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November 16, 2005
In Which Elissa Attempts to Take a Sick Day and Succeeds Only Partially
My husband says that I don't know how to actually take a sick day. He's probably right.
Monday morning, I woke up with a blazingly sore throat and a head seemingly stuffed with soggy kleenex. I moaned and complained but steadfastly refused all of Noel's suggestions that I stay home from work. "I can't today," I told him. "I'd mess up too many schedules and I'd feel worse. I'll take a sick day tomorrow."
This made very little sense to his curl-adored, western head, but to my Japanese-infused and thus community-oriented psyche, it was the the most logical route. Mondays are one of my longest work days, and by not going I would stand up a slew of students who I knew had deadlines. I would miss German class. And I would be doing this all without giving anyone warning. The entire half of my Japanese self smothered my American mind which, at the time, was trying to argue that sick days are to be taken on the day you get sick, not the day following.
Clearly, though, the most reasonable thing would be to slog through the day, get everything in order for Tuesday, and then crash and recuperate. I talked through six hours of conferences, e-mailed homework assignments to my Tuesday students, alerted Dr. Wildeman that I would be dead to the world the following day, readjusted the schedule, and left a sign. Banking on the hope of my impending sick day, I even briefly attending a birthday party (shout-out to Rebekah) at Hoppy's, a perfect example of zen-like mastery of mind over matter.
(I will admit, though, that a beer assisted the situation.)
And then, with all things in order and all people accounted for and notified, I took my sick day.
Thanks, I do feel better now.
Carefully Dramatized Life Accounts , Woeful Tales of Cultural Integration | By elissa | 02:39 PM
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Comments
Elissa! I didn't know you were sick... you should have stayed home Monday night. However, now I feel even more special that you came :-)
Posted by: Rebekah at November 16, 2005 03:09 PM
You have achieved a heroic victory, and your comrades salute you.
Unfortunately, judging from the sore throat I awoke with Tuesday morning, there were some collateral damages.
Posted by: mesh at November 17, 2005 11:35 AM
