Oh teh sickness…

It sucks.

I have been sick for almost a week. I missed work on Thursday and Friday and felt better and went in to work on Saturday. Taught one three-hour class, helped a little with a birthday party, and prepped everything back to how it was so that the next person can teach the class without having to clean up after me.

Then my mom picked me up at the apartment while Juan continued to work from home. We headed to downtown LA for

 ‘s Senior Art Show. It was cool, I have a few pics, but by the time I got in the car, I was so incredibly tired. When my mom dropped me off home, I was really tired and all I wanted to do was eat dinner and crash on the couch. I had to prepare myself for work on Sunday. That would be the first Sunday I work in years. I thought it would be a good idea to help because there was a staff crunch on that day and I need this next Friday off. The way the work week works out, they are on the same payweek, so I just swapped the days.

I was on the presentation schedule which means I was out on the floor. I also was scheduled for two tours. I was so scared that I wouldn’t make it in the morning. I felt worse than I had the previous days, but I just knew there wasn’t anyone to cover for me. I was already coming in to help due to the shortage of the day, and someone else called in saying they wouldn’t be able to make it for outreach, so the last person was called in to work. And she had already worked her last day for the Aquarium on Friday. They were that desperate for people. Fortunately, my first tour consisted of a wonderful family. Mom with her three kids, about 12 and up. They were just having a blast, doing the full day at the Aquarium. Walked in, saw the first floor, went to the gift shop, did the behind-the-scenes tour, were going to do Ocean Experience, and wrap it up with a 3D movie (not sure which one). This is aside from just experiencing the Aquarium! They had really great questions and listened to everything that I said as my voice faded away. At the end of the tour, the oldest kid, daughter, probably about 17, said they went to Disneyland yesterday and they thought that this was so much better. :O I was insanely proud at that point, but I think that it might have something to do with the insane crowds at Disneyland right now, don’t you think

?

 was there this week and said she could barely walk through the crowds. *shudders* And I thought the crowds we have at the Aquarium were bad…

Anywho, by the time I finished my second tour, my voice was almost gone. I asked for coverage on my otter presentation and I basically hid out for a while and drank a lot of water. I spent a lot of time in Lorikeet forest since that is the one place where I wouldn’t be talking into a mic. I also spent a good while interpreting in our new Waves Gallery. By the time I got home, I couldn’t talk anymore.

I woke up this morning (around noon) and when Juan called to check in on me, which would have been the first time I would have tried to utter a word. Nothing came out. Poor

, when she called me, I tried to talk and get her attention, but she expected to hear a voice at the other end. I hung up and tried to text her, but then she called again. This time I tried to make some blowing noises on the phone so she could tell someone was there. Then I whispered and she understood I couldn’t talk. So I hung up and sent off the text message.

I think I am going in to work tomorrow. Fortunately it is on the dry side, so I don’t have to talk to anyone if I don’t want to (read: can’t).