I am pretending I am not wrestling with another bout of insomnia after a glorious two-day run of blissful sleep. Nope, this hot toddy (with more toddy than tea) is just for effect! Ahhhhhh.... yes.... to polish off the last of the Jack Daniels with a lovely cuppa.... and MAYBE, just MAYBE to get some sleep again as a result? One can hope.
Am plotting and planning the ins and outs of my revised paper for Ghent. Can't help it - I am so very excited about it, and now I think I have a VERY cool idea for something additional to apply to it. Top secret, you understand, totally under wraps for a little while longer - but really cool if it pans out. I learned so much this summer in Michigan from Dr. Margo Anderson - if only she knew what a lasting impression she has made on me! I can only hope to live up to her standards. And mine. And those of Dr. Esra Ozdenerol's, too. Phew. Tall orders.
Been addressing cards to friends and family all over the world the past several days (finally found my Moleskin(TM) address book) - it will be a wonder to get them out in time! I'll be thrilled to send them, though; we haven't done a holiday card in more than four years... not since I have been working on my doctorate, I don't think. Wow. Yeah. A lot has changed. We wrote a letter... and managed to fit in a lot of good things for this year... and a couple of the low points... but really, it's been a very good year for both of us when we look back on it. A year to be proud of, frankly, despite the personal setbacks (mainly mine, mainly healthwise). It's nice to have a good year for a change. We've had so many downright crappy ones in a row that this one isn't bad to have!
Am getting quite excited about going to Ghent and the European Social Science History Conference... especially now that I have downloaded Google Earth and have been exploring Belgium from above (and Amsterdam, since that may be a layover...). What a terrifically neat country!! I mean - I have been looking at the guidebooks... but to be able to move around the cities and stop and look like this is AMAZING. I am so addicted to Google Earth now ... and it's creating a problem with getting me to step away from the computer! ::chuckle::
Also in Google Earth, I have been playing with old haunts from my childhood... and my is it bringing back memories. Old addresses as far back as I can remember, all sorts of things. Zooming right on in. Wow. Neat-o!
Been reading good books lately. Read Sarah Vowell's latest: The Wordy Shipmates late last week, and am now in the middle of Howard Blum's American Lightning, which has me thoroughly engrossed; that one will take me one more evening at most. Then what? Hmmmmmm... more grading, I am sure... but wow... I have time for some optional reading, and I am taking advantage of it.
Tomorrow's a busy day: first thing run to the credit union, then the pharmacy, then a couple errands, then lunch, then a doc appointment, then zoom to Target, then to the University while a friend borrows my car, then picked up after she is done, then HOME FINALLY. WHOOSH. Then grade papers until they are done, record them. Create the exams for the two different classes taking exams this week... and then ... well... poop out. Maybe watch a movie with Crash?? He would like that.
Perhaps by then I will be tired enough to actually sleep tomorrow night. Wouldn't that be loverly?? Because Tuesday's going to be no better... Especially with a run to another doc first thing in the morning, then the University in the early afternoon, likely for the whole mid-afternoon and evening... and then get picked up by Crash or Sasa late... and then hit the ground running on the grading; all my grading for that class MUST be done - including the tallying and recording of the final grades on the Registrar's website - by no later than Wednesday night. Why? Because I have another class on Thursday that will need the same thing... and they must have their final grades tallied and recorded to the Registrar no later than Friday night. It's going to be a real fight to the finish. Saturday noon is the absolutely deadline set by the University... and I intend to be nowhere near it. They used to give us over the weekend until Monday noon... Bah on whomever changed the semester calendar to end this way!!
But, once Saturday is over... things are ... OVER! I will be my own person for roughly four weeks. I will have a great deal to do - oh and how! - but I will be able to do it on a schedule I make, pretty much. Hoorah! I do have a honey-do list and a me-do list... but if we don't accomplish all the things on them, I won't stress... there's always summer. And insomniac nights! :::chuckle:::
Well, I am going to give sleep another shot. The alarm is set to go off in 3 1/2 hours... and that's going to be a bit grim. More than a bit grim. C'mon hot toddy. Kick in!
