A Day of Disasters

A day from hell...

So yesterday was mine, and it was so so not pleasant... It started off with a nasty encounter with Mr S*. The previous day I was meant to get equipment from him, but when I went to his office to try and collect it, he wasn't there. Eventually when I did find him, he told me it was too late, and thus, I would have to come back in the morning, at 8. This was not ideal for me, since I was due to TA (be a teaching assistant for a first year subject), at around 8.30. But it could be done. So, I went in to varsity early, so that I could get some work done, before getting the equipment. I sent myself an alarm, so that I wouldn't forget to go - with my foggy memory these days its very handy to have reminders on my phone!

So, off I went to see if Mr S was in his office. When I saw his light on, I tried to phone him, to find out if there was a different place that I needed to get the equipment from... He answered and promptly told me that he only worked from 8am, and it was 5 minutes to the hour, and I should come back later. I felt like a bit of a twit when I realised that my phone is fast... So I duly went back down to my lab, and 15 minutes later, went back to his office, only to find that he wasn't there. By now, I was more than a little grumpy. He did show up about 5 minutes later, carrying my equipment (well, most of it-he only gave me one tape measure). And then, he proceeded to berate me for not collecting my equipment the day before!!!!!!

So, after finally getting my equipment, I realised that it was time to TA, and dashed out of my lab in a tearing hurry. Only to become aware of the fact that I hadn't brought my register, the pracs that I needed to give back to the students, and of course, my keys... So I couldn't get back into my lab without someone who had their keys. And, of course, no-one was there!

Admittedly, the lab went well. Probably because I warned my students to be nice to me, else I may just burst into tears (I was also exceedingly tired). The lab went well... until one of the lecturers of the course walked in, saw some students leaving 15 minutes early, and decided to check that they had finished absolutely everything. Needless to say, they hadn't, so she pretty much locked the lab door, and demanded to see the work of everyone who was left. I don't mind it when my students go home to do their labelling, and answering of questions – I think they hand in better quality work than if they randomly scribble a few hasty answers and labels. So I had to wait with my students until the lecturer left... a good 15 minutes. Grumble.

When I got back to my lab, the lab mates were there to open up for me, luckily. So I bolted down some cake, cut a mountain of markers to mark my sites, and left in a hurry, to pick up Jenny, who was nice enough to volunteer to help me... (Thanks Jen!)

In the middle of marking out the first site, I started getting an itch in my throat. After the second site, it was decidedly sore. At the third site I started telling Jenny that I thought I was getting sick. After the fourth site, I knew I was getting sick. We only managed to mark out the four sites... We didn't even do any measuring! (which gives an indication of how long it takes to mark out a site, particularly when you keep on walking for the wrong spot, and need to go back and re-mark...)

I got back home, and collapsed... My nose was running, my throat was killing me and I had a headache from (Insert suitable name here). What a lousy day... And to top it all off, guess what we had for dinner...? Thats right. ROAST CHICKEN!

Good news: my car went so well... She did amazingly, and didn't break down... YAY! She even did some off-roading... Go, car, go!

...something smells like roast chicken...

So, although I was really looking forward to my physio appointment on Monday, afterwards I realised that there is a serious downside to it.

The Massage Oil

I don't know what it has in it, and surprisingly, I don't care. The thing that I do care about is that fact that it makes me smell like roast chicken.
That's right, I feel like a walking roast chicken for a day, until I have had a very good shower and washed all the massage oil off. It must be the slight hint of rosemary that I get a whiff of every time I turn my neck (its my neck and shoulders that the physio works on). So I don't think I will be able to eat a roast chicken for a while now... Sorry lab-mates...

Other news: I'm now driving my own car again. It is slightly dodgy. And I have had a few brushes with extreme danger. Well, only about two. Actually three in total. The last time (when I thought it had finally been fixed), the alternator belt snapped. In all honesty, I snapped on my way in to varsity, and I had forgotten about it till I was about to leave, which was in the dark. So I called my dad, and he was on his way to come and give my a tow, and then sent a message to Helen, one of my lab mates, just to let her know that I was still stuck at varsity (because someone else should also know that I was stuck - it would be irresponsible not to!). She then phoned me to ask where I was and if I had a security guard with me, and then to thoroughly berate me for not having one with me... In the end (there was no security guard), she drove down and for my dad with me. Thanks Helen! So in the end, my life was not placed in any grave danger. But it could have been. And I managed to drive my car back under my own steam. And it now has a new alternator belt.

I just hope nothing else goes wrong with it!