Wow. What a semester!

I've finally started breathing normally again after the most brutal semester of my entire academic career.

Somehow the stars, or perhaps school schedules, aligned poorly this year, and by about week 7 of the semester, I was on the verge of being behind.  But here's the thing: I've established routines and protocols so that I don't get behind.  For me, for the last several years, even one day behind was unusual.  So, in early November, when I was about 12 days behind in my grading, well, panic began to set in.  The car accident I was in on October 29 didn't help matters any, as I was unable to think--and therefore work--for days.  And as my cognition slowly came back, I was still unable to move quickly enough through assignments.  Oh, did I mention I was teaching 6 writing courses?  Two freshman composition courses, one business communications course, and three graduate-level writing-intensive courses.

I began spending weekends up at my parent's cottage in order to have uninterrupted time to grade.  I never got caught up.  I have a strict policy on returning student work in a timely fashion; I reserve the right to take up to two weeks to grade major assignments.  I usually get assignments back to students in 7-10 days.  By week 10, that stopped happening.  Stress.  Huge stress.

Throughout all this, a proposal that a colleague and I wrote was accepted, and we presented at a conference.  It's a lovely thing to put on my CV, but it's a lot of work to prepare for an academic presentation.

But it was a nice excuse to show off my sleeker self.  I went back to WeightWatchers and lost about 17 pounds and am able to fit into my suits again.  This was essential, as I TEACH IN A SUIT.  I wasn't able to do this last spring or over the summer because the suits didn't fit.  I was not going to enter this busy semester unable to wear a suit.  This cute dress was a side benefit.  :)

Evie is the cutest thing on two legs.  Now that I'm finally able to spend some time with her, she's warming back up to me nicely.

Still, she's 3 1/2, which is a rough age.  Kudos to people who make the conscious decision to have more than one child.  It's, frankly, a concept I cannot grasp.  Truly.  Beautiful, smart, silly as she is, I can't do this again.

Plus, did you know that kids are expensive?  I'd love a vacation.  We haven't taken one since 2010, not even a short one.  But, apparently kids need things like food, clothing, shelter, and preschool.  And books.  So many books.

Now, back to me.  Of course.

I'm suddenly severely underemployed for the spring semester, having just lost a course at my highest paying school.  I didn't realize the course was being run as a 200-level elective; I thought it was a Gen Ed requirement.  Only two students enrolled--and both were former students of mine who I would have loved to have in class again.  So I'm hoping and praying something will come my way, as two courses next semester is not enough to financially sustain me.

Maybe I'll get my darkroom all set up, and I'll start printing amazing, saleable prints from the comfort of my basement.  Yeah.  I think I'll put all my eggs in that basket.  (I can't even post pictures of my b&w stuff because... it's not digital.)