Sistah Pat

If ever there was an incentive for healthy living, it’s right now, today, the way I feel.  Didn’t know if I was going to make it home without stopping somewhere at a rest area and throwing up.  We’re talking BIGTIME indigestion and reflux.  I can’t eat this crap anymore.

I didn’t sleep well last night.  The rooms at the  Marriott Griffin Gate are beautiful to look at but not that great for sleeping.  Six pillows on the bed and two bolsters and I couldn’t find one that worked.  It was so crowded I felt like there were a half dozen people in the bed (I checked…it was just me).  Three of them were big fat pillows that no one could possible sleep on and three more were too soft.  The bolsters were..well, bolsters.  I finally tossed them all over the side except one of the too soft, mushy ones.  The coverlet had to go right off the bat but the down comforter felt like a cloud… until I woke up burning up.  I turned the air conditioning down and  tossed the comforter aside and woke up a little while later freezing so I pulled it back over me.  Woke up again, too hot so I tossed the comforter and turned the air up to 70 degrees.  Never did really get comfy.  Add the nightly three or four trips to the bathroom to pee and it all adds up to a restless night.  The alarm went off at 6:00 and it was a particularly annoying alarm.  It started out soft and rapidly got louder and louder till it sounded like a smoke alarm or something.  I finally found the snooze button and hit it and it only gave me another five minutes.  Who ever heard of a snooze button that only gives you five minutes?  After 10 minutes, I gave up and rolled out of bed.

Went down to breakfast but it was all gone.  Really!  The guys at our school are notorious for eating!  We can order food for 150 and only have 75 teachers and it’s all gone before everybody’s eaten.  I wasn’t happy but I normally don’t eat breakfast anyway so I headed down to the conference room where we were meeting.  For some unknown reason, knowing that I was cheated out of breakfast made me really hungry!  Not a problem, because there was still lots of cake left from last night.  I had a slice of lemon crunch cake and coffee for breakfast.  Not the kind of thing I’d normally eat and I don’t know why I did.  I immediately started getting a little indigestion.  Not a lot but enough to know about it.  Lunchtime came and we had sandwiches, potato chips, and cookies.  Why on earth would you eat sandwiches, chips, and cookies when you already have indigestion?  Because it’s there!  That’s why!  Because it’s lunchtime and we all break for lunch and go down by the pool to eat.  Because I follow the herd right on over the cliff like all the other cows!  That’s why!

The afternoon was the best part of the retreat.  One of the APs geared us all up with a few sob stories about some of our kids and heartbreaking videos of some of the hardships they face and we’re all ready to save the world and take em all home with us.  I’m touched.  I’m inspired!  I’m ready to start a new school year but I can’t wait to get out of the room because I’m sick from eating all the crap!  The minute we were done, I was first out the door and peeled out of the parking lot heading for home!

Walked in the door and hit the medicine cabinet and dug out indigestion pills!  I can’t eat this crap anymore.  I’ve been eating healthy for so long my digestive system can’t handle an assault like this.  I think I’m going to bring this up next year.  There’s really no reason that we should have to eat this kind of junk food or go to a restaurant and have to foot the bill.  Maybe spend a little bit less on the accommodations and a little more on the food.  We have lots of teachers on the staff who are vegans, diabetic, or dieting.  Why are we being served this kind of food? 

Soon as I got home, DH told me he missed me, gave me a big hug and kiss, and asked what’s for dinner.  Don’t know about him, but I’m dining on Maalox.