Back to normal. Thank god.

Back to work tomorrow. Can you believe it? Well, yes, I'm sure those of you who worked the 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 2nd, 3rd and today can well believe it. We're lucky however, and thanks to unused vacation days and (in some cases quite generous and) cooperative supervisors, we have been left to our own devices since Christmas.

I'll be taking part in a study out of Memorial University, my alma mater, about potential genetic roots of hearing loss. My sister found out about it and connected me with one of the researchers. As I understand it (and been told, yes, that's essentially it), they look at the DNA of two family members, one with hearing loss and one without, to explore any unexplained genetic anomalies in the DNA of the deafened relative which might explain the source of the hearing loss. Sister will be the control sample, I guess, and I'll be the, uh, deaf person.

Husband and I have always taken every opportunity to take part in any CI or hearing-loss research projects we're offered. (He took part in one on the effect of a CI implant on the implantee's family.) We've always thought it was the least we could do in return for everything we've been given. Now my Sister is contributing too. (Her very DNA!) Kind of neat. It would also be pretty neat if they could find a genetic source for the hearing loss, which was so sudden and so unexplained.

Hope your holidays were as nice as ours. Tomorrow, the cats will have to relinquish the pleasures of having us around all day to laze with them and our world will return to the routine of work. Watching the news tonight, I'm just glad we're able to go about our daily routine tomorrow in safety, and security, and peace.

ronnie