I'm ill

I'm not ill that often other than my usual problems, but this time it's the worst sore throat I have ever had.  I had made an appointment with the nurse to get my bloods checked for the methotrexate and I remembered that the booklet that tells me all about the methotrexate says that if you have a sore throat you are to contact your doctor immediately.  I told this to the nurse and she arranged for the doctor to see me: not my usual lovely GP but the on call one who was very nice as well.  Suffice to say that I now have penicillin and a mouthwash to gargle with instructions to rest and come back if it doesn't improve.  So I've taken my first dose and about to watch Doctors on BBC1 before retiring back to bed for a while.  I can do some work that needs doing from home: practice questions for the students that need marking and emailed back to them and also monitor the online discussion forum that we use.  I had to cancel a meeting with one student who apparently has lots of questions.  I'm a bit at a loss as to what these could be as the discussion forum has been used and all students have access to that.  Anyway, I told him to email them to me and I'd answer as many as I could by email and see him next Tuesday all being well. 

I can't believe it's 2010 already!  Within a couple of weeks work will start on the timetable for the next academic year, students will have finished exams and the second semester will have started.  I have to start thinking about an external examiner for the new module I want to introduce in September and I have no idea who to get.  It's really difficult to think of someone and to know someone when you are a complete novice in the field and only starting out on your career.  I'd like to ask my old supervisor but I'm not sure he would do it and I think there are a load of rules governing it.  Anyone I did my PhD with are also not experienced enough:(