Abduction (or Apology)

I know, I know, it's been too long since I've posted the last entry on this blog and I feel terrible about it. If you thought I've been abducted by aliens, you were quite close to the actual truth ... Though it was not really aliens, more like a bad karma combined with a gazillion of little harmful creatures, known as viruses and bacteria that invaded my family and started passing from one to another in a truly vicious circle. After more than a month, I can almost feel a slight ray of hope and light at the end of this tunnel and hopefully in about 10 days, when the youngest of my offsprings will be over her dose of chickenpox, life will get back to normal.

What does all this have to do with interpreting, you might ask, after all this was supposed to be an interpreting blog. Well, in a way it does.

My bad car karma, that started with a crash, than troubles with the replacement car etc. didn't really affect my interpreting or professional life, as cars are replaceable and there is always also the public transport option, a bit limited in Slovenia, but doable and manageable with a lot of patience and good will.

Health issues, however, are a completely different story. As I got ill (with me it was angina with high fever and total collapse), I had to cancel two assignments and I did this the minute I got my physician's confirmation that is was not just a cold. I felt sorry for the agency, but it wasn't exactly last minute cancellation, so they had plenty of time to find a replacement and were actually happy that I notified them of my condition. Sure, I could've waited and maybe I would have felt better by the time of the assignment, but I am not a fan of maybes . And what is more, as my eldest daughter is 4 I have already learnt in the past that an illness never goes away without bringing its siblings or cousins. My intuition was right.

There were/are still some obligations (especially at the faculty, with the exam season at its peak and all) that were/are more difficult to postpone or cancel, so I am lucky to have great support in my family and around who can help me out and watch the girls from time to time. And there are also peaceful and quiet evenings and nights, when I am able to do the necessary work, also for my research and PhD, and if I am lucky, I might even manage to catch the deadlines for a few presentations and papers.

So currently, my days are quite hectic, I try to make the most during the hours of peace I have and just focus on the most urgent stuff all the time. Unfortunately, I have not been able to maintain my activities in the social media, but I guess it's a victim I can live with and I sure hope my readers and fellow Twitterers and FB friends understand.

How do you cope with such unforeseen circumstances? Do you always have a backup plan (ie. colleague interpreters who might step in if you get ill; already prepared blogposts; an army of possible babysitters)? I would love to hear your ideas and experiences!