Long Burn

Ouch.

Ouch. The last week has been a killer. A fearful foursome of geological forces has been eroding my majestic profile:

1. Any parent of a two year old can relate. Say no more! Please! It is only a passing phase. He has discovered his self and his will and he needs our love, even after two hours of screaming because he was supposed to open the door not me, or mom was supposed to pick up the spoon, not dad. It is only a passing phase. But at least he could let us sleep through the night?

2. Meetings every single day last week, plus two days of oral exams (at least these days I am examiner and not examinee). Not to mention visitors and students stopping by and a major expansion of our laboratory to coordinate.

3. First came the heavy snow. Then came the shoveling of the heavy snow. Then came the repeated lifting of the willful children, not to mention the clothing of the willful children. Then came the crucifying pain in my neck and shoulder. Today I have a range of motion of 27 degrees (horizontally or vertically) with moderate pain and much stiffness, and today is a good day.

4. I have not had a single train this year that has been on time. Snow caught in the switches. Brake troubles. Frost on the wires. I hate to enter a meeting late, with an apology, even if the fault lies with DSB, Skaanetrafiken, SJ or Banestyrelsen. On Friday I thought I would drive in and save the trouble, and maybe get home early for a change. Instead the road to home was blocked by a tragic 13-car chain collision and the 1-hour commute took me 2.5 hours. It felt like I was back in Los Angeles, except with Volvos and snow instead of SUVs and sunglasses.

posted by Matt_J @ 1:33 PM