Good Things; Bad Things

There are some very good things about my job. For instance, this fall I teach 15 hours for one college and eight hours for the other college. That's about 23 hours per week of actual class time where I have to be gone from home and instructing students. And this year I'm actually making a decent living at what is essentially a part time job.
The bad thing is that the grading and class preparation are always hanging over my head. If you're going to become a college professor, pick a subject other than English. With English, there are all those papers to grade. I wish I were a math whiz. I'd just have students color in the circle of the correct answer then I'd watch those answer sheets whir through the grading machine and I'd be finished.
I grade papers and answer emails every day. I don't take off Saturday and Sunday, or Monday through Friday. Those papers are always hanging over my head.
Except for this week.
The one college I teach at just finished on Friday. I worked like a mad woman to grade all the papers, enter the grades in the gradebook, then into the online system then to make copies for the registrar and the Dean. Now I'm finished and classes don't start againg until...Monday.
But, hey, for this weekend, I'm free!
My four classes at the other college turn their papers in online by Sunday at midnight. I had already graded their papers for last week, so until Sunday at midnight, I am ignoring any papers that get turned in and any emails that come into my college mailbox. I'm not even checking my email there.
Suddenly, for two whole days, I have freedom from grading.
I ran with my friends this morning - 8.5 miles -- because I felt so liberated from my responsibilities. I sat on the front porch and listened to NPR.
My only commitment for the day was a graduation party, which I attended for half an hour. Now I'm back to my computer.
My goal is to make some revisions to my novel -- to go at it with gusto.
And I'll tell you about some major changes that I have to make because of a lack of preparation, another time.
For now I'll focus on the good things. I have time to work on my novel and I have a gorgeous day to sit on my front porch while I work. A nice glass of wine should make it just about perfect.