Pay Attention

You know, after I wrote the last post on Sunday, I went out to run some errands.  Errands on a Sunday take a bit of time.  See, the buses run much less often, so it has to be factored into the trip.  Stores also close early (around 4 pm), if they open at all, so the few hours of shopping time are completely packed with people. 

Anyway, caught the W8 into Enfield Town, bought some sudafed and two boxes of Kleenex for my head cold (which is still lingering on) and some Ibuprofen for my headache.  Got some sweets for my students for the last two days, spoiled myself with some scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam from Marks & Spencers, and started making my way back to the bus stop.  The plan was to go home and mark papers for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  Because here you see, in England, Year 10 students (would be 9th grade back home) have something called coursework.  This coursework is required.  They can't skip it and take a bad mark.  They complete six pieces of this during the school year, or one piece of writing every six weeks.  Or they are supposed to. 

They don't.  I got the first three pieces from most of them, and then they just turned off.  It's been a major fight to get the rest of their work in before I leave.  Of course, lots and lots of papers came in the week before school let out.  How I was supposed to mark all of them was beyond me.  I was feeling horribly guilty because I knew I wouldn't get it all done.  I would have put a very good dent into it on Sunday, however...

I fell down.  Running for the bus, which was already at the bus stop, I did  a spectacular drop.  I tripped on the pavement/sidewalk, and went over.  My right ankle (which I've messed up twice before in the last 15 years) rolled under in a way that ankles are not supposed to bend.    After two very loud shouts of a bad word, two people came over to see if I was alright.  I was sure I broke my ankle, but you know... embarrassment?  "No no... I'm okay... could you just help me up?"

Limped over to the bus stop, where of course the bus had left just a minute before, and sat down.  I leaned over to  put my bags on the ground, and then I was on the ground.  Yep.  Fainted.  So charming when out alone in public.  No one was at the bus stop, so no one helped this time.  Those who saw me probably thought I was  on drugs.

Got the next bus, limped back home, put my foot up with a bag of frozen raspberries, and thought, "Hmm... that really, REALLY hurts.  I should probably go to A & E (stands for "Accident and Emergency") and get it checked out.  Because you know, if I didn't go, the next morning my foot would be swollen up like a balloon.  So I called a friend for advice, called a cab, and went to the hospital.

Three hours and an x-ray later, I did not have a broken bone.  Possibly a torn tendon (what I did last time), a compression sock, and that's about it.  Could I go to work?  Well, it might be very painful tomorrow morning.  Yes, but it's the last two days, can I go to work?  You are a teacher right?  You stand all day and when you sit it's with your feet on the floor under your desk?  It could really swell up.  Yes Doctor, but will I injure myself more if I go in?  No... I don't think so.

See, I'm kind of used to doctors telling me yes or no for stuff like this.  You know, or "light duty only" or something like that.  It was really hard to get a straight answer out of him.

Anyway, I hobbled out to the bus stop, got the bus home again, and put my foot up with some more frozen food. 

And I didn't get any marking done at all.  Major guilt, especially when the teacher taking over my class made it clear he did not want  any of the papers from this year left over for him for next year.  Gah. 

But then, I went to school yesterday to do more work.  I know, school is out, but still, wanted to leave things as tip top as possible.  I realized, alone in the department on the first day of vacation, at 3:30, that most teachers have the same problem as I do, but they have the same students for two years (year 10 and 11).  They've gotten papers late, but they can mark them over the summer, or even the beginning of next year.  I can't, because I'm leaving.  I still feel guilty, but not as totally horrible as I did a couple of days ago.  It's been quite a ride, that's for sure.

And now, gimpy and with a sinus infection, I'm leaving for Dublin this afternoon.  Why oh why did I leave my Netty pot at home?