Frazzle

Too frazzled to write much or make much sense. Everything is unraveling: things fall apart, the center cannot hold. I got up early and raced around, bought a "box of joe" from Dunkin Donuts to take to my 9:30 meeting--which had been canceled. I missed the last one, and no one thought to tell me. Ah well. Chatted a bit with Bruce, and set up a time to work with Marian on the adjunct schedules for spring; just spent a couple of hours on that with her. Similar to work on the full time schedules, but easier: fewer people, fewer classes, fewer options.

Writing that reminded me: I needed to touch in with the other members of the scheduling committee to see if we're going to work the week before spring classes start or over the Presidents' Week break. So I took a petite break in writing this to send off an e-mail. When I think of something, I need to do it that instant, or it will vanish into the vortex.

Speaking of the vortex, I'm a little worried about what might be getting lost on my desk right about now. It's genuine madness.

I did, however, just have one of those light-bulb over the head experiences about the readings for 102. I know what I'm going to assign, at last, at last. I just need to sit down with the huge 17-week long grid I have to see where assignments need to fall, so I know the order to put things in for the photocopied reader. But at least I know what I'm photocopying. Whew.

I'm also relieved as hell that I'm not doing a damned thing with the short story class next week. They're dropping off their papers on Monday; I'll be in the classroom on Wednesday in case anyone wants to see me about anything (and a few will be bringing last-minute assignments). But mostly I'll be plowing through student assignments--for them and for my other classes--and getting ready to crunch the numbers for final grades. I have an insanely huge pile of shit to read for the short-story students--but I'm not going to put any mark on any of it except for the score or grade. It's still going to take forever to chunk through, but ah well. I've got slightly less ridiculous piles for the 101 classes--but I've still got a hell of a lot of feet clearing to do before (and, realistically, while) final papers come in.

And sitting here blogging accomplishes none of that. I'm going to noodle around here for a while longer, then head for the hills. I won't be in super early tomorrow: I've got a routine doctor's appointment at 10 and don't intend to try to do any work before that. After that, however, chip, chunk, chip, chunk, on I go.

And please heaven, the copy machines will be working (yesterday the mail room was locked all day: someone broke the lock. Today, the room was open but both copiers were out of commission. Greaaaat.) I want to get that 102 reader out of my hair, god dammit, so I can stop fussing about it.

Chip, chunk, chip, chunk.