I finished the armwarmers last night. I also picked the purple socks back up and started knitting on them - I just needed something simple to do, and it felt like too much of an effort to do lace or to wrestle the big Bookworm vest right then.

I've declared it a "Weekend of Slackdom." I used to do that, periodically, especially in my first year of teaching when I was SO busy with prepping lectures, getting some research out, and getting material together - once every six weeks or so I'd work extra-hard during the week so I'd be ahead enough that I could not work Saturday or Sunday. And I needed those "Weekends of Slackdom." Usually, Saturday I would go and do necessary (and some not-so-necessary) shopping, then come home and knit or quilt. And often on Sunday I'd come home after church and just read all afternoon. It was a good break, and I was usually more effective in the coming week.

I graded the Ecology exams last night; that was the only thing I really needed to do for Monday. And I rewrote a goodly chunk of the tension zone paper Friday afternoon. So I think I can justify, especially given this past week, some time off.

I also did all my laundry - which has become my Friday night ritual, doing three or four or five loads (depending on whether it's time to change out towels and sheets, or if I've done a lot of grubby fieldwork during the week). I don't know if it's pathetic to say that I find it comforting to have the laundry done, and that it's comforting to do it - it's become a symbol for me of "It's Friday night, you don't have to get up at 5 tomorrow or race off to school at 7 tomorrow."

to think, I used to consider Friday "Date Night."

I need to get the next two book-club books, so I'm going to make a run to Sherman and hit the bookstore and the Target and possibly the "Tuesday Morning" (which I've never been to, but other bloggers seem to be mysteriously finding yarn for sale at that place - and not just Lion Brand yarn either, it looks like. So I'll try, but I will prepare to be disappointed, because the "Big Lots" [a similar chain] here never has the same cool stuff that the "Big Lots" where my parents live has). And I'm going to Kroger - there are certain things and certain brands the wal-mart here does NOT carry, and I'm ready to shop at a real grocery store for a change. (Gas is down to like $2.50 here. So I can once again justify driving some for a few things and for my own sanity - I'm getting a little stir crazy just staying in town).

I do still need to clean house, but I can do that this afternoon - part of the reason for the Target run is that I find I'm out of certain key cleaning supplies.