Can you say spread too thin?

I think I may have hit the wall for this semester. I can't find enough hours in the day to get done what I need to get done. I'm completely and totally exhausted all of the time. All I want to do is sleep and for a really long time.

I can't believe I have three more semesters of this. I have to go lie down.

Earth Hour

I had completely forgotten that Earth Hour is being observed tonight at 8:00, but fortunately BerryBird was kind enough to remind me. It will be challenging for me since I am usually watching TV at that time of day, but I believe in the cause so I will try to do my part. Although I think I only have one small candle. I better look around the house.

Because apparently other people's stupidity is amusing

I bought a pair of shoes at a discount store on Saturday that were marked down to $7 (the main reason I bought them). This morning I threw them on and rushed out the door. As I was dashing to the car I vaguely considered the fact that the left one felt a bit loose, so when I got to work I checked the inside of both of them. And lo and behold, the left one is a half size larger than the right. Now I have to wear them all day and all night because I have class after work. Then I have to convince the store they should give me my $7 back because this pair was the only one they had. Oh, why didn't I check?! I hope I can find my receipt...

Look What's Waiting For Me

Early Easter

My favorite grocery store makes these adorable little cupcakes shaped like little chicks with delicious fondant frosting. I've enjoyed them for the last couple years at Eastertime. I've been thinking about them all week but didn't get to the store until this evening. There were only two left, both chocolate. I don't care for chocolate cake, but I had my heart set on celebrating Easter with a little yellow chicky so I got one anyway. How tasty it was, but now I have nothing for tomorrow.

I turned down two invitations for Easter dinner, both of which involved out-of-town trips. It looks like another holiday spent alone, but I have lots of schoolwork to occupy my time.

Happy Easter to all who observe.

What a week!

I taught the last three days and videotaped myself teaching the last class each day. It's a requirement for my program, but I don't think I'll be watching the tape before I hand it in. I can't even stand to hear a recording of my voice, to say nothing of seeing myself in action.

On Tuesday evening I skipped class and attended a symposium where I went to two workshops and enjoyed a lecture by Moss Woman (one of my undergraduate professors). She is a wonderful public speaker and continues to inspire respect and admiration from me. The vegetable lasagna was pretty good too.

I'm relieved that the kids have a four day weekend, so I can take a mini break from teaching. I still have plenty of work to do this weekend, including a paper (I really ought to check the syllabus to see what the details of that are) and prep work for next week. But I think I may take the night off tonight and catch up on some Law & Order.

(Aside to Momma Val, I found a link for acronyms which you can find in the comments on the last post. Hope that helps!)

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I'd forgotten how much I love St. Paddy's Day. Not because of the green beer or the drunken singing (although I was sort of wishing for a shamrock shake). FF disliked St. Patrick's Day, so we never acknowledged it, other than with his yearly grumblings. Today I decided to go back to my ways.

I donned a green shirt and a pair of shamrock earrings that I've had since I was a wee lass. I wished everyone a happy day and eagerly put the strings of green beads around my neck when they were given to me by a co-worker.

I do have Irish blood in me veins, but as the saying goes, "Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day."

Next year, just wait! I'll be sporting buttons and silly hats!

First Robin

After I watched a couple hours of TV this morning, I got cracking. I wrote six pages (double-spaced) of the paper I have due on Tuesday. I haven't done all of what I was supposed to do for the research, but I find the class and the professor to be a complete waste of my time. It should be a good class but due to professorial incompetence I am getting nothing out of it besides a weekly headache and extreme rage.

In the early afternoon Dog and I drove to a nearby neighborhood that has paved walking trails that are kept plowed. Although much of the snow in my own sunny, hill-top yard had melted over the past few days, the snow was still six inches deep in Nearby Neighborhood presumably because of the plethora of trees. As we neared the end of our 45 minute walk I spied my first robin of the season!

I then headed to the evil mall to go to a single store where I had cashback from my credit card to spend. I found the elusive black cardigan I've been hunting for for years. I really hope it works out because I really, really want to get rid of the short, stretched-out, full of pulls, old, faded excuse of a black cardigan I have now.

More schoolwork tomorrow. Probably more TV, but definitely not more mall.

Put a stamp on it

Did you hear about all those little doggies found in one triple-wide trailer in Arizona? Something like 752!

Holy cow! Do you think they'd send me one? I'd give one (or two?) a good home! All those poor little pups. What's wrong with people? I hope they don't have to put too many down. I hate hearing about that.

Lazy Weekend

I probably should have done more school work, but so be it. Today I got caught up on my DVR-ed shows, did a load of laundry, pulled the hair snake from the drain (OMG), went grocery shopping, took a nap, and wrote the rough draft of a two-page paper. Yesterday I went to a pancake breakfast at Second Home Nature Center in the morning and to the last home game of the season at Hometown U in the late afternoon.

I might have been more inspired if it weren't for the weather. I'm so ready for the lamb portion of this programming. Can't we just skip ahead?

A Snowy Night

The snow was falling in huge wet chunks by the time I left work. I drove carefully home, resisting the urge to illegally pass the car driving 20 miles below the speed limit. I passed the entrance to my neighborhood and pulled into the funeral home. Half an hour before the calling hours were over and the parking lot was nearly full.

I walked past groups of strangers talking in hushed tones, signed the guest book, and stood in line to greet the family. I hugged The Best Temp Ever and met her beautiful, polite daughter. Then I moved down the line to her younger sister, married to a short, round man who in no way resembles the guy I graduated high school with.

I paused briefly near the open casket to look at the man I'd never met. He was six years younger than my own much-loved father. Feeling shaken, I stepped back into the snowy night.

Science Class

A Sunny Sunday

I did no prep work for student teaching yesterday. Watching Hometown U lose a game they definitely should have won took a toll on me. I needed a nap by the time I got home. I did make the Staples run last night, carefully purchasing only the two items I went there for. Finally! Red pens! My sleep was disturbed over night by my concern over the undone prep work. I had dreams about not getting it all done in time, about being late to school on Monday, and other stressful things.

So by the time 7:30 rolled around I practically bounced out of bed. I organized my binder using the sheet protectors I'd bought at Staples. I revised the lab I'd developed for Friday based on my notes of what worked and what did not. I started doing research for the lesson plan I'm developing for this coming Friday. I started creating a PowerPoint presentation. I put together a plastic bin of school supplies to reduce the frantic searching for certain items. In there somewhere I also did two loads of laundry and showered (ah, hot water).

Eventually, FF and I went to Panera for a delicious soup and sandwich combo. From there we headed out to Second Home Nature Center to take photos for my PowerPoint. I strapped on my snow shoes, remembering what had happened the last time I'd elected to leave them in the trunk. The sun was shining and the nature center was hopping. People were desperate to get outside and enjoy the beautiful day.

After returning home, I added my newly taken photos to my slide show and worked on a few other things for school. Now I'm about to jump in the car to run up to the grocery store. Gotta go!