My Stressful Month

The last four weeks have been rather stressful for me.

The week of November 20 - 26:

I was studying for my chemistry tests. I did some practice tests and found that some of the stuff looked unfamiliar. It was the opposite to Deja vu. Deja vu is the feeling you've experienced something before when you haven't actually experienced it. But with my studying I know I had seen that stuff before, and answered similar questions but it looked so new and unfamiliar. I didn't do very well on the practice tests. That got me more stressed.

The week of November 27 - December 3:

I wrote the chemistry midterm on Tuesday and the final exam on Thursday. When I walked out I thought maybe I got something in the mid seventies for a mark. The waiting game began. I figured it would take anywhere between one and two weeks for me to get my marks back to find out if I passed.

On the Friday there was a terrible ice storm. When I got home the power was out. Most of the family had gone to bed. Not everyone though. Enough people stayed up to create enough noise to keep me awake. And without electricity I can't turn on my noise-cancelers (fan(s) and dehumidifier) so I could hear all the noise upstairs. I couldn't sleep. So I went upstairs just to hang out. At about 10:30pm people got up from their naps and at 11:00pm the power came back on. So the family wasn't tired so they stayed up to clean the kitchen. Cleaning the kitchen involves dropping lots of things on the floor. Anything that happens on the kitchen floor is amplified in the basement. That includes dropping things on the floor, foot steps, the dog's toe-nails, chairs rolling, the dog lying down and his dog-tags hitting the floor, etc.

I started feeling a little tickle in the back of my throat. Both Robin and Bruce had terrible colds. I figured I was getting it. At 2:00am I went to bed.

On Saturday I woke up with a sore throat. It got worse throughout the day.

On Sunday I woke up without a voice. We were having a bunch of people over in the afternoon so I knew that sleep then would be a fruitless endeavor. I skipped church.

The week of December 4 - 10:

The cold from Hades. I have never missed school or work for a cold. I took three days off. I don't get sick days at work so taking time off is kinda a big deal.
I continued playing the waiting game, and wondering if my cold really was just a cold. Colds don't normally knock me out like that.
On Satuday I got my chemistry marks. I passed with flying colours.

The week of December 11 - 17:

Monday: Have my transcript sent from Athabasca University to Algoma University to prove that I passed chemistry.

The the waiting game for the transcript to arrive. As soon as Algoma gets my transcript they will write me a letter saying that I have completed all requirements for a B.Sc. in Computer Science and will receive my degree in the summer. Once I get that then I take it to HR, they put a date on my contract, I sign it, and I have a one year job.

Also, on Monday I came home to a flooded basement. That took time to clean up.

On Thursday we hear there's a new hiring freeze at work. I hope this doesn't effect me. I'm told it won't.

Thursday is also the first night of Bruce's art show. This required me to be out slightly later than I would normally like to be out. Of course, normally that wouldn't bother me at all, but when you're sick, even with a cold, you still want to get to bed earlier, not later.

On Friday my transcript arrives at Algoma. The guy at Algoma tells me he could probably have me the needed letter by the new year. I tell him that's a little late and I could loose my job over it. He gets me the letter Friday night.

I wait out the weekend so I can take the letter to HR first thing Monday morning.

Friday is also the second and final night of the art show. This involved a post-art show clean up, which got me home pretty late. I want some sleep!

The week of December 18 - 24:

On Monday I take the letter to HR. They tell me because there's a hiring freeze the paper work for my hiring has to go through a bunch of hoops. I might not have a job next week. I'm told it will take two days to find out.
It is now Wednesday at 3:30pm. I haven't heard back yet. As far as I know I only have a job for 2 more days.

I still have a bit of a cough, but I don't know if it's left over from the cold or if there's mold in the basement. It seems to be worse when I'm down there. I can't smell any mold or anything. I just seem to cough more down there. But that could all be in my head.