* SO TIRED. I slept okay last night so I am guessing this is allergies, maybe coupled with the fact that our typical summer heat and humidity just hit. And apparently the AC is broken in the faculty part of the building; it's chilly in the classrooms but it's almost 30 C in here.
Also just the standing around for two hours is a lot. I think I might bring my first exam to grade on to my second exam (it's a small class, they space themselves out around the room) and try to get it graded because I also need to do exercise this afternoon - I woke up shortly before four and was like "I can't do it. I can't drag myself out of bed in less than an hour" and slept until about 5:30.
My eyes feel really puffy and my throat is scratchy so apparently something is bothering me.
* A lot of time was lost yesterday to running around. I had to drop my mom's Mother's Day gift in the mail, so I had to drive down there. And I didn't have the right sized box at home, and of course no priority mail boxes were the right size, so I had to buy a box there (and a roll of tape; they no longer have proper tape out for free. I suppose that helps keep the PO afloat, but it was annoying). And coming home someone ran a stop sign and nearly hit me. (They were, as you might have guessed, on their cell phone). I would most likely have walked away unhurt (it was a residential area and I was going about 25) and I think it would have been abundantly clear they were at fault (like I said: they ran a stop sign) but I so don't have the energy for dealing with a banged-up car right now.
Then I realized I had to go out to the Mart of Wal - nearly out of milk, and also, if I was going to provide exam snacks for my colleagues, I needed to get something. (The eggs in the fridge were well past their expiration date and I didn't totally trust them for the blueberry loaf I wanted to make, anyway). So I ran there at about 5 pm and yeah, it was bad.
I HATE having my Saturdays taken up with stuff; I hate having to run out to the store when everyone else does. Also, the cart-gatherer parked all the row of carts behind my car and even when she saw me loading up and getting in, took her sweet time moving them. I didn't SAY anything but it did add maybe another 10 minutes to my trip out.
And next Saturday is graduation but I'm planning to either stop at the Brookshire's on the way home or swing over to the Kroger's on Wednesday so at least I can stock up on milk.
I'm telling myself I just have to weather this next week and then the rest of the summer I should have every morning open so if I need to grocery shop then, I can.
* And again, I seem to be seeing the trend of people saying loud and crazy things because they feel unheard and it makes me tired because I honestly feel unheard a lot of the time but it's not in my nature to stir up trouble or insult people or be rude.
* Tomorrow, yes, I am taking a day and having fun. I feel slightly guilty doing it as there are things I COULD be doing, but then, one of my colleagues left - apparently not for medical reasons - Thursday evening and won't be back until midday today so I am telling myself that heck yes, it's okay for me to take ONE day and go to Whitesboro, especially given that I did professional development (the wildflower walk) two weeks ago, and service to the campus (the Wesley Center thing) this past weekend, and I've got the first batch of grades figured up and plan to get this second batch figured up today (and the third is my gen ed class, and it will have to wait on the common-exam curve, so that will be Thursday) but still.
* This is Teacher Appreciation Week. (And no, I don't know if professors are included but I consider myself primarily in a teaching position rather than a research one, so). It feels a bit...hollow....this year, and I admit I've hit a point of cynicism when receiving ads (I'm looking at you, Bas Bleu) saying "We love our teachers! Hey, teachers, buy this stuff we think you'd like!" especially given the fact that raises and apparently even cost-of-living increases are probably not going to be a thing in the future (in other words: I am fundamentally making less money every year, depending on inflation). And yeah, yeah, I know: "If it bugs you that much get a new job" but it seems there's not a whole lot out there that is better. Anyway, it does seem in our culture there's a lot of lip service paid to take ONE day to "appreciate" people and then the rest of the time they are ignored or yelled at or not allowed to have what they need to do what they have to. (I have similar complaints about Valentine's Day: it is not a "get out of jail free" card for people who are unpleasant to their SOs the rest of the year). I'd rather see less "over the top" appreciation on the one day/week and just the little ordinary kindnesses the rest of the time instead. Or even just ordinary civilities/not making unreasonable demands.
* And now I am starting with a slight headache. But I have to power through the grading and also giving the second exam :(
(It's probably that it's too warm in here; when I get overheated the first thing that happens is I get a headache)
ETA:
I did grade the exam while giving the other one, which now feels like an excellent life choice. I have to finish applying the grades to them, and total up the final grades, and get the letters out to the scholarship recipients, and then I can go home.
I feel REALLY allergy-ridden now; I'm guessing either something started flowering that really gets to me or else the heat and the wind has moved more stuff around.
Also, tonight is the last episode for "Abby" on NCIS and while I've been hunting around online the sources I've seen haven't "spoiled" anything other than that the actress herself commented about the need for boxes of tissues and....sigh. I admit I don't like change and even if they don't kill off the character (and somehow, I suspect that's what will happen - she will leave via other means), still, it will be a big change, and in this past season, my two favorite characters are essentially gone (with Ducky's semi-retirement). And, as I said, it seems the plots have become more 'didactic,' with the mysteries as McGuffins to push some issue, and that makes me tired fast....so maybe this is the last time I watch, I don't know.
(I hate it when a show or a book series kills off a sympathetic character that I liked. I'd rather imagine them figuratively riding off into the sunset and just living out the rest of their life somewhere...)
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