The David Bowie Disease

So for the last 11 days, I have been suffering from Labyrinthitis...or as my sister calls it, The David Bowie Disease (as in the 80's Jim Henson movie Labyrinth, starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly) - it's a form of vertigo caused by an inflammation of the inner ear making you feel like you've got a severe case of the spins. My doctor thinks that it was triggered by having a flu shot 2 Wednesday's ago...and can I tell you how much this has sucked? I really couldn't watch tv, I couldn't get on the computer, I couldn't drive - I felt like I was continuously motion sick without getting sick. I had to take a medication that made me sleep and made me loopy, it was horrible!

I was walking through my house holding on to things and my mother had to come up to stay with me. I feel better now, though. I'm not 100%, but I can drive again. I still have moments when I feel like the world is pitching to the left and my vision goes blurry every now and then when I stare at the computer, but it's not near as bad as it was.

I'm back to work today and thankfully I still have a job! Well for now. With the recent election, my job relied on two things, 1) having more Democrats elected to our State Senate. We only have 35 Senate members and the D's retained the majority by only ONE Senator. ONE! Do you know how nerve wracking that is? and 2) the Leadership vote, which means that the nerve wracking sensation continues until Sunday, when the caucus will meet to vote for President, Majority Leader and Majority Whip. This didn't bother me before, my boss was a shoe-in, everyone loves her and there were no rumors floating that anyone else wanted to be President of the Senate...at least not until this morning, when I found out that there is one Senator who has made his intentions known. He will be running against my boss for her job as President...and it worries me. He's a former long running Speaker of the House from Northern Maine who has been either a Senate or House member for the better part of 40 years!! He's a very smart man, who's actually not that old (he started here when he was in his 20's) - he's the one that everyone goes to with questions because he's been here so long and he remembers everything! The consolation that I'm clinging to is that the last time he ran for Senate President, it was against my boss...and she won. So here's hoping she'll win again.

Working here is so touch and go. You're job is only guaranteed for a two year period of time. Basically, if the other Senator is voted in as President, he could keep me or he could eliminate my job or give it to someone else. There are no guarantees.

Bear with me my friends, for this will be a bit of a nail biter week for me...coupled with the labyrinthitis. ugh!