Ramblings for the Evening (09/25/06)

Hi. Remember me? Yeah, I'm back.
Status check.
My wife? Ill.
My son? Ok...and growing.
Me? Oy vey! But we'll get there.
Let's do it.
So, without further ado: GOOD KING OF CATS!
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How You Doing?:
I'm hurting. I can't hear anything out of my left ear. My right ear, if I had to guess, is at about 40% the norm.
There's some pain, but not as much as last week.
So how did this happen?
I haven't a clue.
Last weekend I was feeling horrible, so I took a sick day (I know, I know...so early in the year) on Monday. I would have slept...but that was the day the city sent the tree trimmers to my neighborhood. I can still hear that wood chipper. That damn wood chipper.
I figured a day off would be enough. I was wrong. The next morning, during my fifth period class, my ears started to feel funny. By the end of the day, my ear was closed. I figured a cold pill would be enough. Again...wrong. When I woke up on Wednesday, my ear was throbbing. Again, being the macho (read: idiot) I am, I went to work. By sixth period, my left ear felt like it was going to pop, and my right ear was starting to hurt. I went to Urgent Care.
I HATE Urgent Care. You know, dear reader, how much I hate doctors. Urgent Care is worse.
You sit in a common waiting area that's usually a plain white and very dreary with other people who look like extras from Night of the Living Dead. I was doubled over in pain (but, again, being the macho idiot, I attempted to grade). However, I was not the worst patient in there. There was the old couple with one person (the guy) carrying an Oxygen tank. There was the little kid who would cry, then run into the bathroom, grab toilet paper (don't ask me why), and would shred it. When it was all gone...she would start crying again. Four pregnant people, and another guy my age who looked like he had blood on his left arm.
I waited forty-five minutes, then the nurse called my name. I didn't hear her, but somone saw my ID on my shirt (we have to wear it in order to get into our building now) and told me she was calling me.
The nurse was nice enough. She kept talking to me, however, about her life and being from Iowa. I only heard maybe half of it.
Another twenty minute wait, and then I was in a room.
Another ten minutes (are you doing the math yet?) passed.
The doctor was obviously feeling rushed, was tired, and was in no mood to talk.
"What's the problem?" he asked in a gruff voice.
"Ears. I think I have an ear infection." I replied.
He took out his instruments and check my left ear first.
"Holy Christ," he mutters. "Sorry about that."
Then he checked my other ear.
"Ok, both your ears are infected. Your right is just starting. Your left, however, looks bad. It's beyond the red on this chart," which he indicated and then continued, "so your eardrum looks like it may be in trouble. Take these antibiotics and put these drops in your ear."
I thanked him.
"One thing," he says before leaving, "the drops will make your ears numb, so you won't be able to hear...at all."
"Great," I muttered.
Another ten minute wait while I get the meds.
Almost a week has passed now, and I really can't hear. The students may know, but they aren't showing it. I'm hoping that I've been faking it enough, though my principal tried to talk to me today, and I flat out told her, "I can't hear you." She thought I was being rude, so I had to explain.
What I'm more annoyed about, however, is that with my son being overtired on Saturday, my wife being sick (food poisoning), and my not really being able to hear, I had to cancel meeting with the best photographer I know. Sure, she says it's not a problem, but it is...to me. I hate not keeping appointments, and I REALLY hate being sick.
I freely admit that part of the problem is that losing my hearing is a fear of mine. As I've said many times: losing my eyesight wouldn't be a problem, but losing my hearing would devestate me in some ways. My life is based on sound and listening.
But I digress.
I hate being sick.
(Update: I went to another doctor. An Otolaryngologist, which is an ear, nose, and throat guy. He gave me stronger meds, which is good. I also had my hearing tested and learned that my left ear's hearing has been damaged, which is bad. The worst part was when the nurse handed the audiologist two charts. The Audiologist saw my name, but looked at the wrong chart. She started asking me questions about what surgery I was to have, and then tried to stick a needle in my ear to numb me. That was fun.)
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What Do You Know?:
Many (former) students have been writing me, asking about how the year is going. To be honest? Ok.
There are good parts and bad parts.
Good? The students who want to learn.
Bad? The students who think they know better than me (as in they're smarter or whatever).
Good? Becoming the head of the English department and getting everyone to work with me.
Bad? The fact that there are still faculty members I work with who act like either A. jackasses, or B. the students.
Good? The fact that I know the material I'm teaching.
Bad? The fact that the students don't care.
Here's the deal. I miss last year's kids. I do. I miss my first class more, but I do miss the theatre kids from last year. They would seek me out to discuss the show, their issues, and more. Now? There are five students in the entire school who seek me out. I know many of the students, and many say, "hello," to me on a daily basis, but there are only a few that actually seek me out for help.
As to the rest of your questions? Well...you didn't hear it from me, but Ole Dr. G is doing a musical. A short one.
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Football Comes To New Orleans:
It's amazing how America is of two minds about this:
On the one hand it's great that New Orleans was able to put the Superdome back together, but....
Aren't there things that are more important that haven't been fixed yet?
On the one hand it's great that New Orleans can celebrate something other than Mardi Gras.
On the one hand, the audience was very, very white, but....
Haven't a lot of folks moved on to other places?
I just find it fascinating how people are celebrating a football game as if it means the city is truly back.
Just an observation.
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Diddy's Buddy:
A shameless plug.
Jason DeRusha went and spent the night with Diddy (not like that you sick little puppies!) last Tuesday.
How much you want to bet Jason's not long for the Twin Cities now? Off to LA he'll go.
Go and read about it.
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That's all I got today.
Go and celebrate Margaret's work on Friday.
As for me? I'll be at the Homecoming Dance on Saturday night (regardless of my hearing).
Tomorrow? I have...another class. Awesome.
Namaste.