Laryngitis!

*ring ring*
Me: (whispering) Hello?
(silence)
Me: (croaking) Hello?
Cam: Did I wake you up?
Me: No... I have laryngitis.
Cam:
Me: I wasn't going to tell you....
Cam:
Me: I mean, I was going to tell you later this week, if I didn't get my voice back....
Cam: YOU'RE GOING TO RUIN MY WEDDING!


*



This morning one of my students handed me a broken mug with four pieces of candy in it. "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Backes!"
"Uh, thanks," I said, taking it gingerly so it wouldn't break more. Later, I overheard him telling another kid "I accidentally ate Mrs. Backes's candy! Don't tell her!" (He was sitting like five feet away. I may have laryngitis but I'm not deaf.)


But yeah, Merry Christmas! 'Tis the season of awkward student gifts!


*


Helene: Miss, what if I can't do research, because my computer is broken, because I got mad and threw it on the floor?
Me: Um... use books?
Helene: (whining) Miss Backes! But books are so ghetto!

(cue "when I was your age, we didn't have a fancy internet to do research" speech...)