I tried to start the school year. I went to work for the full week before the students came back; I went to staff meetings, team meetings and collaborative planning meetings; I created schedules for the computer labs; had all the teachers sign up for their library times; I planned lessons for the first week – all the stuff you do to try to get ready for the students. And all went smoothly on the first day but the second day I woke up and realized that what I thought was a runny nose due to allergies had turned into something more. I went to school anyway (that’s what teachers do) but left right after school to do some grocery shopping for a book club meeting at my house the following evening before going home and crawling into bed. That was Tuesday. I didn’t crawl out again until Sunday (needless to say I canceled the book club meeting). That’s a bit of an exaggeration. I did take a cab to and from the doctor’s on Thursday morning. She diagnosed me with influenza and the beginnings of an ear infection, gave me meds and told me to stay home until Tuesday. I had a fever until Sunday morning. (I don’t know the last time if ever that I had a fever for five days.) Monday I managed to wash my hair and I figured I must be ready for school the next day, so I set my alarm and headed back to school on Tuesday. I was blowing my nose a lot and still coughing but I tried to convince everyone (and myself) that I was much better than I had been. I taught in the morning and tried to catch up on urgent stuff.  I attempted to stay long enough for a class after lunch but by 11:30 am I had made another doctor’s appointment and was on my home. This time the diagnosis was a sinus infection and I added more meds to those I was already taking. It is now Saturday. I have two more days of antibiotics and I figure I should be able to go back to school on Monday. But that’s not what this blog post is about; that’s just the background.

This blog post is about what I have learned this week while I lay around resting and recuperating (in no particular order):

• The cloud rocks. It is so much better to create files as Google docs or upload them to Google docs or use Dropbox or something other application that keeps them in the cloud rather than saving them on a server that you can only access at work. I was able to tweak timetables and keep track of my own and I was able to help with lab bookings and the like.

• Having a PLN and friends on social networks keeps you from being completely isolated while stuck at home. I was able to follow more of the great stuff being shared on Twitter and to pass on valuable links to colleagues. I participated in a meeting to choose books for the Red Dot Award via Skype. Being at home during the day meant that I had more overlapping hours to catch up with friends on the other side of the world via Skype and various chat applications (and even the – gasp – telephone once or twice).

• I ♥ my iPhone. Yes it is only a 3G model but it was perfect for quick checks of email, Facebook, Twitter and reading articles and blog posts while lying in bed too weak to sit up and hold my laptop and unable to focus long enough to read a book.

• A warm laptop feels great on your chest when you are experiencing the chills part of fever and chills.

• Lisa Patton is a fabulous MS/HS teacher-librarian (and a good friend). She sent home a stack of great YA novels to keep me busy. You can see them on my Goodreads.

• No matter how much time I have or how bored I may get, blogging and catching up on Google Reader come at the end of the list of ways I will find to amuse myself.

• If you are a teacher-librarian and you have to get sick, do it before you have put collaborative lessons plans in place.

Here’s to being well!