end of the semester...

I'm still waiting to hear back about the proposal I did submit in November.  I was told I'd hear back "in December."  Vague.  It's been over a month since I submitted it and almost a month from the deadline.  Every time I check my email I'm looking for something and every time I'm bummed out that I haven't received an email.  One of these days I won't be thinking about it and that's when I'll find out.  I would like to know either way so I can prepare if it's accepted or move on and concentrate on other things if it's not.

I'm leaving to go out of town next week and I'm actually ahead of my self-imposed grading schedule.  This hasn't happened in a long time. Wait.  I'm not sure if this has EVER happened since I've been teaching.  I feel relaxed, prepared and ahead of the game.  I'm usually super stressed out, frazzled and annoyed (while drinking too much scotch) during this time of the semester.  I wrote a very long list of all the things that HAD to be done by the end of the semester and I just kept crossing items off of the list.  I still have things on there, but I can't cross them off yet -- for example: grade finals for all classes -- can't happen because I give my first final tomorrow -- but you better believe that as soon as the first student hands in the first test I'm gettin' my grade on.  This weekend will be filled with laundry and getting the house in order.  I'm looking forward to seeing my family.