The Flu down in Fluville

Count Rugen: Get some rest. If you haven't got your health, then you haven't got anything.

Well, Emily has the flu. I haven't had it since vet school, lo these 21 years ago, and I still remember how miserable it was. My flu test was negative (and don't they have the niftiest little tests now!) so we're both on the miracle drug Tamiflu, so she can get well and I won't get it at all. At least, that's the plan.

I'm still shaking my head at my reaction to the doc last night when I took her to the walk-in place near us. He said she could return to school next Wednesday, and without even thinking about it, I said, "What about Tuesday, because they're having standardized testing?"

He said that would be fine.

No, it wouldn't, said my brain. It's not fine at all because I just went on record as wanting to cut corners to accommodate STANDARDIZED TESTING. This is not fine. My tongue should snap off its roller. The earth should swallow me. What is wrong here?

How quickly I can revert to the whole schoolish mindset. I keep telling her that her grades aren't important, but she sees my face when she has a 50 or 60 on a test, and it speaks volumes. It's going to require a lot of honest talk about these tests next week. She needs to know that they're essentially worthless measures that people spend a great deal of time and money on. Actually, not a bad lesson, at that, for future reference. I'll show her some of the tricks in test-taking, and how they're not scary, just boring.

As long as we're past the flu, it'll be fine.