Oh, so cranky...

I'm sure it's partly because I'm so tired, but man was I ever cranky with the SF class today. I got relatively testy about their endless speculations--and how they get distracted by things that will be explained and forget to pay attention to what's happening right at that particular moment in the novel. I also got a bit grumpy about the "everything happens because Jimmy's parents weren't good parents" explanation. Life isn't that simple, and neither is literature.

I'm feeling relatively swamped by work, too: I don't know what I was thinking when I chose due dates for essays, but I have two classes' worth already and I'll be getting essays from Nature in Lit next week. Oy gevalt.

But back to the SF class: despite my being a bit short with the students, I think the class went pretty well. And I need to remember to be grateful for how well they're understanding what's going on, because even though they're confused on some levels, they're getting a lot of it absolutely right on.

Of course, I did have to distribute the "Grade Warning" sheets I give out (knowing that most students won't check their email to get the official Academic Progress report). The Brit is in danger of failing. So is my former student (and I'm getting sick of telling him that--so from now on, I won't bother; he'll either pull himself together or he'll fail).

And I seem to have lost one of the best students. I hope not: maybe she's just hit a snag and will return, but I haven't seen her for a while, and she didn't submit the essay, which worries me.

After class, I sat here and did some record keeping: updating the grades for the Nature in Lit students, filling out the official Academic Progress reports online, answering emails. It's a good thing I'd already decided to bail on yoga class tonight, as I didn't even realize how late it was until it would have been way too late to go. I'll lose two classes out of a series I bought (which will expire before I can use the rest), but ah well.

I've watered the plants, checked email, packed my tote bag with way more work than I will do, I know, but ... well, apparently I like to believe that I will actually create a miracle and get everything done over the weekend, despite my absolute knowledge that I won't look at most of what I'm schlepping home until after I've schlepped it back to campus next week.

There's a big storm on its way here tomorrow. I'm not sure whether to hope it prevents me from going anywhere or whether to plan on going despite the forecast high winds. If the power stays on, there can be something very cozy about a storm day at home, reading and drinking tea.... and posting to the blog, if I actually do any work.