I could write and write since so much has happened since my last journal. Where to start? Play practice began this past week. Even at 71% time at work, the practices take more out of me than I'd like to admit to. I love the size of my part this year--it isn't nearly as demanding as last year's. It's just the right size. I don't feel the pressure of leaning lines that I did last year. I told Dean and Heidi and Wendy that I didn't think I could handle the Australia trip, given the diabetes, asthma, and MS complications this fall and winter have produced. They said (except for Wendy--she was clueless about any of this) that they had been concerned about how I would 'survive' the trip as well and they understood. Geralyn had already spoken to them about it, so they knew. It was good for me to get it out in the open though. I feel much better now. Wendy said, "I didn't even know you were sick!" I said, "The dieseases I have are for the most part invisible." So true. Anyway, it looks like Dean and Heidi have a niece that may be able to take my spot and reimburse me the $5,000.00 I've been paying over the past three years for the trip. I hope so.    I go for pulmonary function tests on Wednesday. I am hoping for good results.     Mom wound up back in the hospital--this time with bronchitis? She just got over pneumonia and now bronchitis? This doesn't make sense to me. Joan thinks she may have congestive heart failure.     Our furntiture comes on Thursday of this week! I can't wait!!!!! Finally, my bed, which is adjustable. Hopefully it will take care of my back aches that I often wake up with.    MS is so wierd. In the play, we are all learning this Irish dance. When I first started to learn the dance, I found myself having difficulty with balance and leaning to the right. Today, when we did the dance, I didn't have that 'right' side lean at all. Instead, I did the hop thing and landed wrong on my foot. It hurt and threw me off balance. I actually did go to the right and kind of bounced off another actor and then sort of half fell into the door leading to off stage. It wasn't the MS that caused any of this, I don't think. I beleive that it was just me being somewhat of a Klutz!    I applied for the job at the middle school. I'm not sure that I will get it, but at least I've applied. I spoke to my principal about a new ED position opening in the high school. He said that if they do create a new position, he plans to get a teacher in training as then the university where the student attends will pay for at least half of that teacher's salary. Then he said that he will be using Mike B.'s job as an incentive for this new person. I was so dismayed. First of all, I have no chance of getting into ED at the high school this year and the guy I've been waiting to retire so I could get his job--well that position will be unofficially 'held' for the person they hire this year. This doesn't seem fair. I've been at this school for 20 years! I guess, though, that we'll just have to see what happens.    The job with the alternative school, filled at the beginning of the second semester, apparently is working out well for the person who was hired. Another position I have wanted for several years--gone.    I will be meeting with my NDEA rep. on Monday to discuss the disabiity policy the school has. I won't have enough sick leave, probably, to last until the end of the semester, so disability could possibly be used.     I cleaned out my closet tonight--all I have to do now is decide which clothes to get rid of and then organize all of the hanging clothes.