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Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Chemo Day -- Chemo Brain

I would like to say that since I only received a half dose of the Fenurgen (super, duper, antihistamine that completely knocks you out!), I was more alert. But.....

That would not be accurate.

Once the drip started, I fought to stay awake and alert.....

I lost.

Again, I am grateful to the two friends (squarepeg613 and NT) who came and took care of me while I slept!

After chemo, I came home, intending to sleep more, but my kids needed me for all sorts of things, for which I did not have the patience!

I really wanted to go to sleep early.

After spending all evening on my kid's stuff, I was just finishing up some last minute details when I ERASED HALF OF MY SON'S CLASS LIST!

I had meant to save the file under a different name but... I FORGOT!!

And you can bet your bottom dollar that I am blaming it on "chemo brain" because I would just feel TOO STUPID to admit that I might have done that even without the chemo!!

Especially because.....

Well.....

Uuhhhh....

Hmmmm.....

OK!

I admit it!

I have made this same STUPID MISTAKE before!!

Now, before you suggest something obvious, like getting the list from someone else, I should explain that I am the one who initiated this class list!

I got tired of receiving class lists consisting solely of kids' names and phone numbers. I mean, how many times can you ask a parent her/his name, before being utterly humiliated by not remembering??

So, I put together a comprehensive, computerized list, consisting of:
Child's First
Child's Family Name
Child's Mother's Name
Child's Father's Name
Child's Home Phone Number
Child's Mother's Mobile Phone Number
Child's Father's Mobile Phone Number
Child's Mother's email
Child's Father's email
Child's birthday

Not to mention the various and sundry additional information, like who is willing to accompany the class on class trips, who is on the class parent's council (va'ad horim), etc.

Because we live in Israel, all this information is BOTH in English and Hebrew!!!

(If I was really good, I would also have it in French. But when I was in high school, my dad convinced me to learn Spanish instead of French because it is more practical. Not in Israel!)

Each year, at the beginning of the school year, I spend significant time and energy updating everyone's information. You might think this would not be so difficult, after all, how many people move each year? But you cannot imagine how many parents keep changing their phone numbers, and mobile phone numbers, and emails, and second emails, and...

You get the picture??

It is so much work, that for several years now, the school distributes MY LIST to the teachers.

Because no one else is crazy enough to put in all that effort!!!

NOW do you understand how stupid I feel??

I had the one and only master copy, with all of this year's corrections and additions!

Only after I had erased the file, did I discover that I had never sent it out to all the parents!

Apparently, I sent out my daughter's class list, but not my son's!

So I spent HOURS, when I should have been fast asleep in my bed, searching through old files and old emails, and doing my best to put together the updated list.... AGAIN!!

And then, when I was finally all done, I emailed the new list, along with a letter requesting that the parents please review their information again and send me, AGAIN, any updates and/or corrections that I might have missed.

So now ALL the parents of the ENTIRE CLASS know just how SCATTERBRAINED I really am!!!

I added two new columns:
Child's Mobile Phone
Child's Email

You think the new requests will fool them into thinking that I am just being REALLY THOROUGH?!?!?!



Please daven (or send happy, healing thoughts) for RivkA bat Teirtzel.

With love and optimism,
RivkA

10 comments:

Rivki said...

Wow that stinks!

Something that has helped me before: Email a copy to yourself when you finish with files, that way there is always one in virtual internet space somewhere in your email if something happens on your computer. This has come in handy for me at times.

Marion said...

MD isn't even bar mitzvah yet. I know this is Israel but...I still think the kids having phones is going a bit too far.

Anonymous said...

Hi RivkA

The class list idea is fabulous and I know how much work it involves. How you manage to do this all is beyond me but that activity gives you both energy and hope and both are essential in fighting cancer. I am routing always

Aliza

PS I just noticed the feature of Blogs I read I hope I will have to to look at them as well

Rahel Jaskow said...

Wow. I'm near-speechless at the amount of work you put into that, and in general. Kol ha-kavod!

I have a Gmail account where I send files that I'm concerned about losing. That's been useful to me more than once.

Anonymous said...

It might fool the other parents, unless they read your blog!

CV (Katamon)

RivkA with a capital A said...

Kern & Rahel -- that's a great idea! thanks!

Marion -- that's a topic for another post.... like most things, there are advantages and disadvantages to kids having mobile phones....

Aliza -- thanks!

CV -- hmmmm, you've got a point there.... ;-)

Ilana said...

I enjoyed talking with you while you were still awake. And the conversation was helpful to me. I even applied it successfully! Thank you for your perspective. :-)

Ilana said...

Oh, and I want to add: everyone makes boneheaded mistakes! Everyone. Really. And any parent who might think about being judgemental can take over keeping the lists. So there!

Shalom said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

How about using Google Docs for this document? It might make your life easier when it comes to this document...