I am just out of it

I have been on midnight shifts for five days. I was getting sick at the first one. Then last night I wanted to call in sick but the government was going to shutdown and all leave was cancelled. So if I took a night off it would have been without pay of any kind. Who can afford that? So I went to work. I had briefed the day shift and was coughing and sneezing. I apologized and I was washing my hands and face about every fifteen minutes. In a weather office, we all share workstations and touch everything. Colds spread like wildfires. When I came in yesterday morning, there were alcohol wipes and disinfectant spray at the workstation. Hint, hint. So I sprayed everything down a few times and washed my hands and face every ten minutes.

Then the coughing came on. I get bronchitis like crazy. WARNING! Grossness coming up: I've found that blowing my nose often and coughing up the loogies helps it from getting worse, sometimes. Anyway, by this morning when the day shift came on, I was coughing with a severe burning cough. Felt like it was searing my lungs. So I briefed the day shift, while he stood ten feet away and covered his mouth. I felt bad but we are short handed and they let three lead forecasters out of five go on extended vacation at the same time. Not my fault. Plus the gov shutdown meant that I would not get paid if I didn't show up, and my replacement would have to do it for free IF they let anyone come in at all. We are required to have at least two people on every shift. Big quandary.

I decided to get some meds and go home and sit in the hot tub and then go to bed all day. By the time I got home from the store at 8 am, I was miserable. There was a baptism at 8 am today and I had promised to go. I went just to congratulate the baptisee and welcome her and then I went to the store. So I sat down and called the office and said, since the government did NOT shut down, "I have to call in sick tonight blah blah blah." I think the blah blah blah did the trick. They were happy to let me off the hook.

So I took some Nyquil and zonked. I woke up at 4 pm, and went to the hot tub. The hotel is sponsoring a giant wedding reception and the two meeting rooms next to the pool are full of partiers, singers, loud music, dancing, drinking blah blah blah. It was the blah blah blah that made it unpleasant.

But, I thought, I'll just sit in the hot tub and be alone and feel so good. So I walked into the pool area and it's full of teenagers. The hot tub, too. They are playing chicken, diving into the 4 foot section, splashing each other blah blah blah. When I came in the blah blah blah stopped.

So I took off my shirt and got in the hot tub. Luckily there was a fat girl and fat boy and so I felt right at home.

But I still got splashed and it was loud and they were being teens and you will never guess what happened next, and what I did.

Nothing.

I was patient and laughed with them and they even struck up a conversation with me. Yada yada yada.

But I was not feeling good at all and finally had enough and so went back to my room.

Started coughing again and so I took some more Nyquil and went to bed and woke up at 9 pm. Ate some ramen. It's now after midnight and I hope my replacement is doing well. I feel better but I will need some more drugs to sleep. I'll make part of church tomorrow and then come home and sleep again because I have to work my last midnight tomorrow night blah blah blah.

Well, that is all. My days just fly by.

Good night and I love you all.