Headache Cures

FINALLY, my headache is gone! He's in Colorado on another business trip. JOKING! STRICTLY JOKING! Simon will be in Vail until late Friday night, staying at the slope-side mansion of billionaire Texan D.B., owner of the ski resort where he works. The place is full of contradictions, like its owner: a perfect ski-in, ski-out locale; but the house hasn't been updated in any way since the '70s. There's a 16th Century tapestry hanging in the living room, but D.B. keeps the key under the mat. Furthermore, D.B. will be in residence this week (YEEEEE-HAW!), which means that poor Simon will have to sit up half the night listening and nodding sycophantically when he'd rather be in the privacy of a hotel room, nipping Scotch from his hip-flask and watching the Electric Train Channel or whatever.

Or, there's the Exercise Cure. I ran 12 miles yesterday, and survived, so it's official - I really will run in the Salt Lake City Half-Marathon in 2 week's time. The long run wasn't too bad, really. Just the last 2 miles or so, when I started to feel achy in the knees and shoulders. And bored. I run on an indoor track and that's a looooong time to spend running around in tiny circles. As I left the track, I found myself circumnavigating the parking lot so I could circle back to my car in a clockwise direction. There was a short runner's high, followed by a series of super-horrible sensations that I was unprepared for, I guess because I am an ignorant amateur and have no clue how to keep all the.. what?... electrolytes?...balanced. I stood in the shower, feeling wobbly and nauseous, trying to figure it out by instinct. I thought to myself, "What do you crave?" (This usually works for me when I'm backpacking, etc...) "That's probably what you need. Think about....sausage! No, No! Anything but sausage! OK...how about a ...Snicker bar! Oh! Gross! Ummm...salt? Maybe a few Sun Chips?" I think that one of the benefits of paying the entrance fee and actually running in an organized race is that they have little cups of Gatorade or something as you run along, which could make this a non-issue. I have heard that professional football players swear by pickle juice...

The Shake-Up Cure. The staff member who has been giving me aggro has handed in her notice. There might have been a time when this would have stressed me out, but not any more. After the other teacher left precipitously at Christmas and I had to scramble to fill that (large, responsible and very autonomous) position, I now feel like this can't phase me any more. I do worry a little about what it might mean about me as a person- having two teachers leave, disgruntled, within three months. Am I the bitch that they think I am? Probably. The other night, when she handed me her letter of resignation, I found myself thinking, "YES! This time I will find a teacher that will get off his/her butt and do a good job, support the team and remember her commitments. " Wish me luck.

Better go make supper. Tempting as it is to eat carry-out every night when Si's gone, the kids need nutrition at some point. I can tell they're getting hungry.

"Master Yoda! Transform into a baby spitting cobra and ask Mom if cobras like Sun Chips."
"Of course they like Sun Chips, you Doodle Brain!"
"MASTER YODA DOES NOT CALL PEOPLE DOODLE BRAIN!"
"Well fine. YOU ask her for Sun Chips."
"I can't! I'm a Sith Lord. She'll never listen to a Sith Lord."
"Well you could transform into a cute, purring baby ocelot...."

Oh, God. I hear this weird mewing coming down the hall...