TGIF

It's not a very original title, but I am thankful that it is Friday. I don't feel so good and I'm glad I am home with nothing that has to be done.

All week my chest has hurt on the left side; asthma, I think. Finally today I broke out the inhaler and got very minimal relief. I've had the inhaler for a while so I checked the expiration date: October, 2008. I put in a call to the pharmacy, who sent a fax to the doctor's office, who returned a call or fax to the pharmacy and a few hours and 35.00 later, I had a new inhaler.

It helps, but I still feel tired and the symptoms are not completely gone.

We had a two hour delay for school today. There was snow forecast last night and it did snow for about five minutes, then it turned to a light rain. With the sub-freezing temperatures we are having I suppose there were icy patches. The only ice that caused any problem for me was the ice holding my car door stuck. I had to use both hands to pull it open.

About 1:00 this afternoon the receptionist called down to the room and asked if I would come translate for a parent who was in the office; our translator was in a meeting at the high school and apparently there was no one else available, even though we have four other staff members who are fluent Spanish speakers. So, I went and did the best I could. The lady said that her son was not at school today because she didn't understand about the delay; there was a phone message but it was in English. She didn't understand the information on the television and her son is only in kindergarten so it wasn't like he could translate for her or anything. They had waited for the bus at 7:00 and it when it didn't come, she didn't understand.

She said that she doesn't have a car so she couldn't bring him (a friend had brought her to the school) and that she works so going to school later is a problem because there is no one at home to watch him. I agreed that it was.

The challenges that families face are so numerous. Those of us who have easier lives have a hard time relating.

These are topics to reflect upon at a later date. The couch in front of the fire, my easy life, awaits.