Tuesday, December 02, 2014

End times survival guide.

End of the semester, obviously. What did you think I meant?

Actually I'm reading some fairly apocalyptic police procedurals, and my colleagues are having their Zombie Survival Guide event in a couple of days. We're running pretty low on snacks. I'm just saying, the end of the semester might as well be end times, maybe?

No, no, we're going to survive this. Here is my plan:

1. I plan to be caught up. One way to make the grading go better is not to have to dig oneself out a hole of tragic, ungraded work. I am pleased to report that I am altogether caught up (although this is a moment by moment thing, since students are still weaseling late assignments in on Canvas like, oh, late assignment, nbd, Lisa will take it because she's a late assignment taker aka sucker). CHECK.

2. I plan to wear good outfits and comfortable shoes. Good outfits take everything from the "this is bearable" level to the "I will crush this" level. And my new no uncomfortable shoes policy has literally revolutionized my attitude. (Am I overstating? Possibly. But it's almost as if one's baseline well-being radiates out and up from the foot's kajillion tiny little bones and their companionate muscles, tendons, and nerves.)

3. I plan to keep reading fairly apocalyptic police procedurals, as well as any other damn thing I feel like reading.

4. I plan to recognize that no single friend of mine will lose his or her mind if I don't make them a bottle of homemade orange extract or some other thing that requires buying (a) bottles and (b) expensive spirits and (c) worrying that I didn't start the extraction soon enough and (d) other related gift-giving nonsense.

5. I plan to sleep, at least a little more than usual. At this point in the year, shouldn't I be hibernating like a French peasant anyway?

6. I plan to take a walk, to go to the gym, and to be on speaking terms with my dog.

7. I plan to give some of the stuff in my house away. Like books and clothes and food.

8. But above all, I intend to buy more and better snacks. Grading is hungry work.

2 comments:

  1. It is always about the good snacks. I am a firm believer in this combo: almonds, whole. Dark chocolate, with hint of peppermint. Dried fruits of the berry variety. You cannot lose with this combo.

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  2. Amen to the snacks -- and to wearing comfortable shoes! I have some fresh juice and popcorn close by, along with an awesome queue of movies on my Netflix to sustain me on this grading journey. Best of luck to both of us here at the end of times!!

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