Friday, February 10, 2006

Other Worlds

When I got back from my 11 days of campus interviewing, I said "I feel like I've been in a hospital for a month." Then, 4 days later. I moved into the hospital for a month. Zoe is sick from the world's dumbest virus. RSV. Respiratory Scintilla Virus (Scintilla rhymes with Chincilla). I'm going mad being here. I came in and blamed the doctors and nurses that we were stuck here. Then I realized she was pretty sick and I was glad that she had some help and I should stop being such a selfish bum. Then she got an ear infection, croup, and pneumonia and now I blame the hospital for its germy, stress-filled environment.
We've been here too long and I'm having a hard time being rationale. But the system is designed to make me feel irrational. I can't make any decisions, nor do I have any idea when this will be over. I keep guessing. I'm an optimist. I always say tomorrow, but I'm always wrong. Being an optimist is very depressing work.
I make a lot of jokes about how air travel and hospital styas are comprably unbearable (subtracting of course the fact that my baby was so sick I cried). Unbearable defines 2006 so far.
But I did get a job offer at the GVSU job in Michigan. I'll probably take it. They are great folks and the program's great and the money's great and Dr. Write reminds me I can always come back (by "back" I hope she means back to SLC, not the hospital). I'm actually kind of touched that I made it to this point. In a lot of ways, that's enough.

Although Dr. Write SHOULD remind me to graduate and call myself Dr. and check myself out of this hotel.

5 comments:

Dr. Write said...

yes, graduate! Call yourself Dr. Otter. And congratulate yourself. And rest on your laurels.
Good for you!!

Nik said...

Hi! Fun to see you at the ever-crowded Bayou. I hate that place. But like it too. Jenae and I had Hoppin John which is like Jambalaya without the tomato sauce.
We should go on a date there. On a Tuesday at 3. When there's no line.

Nik said...

Wow, Mary Anne. Thank you so much. Your offer made the idea of having a job much more real, and like a good idea too. It would be most fun to visit Chicago.

Trista said...

Oh Nicole! I'm so sorry about Zoe. Is there anything we can do? Can we drop by some dinner or something? I make a pretty mean quiche.

Nik said...

Hi Trista,

I don’t know if this email will reach you but I figured this might work better than a day-late comment post. Zoë is just fine. We got back from the hospital on Monday and have fully recovered from that endearing experience. It seems like she’s even hungrier than before. I always check on the Frog to see how cute Julia is and must say that she’s slightly more advanced than Zo—Zoë only drinks out of wine glasses, which we try to frown upon. We’ll have to get them together so they can sit on the couch and try to tumble the others’ sit over.

Just know that I keep up with you every day and your blog, especially while we were stagnating in the hospital, gave me great joy.

Thank you for your quiche offer. We’ll take you up on it in person soon.

I hope you’re well.