In sickness and in health...

...means taking sick days when you need to, and trying to not feel guilty about it. Especially when no one picks up the job, two days in a row. Assuming they just cancelled art and robbed teachers of their planning time. Guilty guilty guilty. Called in sick both today and yesterday, with the worst kind of illness: stomach virus. Mysterious stomach virus, too, because no one I know has had similar symptoms. The fiance is sick as well, but with a head cold and overall lethargy. We make quite a pair right now!

The issue with being sick yesterday was that the White Flint Arts Fair show had to go up. And I was... throwing up.

Where's the nearest bathroom?!

So. The White Flint Arts Fair is a countywide art show for all elementary and middle schools. It's held at a local shopping mall. Each school gets two panels (each 70 x 38"), to fill with 15-30 pieces of art. I had driven to work on Wednesday feeling pretty crappy, but all the White Flint stuff was at school and I thought, at the very least, I should come in to pick it up. Thought if I felt okay by the time I got to school I would just stay. Got there, still felt like crap. Picked up the work, put it in my car and drove to my parents' house, which is much closer than my hour-long commute. Crashed there until my dad came home from work to me, crying at the kitchen table about the White Flint show.

Isn't it humbling how, even as adults, your parents are still there to catch you when you fall? My dad drove nauseous, exhausted, dehydrated me to the mall and helped me hang the show. Really not sure how it looks, didn't take any pictures, but it's up. That's the important thing: it's up. He even helped me cut little extra pieces of velcro when needed (the work is hung on cubicle-like panels, we put velcro on the back of the work), gave advice about hanging (is it crooked?), and provided overall muscle and moral support. Could not have done it without him! 

I'm volunteering at the host table on Saturday, from 10am-12pm, so I'll have an opportunity to check out all the panels then... and I'll be able to make some adjustments to my own, if it turns out that yesterday's installation was not quite stellar. All I can say is that advanced preparation is what saved me! I had spent long hours after school last week selecting work, putting together information packets and certificates for students, matting, and photographing a predetermined layout for the work.

As for now, I have moved on from yesterday's diet of one small single serving of applesauce plus two pieces of wheat toast, to today's banana, one slice cinnamon raisin toast, and one milkshake from McD's. Making progress, eh?

And the next hurdle...? My school's first ever Art Show goes up next Friday. And there has been very little "advanced preparation", ie: some stuff is matted, but that's about it. Whoops. May my Art Teacher Fairy Godmother heed my prayers and descend at the eleventh hour...