17 days later

17 days since my last update, sorry, been feeling blah and not done anything report-worthy.

I have signed up to an OCN level 2 Teaching Assistant course and am slowly getting through the notes first time, second time I do the assessments. I've arranged with the school to do two full days per week, Monday and Thursday which is when it's knitting group so I really am doing FULL days. Leave home for the 7.55am bus, come home on the 3.55pm school bus. I stop for two ten minute breaks and get about 20 minutes to eat lunch. Lunch and breakfast are free and the teachers so far appreciate the help. I've made a few oopses but nothing major. If I get worried or really haven't a clue I consult the teacher/TA. The thing that's the hardest so far is getting my head round what they can and cannot do. By year 5 (9-10yo) they talk like young adults but then you get into the classroom and some can't spell, they're still reading relatively simple books.

There are 5 optional modules in the course and I need to take 3 so I've definitely gone for Numeracy and ICT for the third I was pondering special needs so I had a chat with the two ladies in the school who are 1on1 with the special needs children, they say it's wonderfully rewarding and fun. I've also started to get to know the kids. One is a boy in Year 3, I got quite a rapport with him when he would use the crossing and he went from quiet and shy to actively saying "hiya" to me. The other is a girl in Year 4, I'd seen her fairly often crossing after school, I had my first classroom experience with her on Monday, apparently I'm not horrible or scary to her because she was happy to lean against me and listen to one of the other pupils read for me. Lovely kids.

Had my MRI on Sat 14th at some horrible hour of the morning. Jo's Dad drove us there so that was nice. I actually found it relaxing! Yes, I am officially WEIRD. It was really nice to be told that under no circumstances (except panic) was I to move or do anything but lie there, shut my eyes and rest. Bliss. 25 minutes of lying there, ear protectors on, listening to the almost musical machine whirr around me. Yes it was a little disconcerting to have a cage around my head but only when my eyes were open. Inside the machine it blew a cool breeze across my face, the nurse had put a pillow under my knees so my back stayed calm, I had a blanket across my legs and tummy and pillow cases round my arms to stop them rubbing on the machine so I was warm where I wanted to be warm and had the lovely breeze on my face. The only slightly bad bit was when the cushion was removed, my back spasmed and it took me a little while to get my head happy after lying still for so long. Results hopefully this Monday (23rd). I mentioned it was getting worse and I had the follow-up on the 23rd and the nurse said she'd do her best to make sure it was seen before then.

Alison and I went to Harrogate yesterday. It was a mutually wanted thing and personally my treat to me for being so calm through all this trouble. Alison got a free carer ticket which we used to get me in and I paid her half her ticket cost so we both got in for £5 each. I had £90 and spent about £70. I got some KnitPro Symphonie needles (1 pair straight 3.75mm, 3.75mm DPNs and 3mm DPNs) I wanted some 5mm DPNs but the people who were selling them had none, they'd made an order but it had gotten lost between planes/ships and sat in Dubai for a week, as such they didn't have all the stock they wanted but hey-ho. UK lovers of KnitPro: Http://www.knitting4fun.com I also bought two balls of Mini Mochi from them, gorgeous stuff! Destined to make some line mittens for me. I then got two hanks of the gloriously squishy-soft-mmmmmm Manos Del Uruguay yarn, I plan to make this into a gorgeous shawl, got an idea but undetermined as yet. Saw KnittyFred at the Knit one pass it on stand and dropped off a bar of choccy to keep him going ;) I would have hung about and chatted longer but by then my head was starting to go, the cold that has set in today was starting to gain momentum and Alison had vanished. I also got a braiding thing that I haven't even opened yet.

I think the funniest part was the chocolate stand. Yep, they know where to be: a show that is predominantly attended by women, aka chocaholics. I got 600g of praline misshapes smothered in dark chocolate and as I was putting them into my bag the man serving looked at Alison and said: "You won't be getting a chance with those, they've gone into protective custody" He served Alison, again witty and as we were organising he said to the next woman "how may we corrupt you?" Definitely knows his audience ;)

I felt bloody awful by the time I got home and as Jo had had a bad day aswell we just sat and stared at eachother for a while then got an early bed.

Today has been calmer. I went to work, came home and relaxed, ate choccy, had a terrible for the hips but good for the soul lunch and watched Laputa. Both shifts were completely dry which was wonderful after the torrential rain that's been around. The school were having a cake sale for Children in Need and while I'd missed the main sale in the morning I did get to have a pick of the little cakes before afternoon shift, lovely. One was green and the icing was mainly mint while the cake was chocolate, very weird TBH.

Tonight I'm planning on probably a late night doing nowt much, just relaxing, tomorrow is long lie-in and lazy day, do some laundry and bits. Sunday is more laundry and nothing else day.

Monday, Monday is the big one, I hopefully get the results of my MRI scan, Monday 11.15am-ish I get to find out if there are "space occupying legions" in my skull. If there are then we go from there, if not it's a lumbar puncture and time to talk to my GP about being referred for gastric banding. So, yeah, big day and hence the relaxed weekend. I do NOT want to be suffering from a cold when I get the news.

Aaaaanyhoo. I have a few photos and a little video of the UKHandKnitting boat-cosy and accompaniments that I shall upload when my brain is working.

Now I'm off to faff with Facebook games and generally waste time in a fun way.