Illness A-Pending

I think I'm getting a cold. I hate getting colds. I hate having colds, but I hate getting colds because the harbinger is always a sore throat, and as much as I hate a runny nose, I hate sore throats much worse.

Today I received an e-mail from the Director of Studies of a college where I did some tutoring last term. Her college offers its students lectures in "study skills," and although she handled it last year, she then stepped down. She told me that she'd recommended me to take over right from the start: it involves lectures! it involves meeting students and doing what I call "snuggle work"! (which is when you soothe worried students, or gently guide those who aren't quite up to snuff) Alas, it has nothing to do with writing, but it sounds like fun, and she says it is. Plus, it sounds like a position of organisation and crisp power, and I love those. Suddenly, I had visions of myself striding personfully about in my calf-length boots and a stern pencil skirt, wearing tights and organising things (because, you will not be surprised to learn, all my visions of myself as a successful person involve quite detailed ideas of what I'll be wearing).

Of course, the second thing that I thought was, How much does it pay? Like...do they pay by the lecture? And if they do...could it be a lot? My FTT is a bit strapped at the moment: Could it be enough for me to help him out?

Not 30 seconds later came an e-mail from the Senior Tutor at this college, telling me he "understood I was still interested in teaching in our study skills programme," and asking to meet me to talk about it next week. Oh. That's a slightly different-sounding thing. Can I wear my calf-length boots and stern pencil skirt if I'm just teaching? And more to the point, will it pay as well? How will it pay at all? And how much time will it eat up? Especially since the lovely Director of Studies might have some writing work for me. If I get to run the study skills show, I'm happy to give up a lot of time, but if I'm just teaching, I want some time left to teach writing.

Like I have any right to get all picky about something completely hypothetical and hazy.

All of this is rendered even more amusing and ironic by the fact that I have the study skills of a gnat: I get through on obsession and fear. My study skills advice is, "Study frantically and worry A LOT." If I just say that, will they still pay me for the bunch of lectures?