Over and out

It's Friday evening again and the end of another long week. I've been immersed in marking exams, giving grades and writing reports. My eyes feel like someone has rubbed sand into them (more on that later) and I still haven't finished.

Two more days of normal teaching then we're into intensive courses. A week and a half of that and it's all over. Over the weekend I'll be finalising my trip around South America, sorting out the things I want to go back to the UK and packing them up, and repairing the clothes I'm taking with me.

Going back to the subject of my eyes, with the arrival of summer has come the arrival of allergies. I never used to suffer from hayfever but over the last few years it has become worse and worse. It isn't unbearable but at the beginning of the season I start sneezing, not just once but in a series of three to five atishoos (just like you mum) which do nothing to alleviate the irritation and can have some odd side effects. One of these happened the other morning. Sitting on the loo (as you do) I started sneezing. Being in the bathroom, I had tissue handy and wiped my nose. However when I'd finished my business and looked in the mirror, what did I see but green gungy fluid in the corners of both eyes. I had sneezed so hard that the 'snot' had gone upwards rather than downwards - nice.