Fog, literal and metaphoric

It is intensely foggy outside. Matches the feeling inside.

I don't have the energy for much of a post tonight--and I'm facing a hellish two days, trying to get all the student papers commented on and ready to go by Wednesday afternoon. I have to be in as early as I can stand it tomorrow, and stay as late as I can stand, and call in "sick" to Advisement--and even with all of that, it's going to be dicey.

And that's even with the fact that a lot of the students didn't show up today, haven't e-mailed--don't have papers. If I had all the papers, I'd really be fucked. As it is, I'm only slightly fucked. I do expect that a few more papers will show up: students wanting to submit them tomorrow, that sort of thing. Well, we'll see.

One of the students in the earlier 102 is trying to use the "but I'm funny and charming, therefore the rules don't apply to me" routine. My response is, "You are funny and charming, and I enjoy you thoroughly--but the rules still apply." Today he said he was only a little late. I said, "Do you know what 'a little late' is?" He looked at me blankly. "It's late." Oh. He's trying to jolly me out of being strict: not gonna happen. He's pulling the "that was harsh; it hurt my feelings" card. I need to show him the Doonesbury cartoon that's on my office door, in which the professor says, "Here students gain confidence through actual achievement, not through grade inflation and empty praise. The real world demands results. It doesn't much care whether you hold yourself in high regard. That era is over." (Man, I love Trudeau. I may start using that as the cover of the photocopied reader.) Mr. Aren't I Cute also asked me to give him some leeway "out of the goodness of my heart." I asked him what gave him the impression I had any.

But it was all very light hearted. He may be shocked when he sees my commentary on his paper (most everyone will be), but, well, see the quotation above. Meanwhile, I need to get home so I can get to bed so I can get up so I can come back in here and fling myself back into the fray. While I fray around the edges. But this too shall pass. Never mind tomorrow being another day: God willing, there will be other semesters. I just have to get through this one, one day at a time.