No more, please.

I've had giant headaches trying to get my train tickets to get home for the Christmas holidays. I ordered them in plenty of time, was told they'd be mailed.

They were never mailed. I called the 1-800 number on Monday, the person said that "the computer says you are going to pick them up at the station."

This is a station that is unmanned, except for about 15 minutes before the train comes. It has one of those Quick-Trak machines, but it was broken twice when I was down there (people going in to get tickets and were unable to, and once it would beep - to alert to an error message being shown - every 30 seconds. Which was not fun for me, waiting in the station for about an hour). It's also a 2 1/2 hour drive, one way, for me. So driving down there this weekend to get my tickets is so far out of the realm of options that it doesn't even share any letters with the word "option."

I explained that, as politely as I could manage, to the person.

She agreed to change it.

This morning, I get an e-mail giving me detailed directions and a bar code to use with the Quick-Trak machine.

Okay, I have to back up here a bit and explain what else has been going on in my life: three plagiarized papers in one class, including one person who got belligerent via e-mail and challenged the very definition of "plagiarism." (Don't even, honey. Don't even. I'm older than you, more powerful than you, AND I gave a presentation on plagiarism this fall. I know every definition there is that colleges use and your definition comes no where close to any of them).

I also graded a large number of papers that were, to put it delicately, rather disappointing.

I spent some four hours listening to and grading student presentations yesterday.

I'm getting over a mild stomach virus.

I have 18 student papers from another class to grade.

I have one final made up, but another one to spiff up and make ready.

I have a journal article manuscript that I MUST review - MUST, there is no other option - before the end of next week.

I REALLY need to examine my fall soil organism samples before they start to break down or the preservative starts to evaporate.

I need to prepare my syllabi and lab packet for next semester. Our secretary is retiring and AT BEST we are getting a part time person for next semester, so that means duties like getting copying to the copy shop and such is going to be on us.

I have a yard full of leaves that are not raking themselves.

I have to make two batches of raspberry-glazed turkey meatballs tonight for two different get-togethers.

I have had students with major technical difficulties dealing with things.

So, I was really really really really really really out of cope right at that moment. I briefly melted down, then dialed Amtrak. Spent several minutes convincing "Julie" (their automated daemon) that NO I DO NOT WANT TO WORK WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU CANNOT HELP ME.

Finally got a person. Waited on hold for a while.

I have been told the tickets are in the mail.

And that I get a "bus substitution" from St. Louis to Bloomington, thanks to trackwork. The good news is that's during the day, so at least I will be able to sleep in the compartment, but I'm really not happy about the busing.

Then, I go to class and have two students giving a presentation who wind up with technical difficulties. Not giant technical difficulties, but they begin to seem that way after a while.

I am really and truly hanging on with my fingernails to sanity. I know I've gotten melodramatic about how bad the end of the semester is before, but this is worse than I remember it as ever being.

Please, God or the Universe or whoever is in charge of this: Don't throw anything more at me for me to cope with for a while. I've reached the breaking point and I don't know that I can respond to anything more without either weeping or screaming.

And Also: