So... where's this "big" snowstorm? Whole bunches of things are getting cancelled, and I see no snow. Hmph.

It's going to be a good day.
Warm apple cider & peanut M&Ms.
Documents are ready to be printed off for tomorrow.
It's getting a tad warmer out (we may hit 20 this weekend?!).
My two favorite shows are on tonight.
I have someone taking me out to dinner.
And... the weekend is so close!

I've been attempting to grade 5-10 papers a day of the English 110 classes... and about 5 a day of the online class. I think I am behind already, but oh well. This weekend may have a few quiet moments in it... I think grading 40+ papers in two weeks is a big goal, anyhow.

The bug is making a funny noise. I don't know if it's a "Oh, no, get out the checkbook" noise or a "It's freezing cold so leave me alone" noise. Since I have already put a new motor mount AND a new alternator in the thing over the last two years, I am begging the higher power to make it the latter problem. Luckily, I have Auto Body/Auto Tech kids in class. Maybe I'll fork over extra credit for them to come out to the car and listen. Diagnose. Ah... that's one of the lovely benefits of this college.

I've started hollering at the morning newscaster when he talks about the weather forecast. Like I do when I watch football. As if this living-in-a-freezer is all his fault. At this rate, 20 above zero is going to be suntanning weather. Sheesh.

[It just isn't going to be a good day when your mind is in la-la-land, and you pour creamer on top of your cereal. I didn't sleep well last night, it's yet another cold morning, and it's Friday. Triple whammy.]

Three classes of mine have their first papers due today (110) or tomorrow (120), so you know what that means = doing anything to procrastinate grading the papers.

"Well, excuse me for having enormous faults that I don't work on." - Homer J. Simpson

A brunch treat (since I only had coffee for breakfast): Diet Coke & peanut M&Ms. You know how long it's been since I had either? Months. Seemed like the thing to have this cold, cold morning - celebrating mundane days is fun.

And have you ever noticed how a great song, with uplifting lyrics, can take you out of a funk?

I was thinking last night how I should devote certain days to fun activities. Like have Yoga Wednesdays. I already "celebrate" Simpsons Sundays. Hmph...

I don't know why I was in such a rush to grow up.
I couldn't wait to be out of high school, and, really, I had it made back then.
I ate a Snickers bar a day and didn't gain a pound; I played tennis on a daily basis or volleyball or ran cross-country and my knees didn't hurt and I never had a stupid heel spur. I had enough friends, but I had my time to myself to read, read, read (and it wasn't research-based reading). I got called by friends to do stuff on the weekends like just hang out at someone's house or go for a bike ride or sit on the sidewalk by the church across the street and contemplate all sorts of things until I got hollered at to get home for bedtime. When it came to the point where I talked to a boy on the phone for hours, I actually enjoyed myself during the conversation instead of wondering if I should end the conversation so as to seem aloof and I rarely walked away from the conversation analyzing the heck out of it. I had a cool, small bedroom with flamingos painted on the wall.
I was too naive to know what was in store for me, and I think that's why "they" say, "Ignorance is bliss."
I thought I wanted to know all about everything - experience the world. But with more knowledge comes more doubt.

I even recall writing a letter to my future self (something I just had my 110 students do), and I don't know where it is now, but I remember saying that at the age of 23 (what I turned when it was 2000) I still wanted to be playing tennis. I wanted my hair to be blond and longer. I wanted to be happy with a guy - in a good relationship. What I had pictured as the "good life" makes some sense to me now. Feel good about my body, get into the sports and hobbies I have always loved (reading and tennis), and have love in my life.

My daily routine consists of getting up and watching Channel 11 with Mick & Andrea as well as The Today Show. Perhaps, I am becoming more negative due to watching the news that early. Like, the news this morning frustrates me - the Speaker of the House wants a bigger jet and I am thinking, if she were male it would be no big deal. Then there's this Snickers commercial that was played during the Super Bowl that has people in a tizzy. I should wake up and just have Enya playing in the background; I'd probably have a better start to my days.

And if the weather would stop freezing my nostril hairs, I think I'd be happier in the morning as well.

I am drained.
I want to be a hermit.
Could be the weather.
Should tune into my New Year's Resolutions more,
especially the one about not letting annoying people annoy me.
In order to stay positive, sometimes one has to stay away from humans altogether.
It's okay to have a crappy week, right?
I sure hope so.
Wish Einstein would pop out of his posters and advise me.
What would Einstein do?
"Suddenly, I see."

105: Survey Report drafts due tomorrow for Peer Review; Final drafts are due at beginning of class Wed.
110: Writing Conferences in my office M-W; Paper 1 due Friday in class.

Ocean man, take me by the hand, lead me to the land
that you understand
Ocean man, the voyage to the corner of the globe
is a real trip
Ocean man, the sequence of a life form braised in the sand,
soaking up the thirst of the land

Ocean man, can you see through the wonder of amazement
at the oberman
Ocean man, the crust is elusive when it casts forth
to the childlike man
Ocean man, the crust of a tan man embibed by the sand
soaking up the thirst of the land

[Lyrics by Ween]

Before I know it, it'll be summer. And I'll be sweating. So, I should delight in the fact that I can layer the heck out of my wardrobe now. And wear bulky items. And have uber white legs.

Tomorrow, my 105ers have a Work Day for their Survey Report Project (Project #4) and my 110ers will be conducting a Roundtable Peer Review session of their Paper 1 drafts, completing a second batch of My Words (collage version), and handing in their AAY Packets.

Next week will be interesting; we have Presidential Candidates (for our college) coming to town to get tours, etc.

Lessons Learned:
a) Don't not eat junk food/sweets for a few weeks and then eat junk food/sweets; your/one's stomach will retaliate. Actually, eating anything out of the ordinary causes my stomach to declare war.
b) I am not a selfish human being; others are & that drives me nuts.
c) I definitely deserve internet access at my apartment, and I think a new Mac is in order as well. (My iBook is 5+ years old, yet she's never had a virus or crashed on me!)
d) I can not tell how cold it is outside when I have my massive parka on; it feels "just fine" with that thing on.
e) Turning 30 is a bigger deal to everyone who's younger than the person turning 30.
f) Waking up in the dark is not helpful.
g) Not being on some huge scheduling system (I think ours is called CorpTime) is rather nice; I get to be aloof that way.

{105 class today: Memo exercises from the book as well as a Fake Company Memo activity. 120 today: Grade Unit 3's items. 105 tomorrow: Start Report Project. 110 tomorrow: Combine Monday & tomorrow's activities as much as possible; this means covering Revision vs. Editing and Introductory paragraphs and certain genres and the AAY packet as well as the 20 genres they needed to find last Friday for the Scavenger Hunt.}