Dolphin’s Dock

The funeral was planned and though I am technically entitled to three paid bereavement days from work for a grandparent, I am so busy at the moment that I really could barely handle taking one, let alone three. The way the funeral arrangements worked out, I ended up taking two, but bringing the laptop home with me and getting some work done while I was there. It was actually about as nice as such a visit could be. At the very least I got to spend some time with my parents and a few out-of-town family members.

Of course, all that family time resulted in sharing sickness. TheBoyfriend™ and I got back home on Saturday, and Sunday I woke up with a very sore throat. I had some ThroatCoat herbal tea and gargled regularly and Monday went to work with a definite scratchy throat (you could hear it in my voice) but little pain. Tuesday, I assumed I was more or less better. I had the slightest scratchy feeling, but even that was not noticeable unless I was thinking about it. So, thinking it was past, I went to Jiu-Jitsu class. It was a VERY physical class that night and by the end of it I was feeling my chest begin to tighten some. Yesterday, I had the little tickle in the back of my throat that gives you a bit of a dry cough. Today it’s a full-on chest cough, and while I don’t feel “bad,” I feel kinda “bleh.” But there’s no way I could take off work, I’m still behind from the funeral.

After work yesterday, I headed to the doctor’s. On my way there however I managed to get my first speeding ticket ever. It was a pretty blatant speed trap. It was were a road changes from 45 to 25. I was traveling along at 45 and when I saw the sign for 25, I lifted my foot from the accelerator and began to coast down to 25. I really don’t see the need to put on brakes to instantly hit 25 the second I notice the sign but in this instance apparently I should have, because according to the police officer, when my car actually passed the 25 sign, it had only decelerated to 38. Frankly, I think there ought to be some kinda grace period when you first enter a new speed limit zone to allow your car to decelerate, and I suspect, had I been in the city instead of out to a county known for it’s speed traps, I would have gotten that leniency.

TheBoyfriend™ says if I’m concerned about it, I could go in to court and there’s a chance, with it being my first and only offense and all, that the judge will go ahead and throw it out. I haven’t decided yet. Granted, I’d like to not pay the fine and I’d really like to retain my clean record, but it’d mean taking time off work (the length of the court appearance plus a half hour trip out there and a half hour back), not to mention the fact that that particular county is well known for using speed traps as a way to fill its treasury so what’s the likelihood the judge is interested in anything but getting the money to the people who pay his paycheck? I DO have a good month to make up my mind.

Lest I get to “woe is me” here, there are a few silver linings to it all. I’m busy at work, but I’m FINALLY back to being busy doing what I enjoy, and was hired to do. For awhile there I’d somehow ended up getting delegated to tasks only tangentially related to my job. Which is ok I guess. In this economy, I’m thrilled just to have a job, but I’m glad to be back to doing what I actually like to do. I also got an email yesterday from a client I did some freelance work for last year but had somehow forgotten to invoice. It was a small job, but it is extra money coming in and will at least cover the speeding ticket (if I decide not to fight it or if I fight it and lose). I haven’t figured out a silver-lining to being sick yet, but I’m working on it.