Short(ish) post after long day

Today was mostly very scratchy: lots that happened was like sandpaper on my nerves--possibly simply because I'm systemically cranky and irritable these days for no apparent reason (something for me to monitor). But everything bugged me: the dreadful last few papers for the Mystery class (seriously bad); the colleague from P&B who insisted on sitting down with me to give me the same feedback fourteen times--feedback which he's already given me in writing and which had been equally firmly stated by other colleagues--and who still didn't answer my main question; the e-mails from another colleague on that same issue who apparently didn't understand my question, despite my asking four or five different ways; a rather contentious P&B meeting in which, among other things, an unfair--and unfounded--accusation was leveled against the Scheduling Committee (which I'm on).... Even on my walk to class, as I was breathing deeply and trying to get into a better mental state, the two colleagues I encountered included The Putz and the problem faculty member from last semester (the full-timer to whom I gave an unsatisfactory evaluation--and who, in his response to my evaluation called me a liar, in so many words, several times). I'm amazed I didn't walk into 102 ready to tear heads off--but they were their usual lovely selves, so they helped me calm down. The Mystery class continued that  process. And the observation I just conducted was also a pleasure--so all that helped reduce my irritability. The nerves got a little more sandpapering from some ASLE business: I'm being pressured to participate in a discussion I am completely unable to contribute to in any meaningful way, and I've said that very clearly--but again, somehow what I'm saying is not being heard. That's a feeling I do not handle well at all. I think I'm pretty damned clear most of the time, so when I say something several different ways and still apparently am not understood, I get profoundly frustrated. Breathe, Prof. P, breathe.

In any event, I do recognize that my pesky P&B sabbatical mentor is tremendously well-intentioned--and he did say he would get the answer to my question at long last: I just checked my e-mail and there's nothing there, but there may be something waiting in my mailbox (the office and mailroom are closed now). And, in terms of the Mystery papers, I deliberately saved the work from MFS until last--and what a delight that was, to end with her truly excellent work (her paper was an A-, though I told her the A+ is within her reach, with just a little revision). I had a rather touching conversation with one student from that class who is struggling with severe depression, which is making it very difficult for her to work: we're going to try doing some work one-on-one, to see if that little bit of extra support can help her feel less dragged down by my class at least. And as I mentioned, the new adjunct I observed was delightful.

So, I'm going to pull together everything I need to take with me to Advisement tomorrow so I can work there, in between students (thank God there isn't much traffic yet)--and I have to be in early so I can leave early to conduct yet another observation.

And so it goes. I'll be back here in about 13 hours. Christ. If nothing crops up unexpectedly, next week will be a cake walk after this one. Well, apart from that whole revising the sabbatical application thing. But even so.