Crazy

On Monday, I stopped in the bank to deposit some money. The teller, a young man making conversation, asked whether I had to go back to work or if I was finished for the day.
I explained to him that I have the best work schedule ever this semester.
I have two online classes, so never have to show up to teach those, plus I have four classes on Tuesdays and Thursday. This leaves my Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, plus weekends free of work obligations. Sure, I have to grade papers and respond to students online, but having all of those days without set hours is such a freeing experience.
The teller agreed as I left the bank that I had an enviable schedule.

As the weather improved through this semester, I have spent hours walking with Sheila or painting the interior walls of the house, or meeting my writing friends at the coffee shop.

 I ran errands to Home Depot, over and over again, got laundry done, and caught up on all of my podcasts. I was living a life of leisure.
Then on Tuesday, the chair of the department emailed me. A professor couldn't finish the classes she started, could I take them over?
With all of that free time, and with us trying to minimize bills before Earl's retirement, I had no choice but to say yes.
The classes meet Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:19 a.m. and 12:09 p.m. for an hour each. And they are 44 minutes away from home.
So now, I leave the house at 7:15 a.m. and make the drive through rush hour traffic. The classes take place in a high school, and they are high school students. They look at me like deer in headlights. Their previous teacher taught high school and college classes.
The first class ends at 9:09 a.m., and there I am with three hours to kill before the next class begins.
 I could go to a computer lab with the high school students, or I could go to the teachers' lounge, which I know from my subbing days, is a place of gossip and laughter. I probably wouldn't get much work done there.
I found a Starbucks just about 10 minutes away and I've been sipping a peach hibiscus tea.
My plan is to use these three hours on grading and online work so that the rest of my day is free. Maybe I'll even get more accomplished since my days are more structured now, but, boy, there better be some free days to come when we move to France to make up for teaching eight college courses this semester.

Take A Breath

Sorry for the long silence, and it isn't due to March Madness!
You know I was grading papers all week. I finished my four classes and turned in grades Saturday morning at 7 a.m. before I got Tucker to his Zones swim meet. He swam until noon. Then I had papers to grade for my other two college classes which aren't on spring break.
Today Grace and I left the house at 4 a.m. to get her to Rochester by 11 a.m. so she could catch a ride back to college. I got back to Columbus around 5 p.m. after driving 13 hours and drinking lots of caffeine.
I hated being so busy during Grace's spring break. I didn't even take any pictures of her, including the new highlights she got on Friday.
Things should settle down by tomorrow (I spend my life thinking "Once things settle down...") and I want to write about my mammogram (Oh, Joy!) and Dream Girl and crows that dive in rivers to catch fish and spring crocuses and that darn writing class I'm supposed to be taking.
Thanks for being patient with me!