Not *really* done

...but it feels kind of like it.

I taught my last lecture class (a very fast run through of virus reproduction and biotechnology, and I HOPE I hit the points that will be on the common final) this morning. In ecology, the students are giving their presentations, so while I have to listen and grade, I don't have to talk. And in biostats, tomorrow is review and Friday is project-discussion day (they have a take-home final, which they will get tomorrow, so I can't very well teach anything else - and beside, I finished what I wanted to cover by Monday).

I spent the entire afternoon and evening (pretty much) grading Ecology papers. (There were four that were not handed in. I have received one via e-mail, timestamped 11:24 pm. I am not sure whether to be merciful and not subtract the five points I said I would for "any day late or any fraction thereof" (the paper was technically due more than 12 hours earlier) or whether to be draconian and take off the five points. (Of course, depending on how last-minute the paper was, the five points might not make that much of a difference).

I temporarily misplaced my knitting mojo over break. It might be starting to come back. I think I'll work on something simple tonight - maybe the long-stalled Sockhead hat.

I think part of it is trying to get all the work-stuff wrapped up -get all the last bits of grading done, write the exams, brace for the inevitable "Is there anything I can do to bring up my grade" requests. (I understand the sentiment but I admit the requests bug me. If they come in the third week of classes when I may actually be able to help, great....but in the last week, when I'm already harried, and there really is NOTHING that can be done, no)

Except now, aren't they saying stress is good for you? At least, I heard a snippet about that on the radio news the other day. (I'm not sure I want to live in a world where, increasingly, the things that are pleasant and fun and good are suspect, and the things that we previously hated are supposed to be good for us.)

That said, I may order one of these t-shirts (link courtesy of Lynn.)

It's funny but I totally forgot about "Snowmageddon" in the effort to survive the summer's drought and heat...but yeah, now I think of it, January had the most "snow days" I've had in a college situation - and I attended undergrad in Michigan and grad school in Illinois. (Of course, the amount of snow we got here, they would merely have laughed at in Illinois...)

Oh, and the earthquake. But once I got over the momentary unsettledness, that didn't really affect me. (Still: no more earthquakes that we can feel, please).