Unnizone

Been on sick leave for a year, which is the limit for sick leave money. I am still sleeping my days away, but rules are rules.  I need to pay my mortgage, so I am going to work 50% which will do exactly that (but no more).  I will have three 90-minute lessons on Wednesdays and two 90-minute lessons on Thurdays, pluss an extra half hour. All of them in the same beginner class. I need to prepare for the first week, so I went into work today.  I had not been there since November. On my desk was the yearly Christmas calendar from our boss, and a Christmas gift from a pupil.

Hours of preparations done, and then I went to Joanna's place to sleep over.  She offered Polish food, and good conversation.

On Wednesday I met the class. Amazing mix of pupils from so many different countries. Ukraine, Syria, Thailand, Peru, Mexico, Cambodia, Ghana, Kenya....  Most of them do not speak English, and since they have only just started, they do not speak Norwegian either.  I have done this so many times in my teaching career, so I am very comfortable with the situation. It is quite fun to communicate with the help of body language and a bit of dramatic play. And it is fun. The three 90 minute lessons flew by.  Then it was back to Joanna, another sleepover and work again on Thursday.

Loved being back to work, and my colleagues are amazing. But at the end of the last workday I was completely shattered and I needed several breaks to sleep on my way home.

Car broke down. On the list of what I do not need right now, this is up there.

We are up to no good.

Me and Aro have decided we need more long walks, and we will try to do a 10 km walk now and then. Today we drove to Vestmarka.   Me and Bjørn have walked there before when we lived closer, but that was with other dogs.  Drove to Vestmarka petrol station and parked the car.  The walk was on!

After walking for 5 km, we needed a break. We found a nice spot and sat down on the grass.  We both had lunch and some water.

With renewed energy we turned around and started walking back to the car.

Drove back home - and being in the car is half the fun for Aro, he loves everything about it.  Managed to do a few things in the house today also. Really been one of my better days.

Today there was no help in caffeine pills or energy drinks.  I had so many plans, so much I wanted to be done.  But today was all about sleep.  

That sums it up.

I have tried to get some things done, but sleepiness has wanted it different.

Aro has started shedding his winter fur. There is a lot of it. Gave him a proper groom today to help him get rid of some of it.

And speaking of the furball....  He still needs to wear this. We try to take it off now and then, and he goes straight for his formerly shaved leg and licks it sore.

We are still the place where the deer and the antilope (well, moose, really), play.

I worked on staying warm. Aro worked on getting the most out of the snow.

My meniscus chose a relatively good day to go on strike.  At least I do not need to feel bad for not getting things done outside.