providing us with a platform to share all this.

I made a cardigan!!

Ok, I still need to sew the arms, weave in all the ends, dye it, sew the buttons and block it, but it's off the needles!!

I'm still unhappy about the two tone/dye lot problem, so I will try to tea dye it. I will take pictures as the dyeing process goes along and write up what I am doing so that someone else can use the information if they want (either to reproduce what I've done or to do the exact opposite if it doesn't work.

And yes, the cardigan fits quite well.  It's nice and long, which is great because I added some rows since my torso is so long, and I will be able to close the buttons nicely, so I'm quite excited!  Pictures of course when it's all finished.

Oh and this was a Drops pattern and if I ever mention again that I am doing a project with a drops pattern, please force your way into my house and take all my needles away. (Don't touch the yarn. Bad things will happen to you if you do) I had suffered through a few before and decided it hadn't been that bad, but yes, it is that bad and I won't be doing it again.

I am thankful for: being at home

(Post for Friday)

On Thursday (when the cleaners were there. See previous post) I got a phone call from our toddler's day care that she wasn't feeling well and was probably running a temperature, so I went to get her and she slept most of the day. On Friday she still needed to stay home but was a bit more active. 

I have been on vacation (winter break) from teaching so I've spent the week at home studying and working on papers for university and so I was able to stay home with her and I am very thankful for that. I don't remember being 2, but I do remember being older and sick and having my mother or grandfather or someone loved being home with me and I believe it makes you feel better. Of course since our daughter is only a toddler either hubby or myself would have to be with her, but I'm just thankful that I was able to provide that comfort to her that I remember getting when I was small. 

She is much better today and had a big day going to a concert and then going shopping, which is nice because she really needed to get out of the house, but I'm glad I was with her when she was sick. That's what parents are for and I wouldn't swap that responsibility for the world.

I'm thankful for: Someone else cleaning

(Post for Thursday.  I may not write them every day, even though I really try, but they always refer to the right day because I still always take the time at the end of the day to think about what I'm thankful for.)

Today we had a cleaning crew (two people) come and clean our house. It was much, much needed. We've gotten cleaning people on and off but someone they all leave (pregnancy, departure back to home country, job...) and then we end up with no one and think it will be ok but it's nice. 

I know that cleaning isn't at the top of very many people's list of fun things to do, but for us it's a bit more of a hassle. I'm often too tired to do any of it, so hubby is stuck doing almost if not all of it. Then we have a house with three floors, a cat and a toddler. It was just nice to see that the house was getting (very well) cleaned, and that the money I've been making subbing lately was going towards making our home nice and fresh. I'm just thankful that we can afford to have our house cleaned, and also thankful for the job the two people did. Yes they get paid for it, but they really did a great job and were very pleasant to deal with. It's a relief and a peace of mind knowing we now have someone we can rely on.

I win!! I win!!

By writing a comment under episode 48 of the Knit1HeartToo podcast, I was eligible for a prize drawing, and I won!  The announcement takes place at the end of episode 49, around minute 43.

But really, don't jump to minute 43, watch the entire podcast (if you're not already addicted), it's really really good. The projects they knit are fabulous, the stories they tell are funny, or sometimes sad, but always real, and it's always a pleasant time to just sit down and listen to them.

And I was about to forget the most important part!!  My prize!!  It's the book New Knits on the Block by Vickie Howell and I can't wait to get it. It's full of fun projects for kids and seeing how much the toddler loves to play dress-up, I think she will enjoy it too!

Thank you Sheila and Wendy!!!

I am thankful for: pancakes for dinner!

There are quite a few things that I don't like about Norwegian "cuisine" (their word, not mine...) and I won't go on about them here, for fear of not having a hubby anymore, but one of the things I enjoyed today was pea soup and pancakes. 

Let me explain. First, dinner is served at 4:00pm (yes, people supposedly go to work early (they don't really) and so get to leave early (that they do) and so have dinner unspeakably early), though thankfully ours was a bit delayes, to the outrageously late time of 4:30pm, and then they have this "meal" which consists of a pea soup (very nice) served with (i.e. at the same time) pancakes. The pancakes are more like French crepes, and are to be eaten with sugar or jam, just like the breakfast ones. 

I don't get it at all, and other times I ate my soup first and then the pancakes, but today I decided to be totally wild and after two spoonfulls of soup I moved on to pancakes. Hubby asked why I wasn't eating my soup, and it's because even though it was very nice, I just cannot eat a crepe full of sugar at the same time as a pea soup full of salted pork. So I just had breakfast for dinner and had so much of it my tummy is a bit unhappy.

Who needs salted pork when you can have crepes with sugar for dinner! (And if you think this is unhealthy and I'm setting a bad example for my toddler, think again. First of all, this was hubby's dinner, so he's the one setting a bad example, and then the toddler actually prefered the pea soup to her sugar crepe. Good for her, and more crepes for me.)

I am thankful for: a bit of shopping

(post for yesterday)

No, no, I haven't become one of the Sex in the City girls, trying to fill life's various voids with a bit of retail therapy, but yesterday I went out in the evening, as the knitting club meeting was cancelled and did a bit of shopping. I had never been shopping in the evening in Trondheim and it was great.  There was absolutely no one in the shops and I could take all the clothes I wanted off the hangars and spend an eternity in the dressing room and no one was there waiting for a cabin or standing in my way in front of a rack. 

The thing is that I don't really like shopping, so the smallest thing will annoy me and I will just leave. So I tried on lots of fun things (keeping in mind all the advice I hear on all those make-over shows.  I may not like shopping, but I do like make-over shows!) and lo and behold, some of it fit!!  Yes and very nicely.  And in keeping with my recent mantra, I bought colourful yet simple items that I can wear to teach or when I'm out in the city.

And I did try quite a few items that were on sale, but sadly only the ones that were at full price fit nicely. What's nice about working so much though is that I could afford them. So three cheers for an empty store and a wardrobe that's uplifting.

A bit of colour for grey winter days

When I ordered yarn a few weeks ago I wanted it to be "colourful" and "happy".  Well, I don't think you get more colourful and happy than this!!

The picture is a bit fuzzy, but you get the idea. Just what I needed. The yarn is called No Place Like Gnome by GnomeAcres (purchased on Etsy). They are more socks knitted with an afterthought heel (I just knitted the waste yarn) by Amy Klimt and the for the patterning on the leg I'm using the Lava Flow Socks by the Sock Bug. Simple, fun, quick and bright.

My new yarn cabinet!

I have a million things to do for both school and uni, so there has never been a better time to procrastinate by getting the house in order. So yesterday I emptied a bookshelf by putting all the books in our main bookshelves and hubby took it downstairs to the livingroom and I now have a yarn cabinet!!

The top shelf is for "luxury yarns" (can you spot all the Malabrigo??) while the rest is for...ahem...lesser yarns. Skeins that have been partly used and/or have lost their tags are in a big bin. I'm very excited because now I get to see all my pretty yarn (notice the evil mohair which was relegated to the bottom right-hand corner. If you want it, it's yours, just send me a message and I will happily give it to you for free and I will even pay for postage) and think of all the projects I'm going to knit. 

When I'm done with the cardigan there will be two things going on the needles: another heart cowl for a friend (Malabrigo worsted, top shelf, all the way to the right) and a Spectra scarf by Steven West for which I will use Malabrigo sock (top shelf in the middle) in white and variegated (details when I cast on).  The other two sock weight yarns will be used for socks, one pair for me and one pair for hubby.  And yes, the toddler will get socks too with the leftovers from mine. As I have rather small feet a regular skein of sock yarn leaves me enough for a pair for her too.

In the meantime I just enjoy looking at it and walking by to admire all my yarn. Though when you put it all like that on display, it's not that much....  ;-)

I am thankful for: work, work, work

I got a call from the head of my department today (yes, during our week off...) and she asked me if I could substitute again after the break. I told her I could, but only for one week with a full schedule and that I wanted to take on less the weeks after if there was still a need. I have three exams coming up, my own class and the full schedule I have been substituting for is grueling.

Of course I could have said no to all of it, but I think I can handle what I agreed to do. It's really nice to get those calls asking for me to work. Of course it brings in money, but I also consider them as a pat on the back that I've done a good job before and that I'm "wanted" again. It also builds my seniority in case a position opens when I finish my degree. So it's all positive (except for the exhaustion, but hopefully I've limited that by being reasonable and only agreeing to one week), but what I like the best is the feeling that I'm needed again. 

And then during the day I started studying for my exams, and realized I had already read more than I thought. I thought I had not put a dent in any of the readings (I know, bad, bad, bad), but actually I had, so now I think there's actually a chance I can pull off at least one exam. We'll see the extent of the damage in the other subjects when I get to them...

So apparently there is something good about work. I still think it's just a nuisance that's interfering with my knitting, but I guess there are a few positives about it all...

My first socks!

And here are my socks!  No, it's not the first pair I knit, but it is the first pair I knit for me!! I'm very happy with them. I'm not in love with the yarn, but I never was, so actually I think they turned out better than I had anticipated. The yarn is Regia Design Line Random Stripe by Kaffe Fassett (colour number 02902) and I used 2.5mm needles and cast on 60 stitches. I have small feet and rather slender legs/ankles, so that fit me perfectly. The pattern is Basic self-striping socks (free download on Ravelry) by Amy Klimt (the link is to her Etsy shop). The pattern is super easy but Amy does a good job of explaining the heel (and the rest) very well.  Also, during the knitting of the first sock I had a question about the heel and sent her a PM on Ravelry. She wrote back right away and gave a really detailed answer so now I understand what I'm doing instead of just reading a pattern. So now that I have gone through her pattern once I've actually learned the technique in a way that's super easy to remember so I can knit up a pair of socks without the help of a pattern now, which is really fun.

The reason why I'm so happy with them is that I used two circulars for the first time (Chiaogoos red lace) instead of DPNs, I used an afterthought heel for the first time and I used a kitchener stitch to bind off, also for the first time. The first heel is a bit bumpy because I couldn't figure out where to put the yarn when I was done dealing with a stitch, but then I realized the less you fiddle with it, the better it will turn out, and the three other bind-offs are smoother and smoother. 

So overall I'm very happy with them. In fact I was so happy that as soon as I had cast off and put them in their bath to soak before blocking I cast on another sock so I can use all these new techniques again. I'll be entering these socks in the Knit1,HeartToo podcast sock KAL (Ravelry forum) which goes on until the end of February. If you've never seen the podcast I really recommend it, Sheila and Wendy are so much fun.

I'm thankful for: lots of small things

Today I'm thankful for a bunch of small things. First, I got to spend the early morning with my toddler. Yes, she wakes up quite early (6:15 today, not too bad) and usually hubby gets up with her so I can sleep a bit longer. Today was my turn to get up early and even though my body was begging for mercy (and more sleep) it didn't suffer too much and I enjoyed the early morning chatting and playing with her. 

Then I enjoyed a quiet day in. I got to do some work for a school project, and I finished my socks and even cast on a new one while I was watching a movie this evening. I had a very tough week this week (physically) and I will have a big week next week. I won't be teaching as we have our winter break, but I have a long list of things that need to be done, including a lot of studying for upcoming exams. So having a day when all I had to do is sit on the couch (hubby even made dinner) is very nice.

I've gotten to the point, after only a few years of having to cook to feed someone else than myself, where I can whip up a meal with just about anything in the fridge, and have a varied enough menu that I don't feel like I'm making anyone boring repeats. Having the day off once in a while, like today, is nice too of course, but this morning I was in the kitchen and in the mood to spend a bit more time there so I whipped up a banana cake which turned out nice and fluffy. Hubby was happy, I'm happy and I certainly enjoyed making the cake without even thinking about what I was doing. It hasn't been that long since I've started making things using "experience" rather than being faithful to the recipe and that's fun too.

And finally on the same theme, I finished a sock (the second of a pair) this afternoon and immediately cast on a new one, without even reading any instructions. I have found a method I really like (top-down, afterthought heel, kitchener bind-off) and instructions that work very well for my feet and I like having this "comfort zone" in my knitting. For a long time after I started knitting I tried to learn something new with each project. What was great about that was that I tried a lot of different things and learned a lot, but at the same time every project was difficult and knitting was always something I had to focus on and work at. It wasn't the relaxing activity so many pick-up when they are about to watch a movie. So having a pattern I know by heart which will allow me to make an entire pair of socks is great. It also allows me to play with colourful yarns and let the yarn do the talking while I knit round and round to relax. 

And of course my post would not be complete without mentioning the highlight of the day:  Roger Federer won his 71st career title in splendid fashion (though we must thank Juan Martin Del Potro for being kind enough and spraying balls all over Rotterdam during the better part of the first set). 

Nothing spectacular to be thankful for today, but a lovely day surrounded by my family, yarn and cake.

Ok, now I'm done buying yarn for a while...

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I had made three yarn purchases recently. The first one is posted a bit below, the second one is two skiens of Malabrigo which will appear in projects very soon so I won't post pictures, and the third one is here

The two skiens are from Fivemoons Yarns in the UK. The top one is in their Luna twist (4 ply) base which is 100% superwash merino, 100g for 365m. The colourway is Tweedy and I just love it.  The bottom one is in the Luna plus (4 ply) base which is 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon, 100g for 425m. The colourway is Understated and I got it to make socks for hubby. I was thinking perhaps the Farmer McGregor pattern (Ravelry link) from the book Soctopus by Alice Yu which I purchased in the fall.

And here are some very cute stitch markers by Shawna Harris of Crafts Never Cease.  Shawna is a teenage crafter and her stitch markers are really cool and very well made.

And now I think I'm done purchasing knitting supplies for a while...  I need a row counter, but that's it, otherwise I think I'm set for the next 5-6 projects or so. I'm almost done with both my cardigan and my socks, so pictures when they are finished (and then pictures of the dyeing process for the cardigan so you can witness either a great triumph over dye lot adversity or a miserable failure).

I am thankful for: a tough win by Roger

It's been a while Roger (Federer. Seriously, I had to tell you??) hadn't had a real grind out and come out on top. It wasn't pretty, but coming back from a set and a break down felt nice, you could tell in his celebration jump.

It's great to see Roger play like "Roger", but it's also nice to see him win ugly. Let's hope for one more tomorrow and then we're off to Dubai.

And yes, I am thankful for a win by Roger. Watching him lose is just painful. It's painful in the big tournaments because it means so much, and it's painful in teh small tournaments or against lower-ranked players because it shouldn't be. Wait, have I become one of those people for whom winning is a must simply because I hate losing?  How did that happen??  I wasn't about winning or losing for much of my life!  

Roger can do that to you...

I'm thankful for: THE WEEK-END

Yes, I know, I should be writing about what I'm thankful for about today, but this is going to be lame and obvious: I'm thankful it's Friday and the week is over. This week I once again subbed for a teacher who has a monster 100% position (and by that I mean that she doesn't just have 100%, she has 1000000000 students in each class and a ridiculous number of classes), on top of having my own class and then all the work for my studies. I'm exhausted and the week-end and the winter break could not have come fast enough.

Having said that, I will be delighted on pay day, and I'm happy with the work I've done. Even though it was a lot I feel like I did my best and I think the students were all handed meaningful assignments and given solid advice and help. So I go to bed tonight to rest an exhausted body, but with a peace of mind knowing I've worked hard and earned my rest. 

I also think that all this work will have positive rammifications. There's nothing certain yet, but I think more work will come my way, but in a more manageable quantity. I certainly know that my subbing is appreciated and that's a great feeling at the end of a long week.

So goodnight and see you tomorrow.

I am thankful for: a heartfelt podcast episode

As you may have gathered from my previous posts, I enjoy watching knitting podcasts. Today I'm still feeling very tired from all the work I've been doing and from a migraine that started yesterday, so when I came home from school around mid-day I sat on the sofa to have lunch and cast on the second sock of a pair and put on the 48th episode of the Knit One <3 Too podcast.

Sheila and Wendy were funny, informative and really their usual warm and entertaining selves, but this episode was a bit more special for me. At the end Sheila mentionned that her son has a congenital heart problem and wish everyone a happy international congenital heart day (on February 14th), and Wendy talked about surviving heart failure, also on a February 14th. It's amazing how knitting, podcasts and heart problems can bring people together like that.

I was feeling really tired and although I'm happy because I'm working a lot and I'm tired for "the right reason", I'm actually behind on school work and on teaching work and it's not a pleasant feeling. So as I crashed on the couch, ready for an afternoon of resting instead of working, it was just nice to hear other people who could relate, and who took the time to talk about this openly and thoughtfully. I know it is not unique, but the bonds that connect "heart people" together are so incredibly strong and deep. Heart problems affect our lives in such profound ways that it's often difficult to express the complexity of our feelings, or even the complexity of how we got to the point of having those feelings.

So today I was not just another viewer of their amazing podcast, I shared a lot of their emotions too. I wrote a note on the blog after, and I tried to keep it brief, but it was difficult and it ended up being a bit of a mess. I should have just written: Thanks for a great episode, I really got what you were saying, and thanks for sharing that with everyone, it's important.

There, now I've said it.

Candy yarn

I've been working a lot these days, so I thought I would reward myself with a little yarn love. I've recently ordered yarn from the US, from Germany and from the UK. The first to arrive (as I ordered it first) is yarn from Gnome Acres on Etsy.

They are both sock yarns (75% Superwash Merino 25% nylon) as I am planning to enjoy my new sock knitting technique and knit up a bunch of colourful simple socks.

Cardigan disaster

I've been working steadily on my Drops cardigan, but I do it mostly in the evening, cuddled up on the couch, with so-so lighting and without really looking at the entire work. So imagine my surprise the other day when I pulled it out and looked at it in daylight and realized there was a giganormous difference between the dye lots!!!  I bought the yarn on two different occasions, at two different stores, and look at the line!!!  It's a disaster....

If anyone has any suggestions...  My first instinct is to dye it, but then I wonder if the difference won't show with dye too. I'm going to finish it because it's my first cardigan and I think it's going to fit pretty well and I want to finish it, but it's SOOO annoying.  Not only that, but I'm actually out of yarn now, so on Saturday I need to go pick up another couple of skiens, and who knows that that colour will turn out like.

I am thankful for: multi-media

I've been getting more and more tired due to all the subbing and work I have to do, and today was the day I caught up on some of the sleep I need. I worked for two hours at school and then had planned on staying there to correct and study but I had a blinding migraine building up so I just headed home. I took two paracets and slept for three hours. Feel much better now.

In the evening, after I had put the toddler to bed and while hubby was at the gym I put on a knitting podcast on my iPad (got through quite a few this evening: Stochinette Zombies, Knitrundig and  Studentknits), then realized there was women's tennis on Eurosport, then found Roger playing on some livestream on the net, so I had that on my computer, and while I was watching all that, I was knitting on my cardigan. 

A knitting podcast, two tennis matches and knitting of my own.  Does it get any better that that?  And then, to finish off this perfect evening, first hubby came home all muscular and manly, and then I bought more yarn online. :-)  (Fivemoons in the UK)

I am thankful for: B.

I've been a student on and off (mostly on actually) for a very very long time, and obviously there are many things I like about being a student. One of those things are my fellow students, and one type of student I particularly like are the ones who challenge me. I've always enjoyed being in classes with smarter students or outspoken students (even better if it's a combination of the two), with students who work more and are better prepared, because they give me something to aim for. They show me the way, they speak up and question, they engage other students and I just enjoy the challenges they propose. I have, on rare occasion, been at the head of the class and I never liked it. I just always felt like I wasn't being pushed and that I was in that position for lack of "competition" (though I never consider school a competition, apparently it is one...). 

In my studies to be a certified teacher there are a few students who challenge me in those ways, and I always look forward to seeing them in class. I know that once their hand is up something good is going to happen: I'm going to have to think. And even better, I'm going to have to think in a different way because the way I had thought about the course material has just been questioned. On top of that, as is the case in this class, I'm also going to be greated by a big smile that will stop my sourpuss "why do we have to be here" attitude right in its tracks and make me grateful for being there. 

One of those students I always look forward to seeing is B. and I found out today that she passed away on February 5th. Beyond the shock and sadness I am thankful for having met her, albeit too briefly, and for the impact she had on me, both as a student in the programme and as a person.

I am thankful for: ready-made sauces

I was a big fan of ready made-sauces and ready-made parts of dinner when I started living on my own and didn't know how to cook and didn't want to bother, then I had a rebellious phase when I thought they were not healthy and it wasn't real cooking, and now that I work all day and have to make dinner for a tired and hungry toddler NOW, I am rediscovering them. 

What I'm finding out though is that they seem to have gotten healthier. Not all of them of course, but it is possible to find ready-made sauces with no MSG (E461) and without tons of chemical products. Of course the tastes vary and you need to pick and choose, but in general, they are less bad than they were.

Part of me still disapproves of course, and thinks I should be making proper meals, but another part of me, the one that has been working all day and is very tired and needs to deal with an increasingly angry toddler and an increasingly impatient husband is very releaved to get a bit of help in the kitchen.

I am thankful for: fresh snow

My toddler and I met with a friend today and went to a ski cabin (a very large one) where we had waffles by the fire and chatted away or played in the kiddies corner depending on our age until the storm was over. Then we went out and went on a little walk. The toddler, though tired at the end, was a real trouper. She walked nicely by me, threw snowballs at us in response to our attacks (though sadly she sent most of the snow tumbling down her neck on the backswing...) and responded with cheers and smiles as I threw her in big piles of snow and then covered her with it. 

It it was nice to be with her, nice to be with a friend, nice to be by the fire and especially nice to be outside in the snow. I think we forget (or at least I do) to just play in the snow when it's out there. We spend so much time shoveling it, scraping it off the car, cursing at it, planning ski trips on it, waiting for it to melt that we just forget to have fun and hop in it. 

I didn't have my ski pants so I couldn't hop in it today, but I think throwing my toddler in big heaps counts just the same. :-)

I am thankful for: a beautiful daughter

I am writing the post a day late, but it is quite fitting as I will write about my wonderful toddler, but today is Mother's day, so I will be forgiven all excess cooing.  

Yesterday we were alone, as hubby had left us for a week-end of fun, friends and music, so we went grocery shopping in the morning and then to a kiddies concert in the afternoon. The day was fun, and filled with fun things to see and do, but mostly it was just a wonderfully pleasant day with her. She was sweet and cooperative and fun during the entire day. Even dinner, which has for some unknown reason become a difficult period during the day, went on smoothly.

So yes, just a normal mother-daughter day, with all the delights those can bring you, especially when you have a daughter as great as mine.  :-)

I am thankful for: friendly faces

Let to try to explain what happened at work yesterday with as much dignity as I can. I was giving a test in my class (the one I teach to on a regular basis, not one of the hundreds (or so it seems) I have inherited temporarily as a sub for a teacher who is out sick) and it was the end of the double period, so only a few students (the best) were still in the class and working. As the students were well spread out in the classroom and there were few questions I simply sat at the teacher's desk and worked as I watched them from the corner of my eye.

I decided to write a few notes for a class I had later that day, so I got up to get some paper, and when I sat down I swiveled the chair back into position too close to the drawer under the desk and banged (and I mean BANGED) my knee against its corner. I managed not to scream in pain, trying to convince myself that there was no damage, it was just pain, but I felt the nausea build up right away, and soon after I started to feel dizzy. The next thing you know, I was dreaming of being on the farm with George and Lennie (I was prepping chapter 3 of Of Mice And Men...) and finally I regained consciousness... I realized then that I was lying on the floor with a mighty headache, surrounded by a handful of bewildered students calling my name softly. Imagine...

They had gone to get one of the deans in the teacher's area close by and he walked in as I started to sit up. I must have looked quite pale (I certainly felt pale) because he wouldn't take "I'm fine" for an answer and insisted on staying with the students for the remainder of their test while I went to lie down in the nurse's office right down the hall. As I lied on the couch and rested the head of my section came by to ask how I was doing and insisted on putting a blanket over me. I ended up resting a few minutes more because my head did really hurt and my ears rang for quite a while, but then I was fine. The knee in question was a bit sore for the rest of the day and then nothing, as always happens with these kinds of hits. They hurt like there's no tomorrow, but it's just the nerves, there's no real dammage.

So in the midsts of all this drama I was actually thankful for many things: first, that it was indeed nothing and that I just have a bump on my head and an unexplained bruise on my thigh. Then that the students were so mature. They didn't panic and run around, they just went to get someone and then stayed with me (some mean spirited "friends" have suggested that they may have looked nice but that there is probably a video on Youtube of the whole incident already posted. Let me know if you find it!). As soon as the dean came into the class and they saw that I was able to walk out, they just went back to their desks and continued working on their tests. Gold stars to all the them. Finally the head of my section was very sweet throughout the entire ordeal. She was very motherly when she first came to see me at the nurse's station, though I noticed she had to bite her lip in order not to laugh when I explained what had happened, then she offered to drive me home (refused, but thank you) and finally she didn't make a big deal out of it. After I walked back to my working desk and got ready to go home she asked me if I was ok and then we discussed next week's subbing situation, as everything was business as usual again. I felt cared for by everyone but not patronized. Those of you who have had health issues will understand that there is a fine line that people often cross, but this time everyone involved was really nice in all the right ways, down to the science teacher who apologized for not being able to stop laughing when I told her what I had done.

So go ahead, laugh if you want too, I certainly do when I tell the story and in fact I'm laughing right now.  :-)