Both Sides Now
This time last year while I sat in my windowless cube and performed menial editing-related tasks for my Very Corporate Employer, I often contemplated Weathergirl's cushy college schedule with envy, thinking to myself "Man, I sure wish I had a fall break for no good reason. Those holidays are awesome. *sigh*"
This morning, I am finding myself resentful of said holidays, college-created or otherwise. Like Labor Day. Who needs Labor Day? Certainly not my freshman honors students. They should have to come to class and actually labor on Labor Day. Why? Because of my nice neat syllabus schedule, that's why. Because I forgot about Labor Day when I was putting it all together and now, thanks to some silly national holiday (for which half of the work force doesn't actually get to take off anyway—how many Bath and Body Works clerks have you seen taking it easy on Labor Day?), I'm having to cut readings and do some major Tetris with my assignment dates to fit in the 6 papers that the state of Alabama requires me to assign.
And don't even get me started with Thanksgiving. As Expat says, "Forget Thanksgiving. The students should just go eat a turkey sandwich in the caf."
Hello, shoe. Meet the other foot.
On the other hand, this is definitely the most pressing concern of my morning. My laundry is done, my kitchen is clean, and I have had 8 hours of sleep. Plus, I'm not even teaching yet, so I can stop playing Tetris with my syllabus whenever I want and go, I don't know, shop with all that money I don't have or read a book or actually set foot in the apartment complex gym and see what it's all about.
Oh woe, woe the impossibly hard life of a college instructor, doomed to sit in coffee houses and curse public holidays while sipping a skinny vanilla latte. The horror, the horror.
This morning, I am finding myself resentful of said holidays, college-created or otherwise. Like Labor Day. Who needs Labor Day? Certainly not my freshman honors students. They should have to come to class and actually labor on Labor Day. Why? Because of my nice neat syllabus schedule, that's why. Because I forgot about Labor Day when I was putting it all together and now, thanks to some silly national holiday (for which half of the work force doesn't actually get to take off anyway—how many Bath and Body Works clerks have you seen taking it easy on Labor Day?), I'm having to cut readings and do some major Tetris with my assignment dates to fit in the 6 papers that the state of Alabama requires me to assign.
And don't even get me started with Thanksgiving. As Expat says, "Forget Thanksgiving. The students should just go eat a turkey sandwich in the caf."
Hello, shoe. Meet the other foot.
On the other hand, this is definitely the most pressing concern of my morning. My laundry is done, my kitchen is clean, and I have had 8 hours of sleep. Plus, I'm not even teaching yet, so I can stop playing Tetris with my syllabus whenever I want and go, I don't know, shop with all that money I don't have or read a book or actually set foot in the apartment complex gym and see what it's all about.
Oh woe, woe the impossibly hard life of a college instructor, doomed to sit in coffee houses and curse public holidays while sipping a skinny vanilla latte. The horror, the horror.
posted by Sparky at 8:36 AM
9 Comments:
I remember Labor Day Weekend last year... that Saturday, I sat on tractors and got dirty and took photos at Plow Day, and then I came home to Madison the next day, and you and Expat helped me move into my basement apartment that Monday. And then we all went to the Dane, where we had beers with Travis and Stephanie (and maybe Lou?) and I got hit on -- twice -- by a guy at least seven years older than me. While I was in grubby moving clothes and a bandana, no less.
What a difference a year makes!
I'm so glad to hear of your clean laundry and kitchen and Tetris-maneuvering. I can almost hear Orville purring. Are you doing any baking in your nice new place yet? It's supposed to be mid-70s and slightly rainy tomorrow... that's what I'll be doing.
Oh, and don't forget to change your blogger profile to Alabama!
Hey, welcome back to AL. You picked a good time to do it! On another topic, I have a question to ask, but don't know your email. Could you email me at the address under my profile? Thanks!
Oh, you poor, poor thing. it's just unbearable what you have to cope with. Stay strong, honey.
Oh, jealousy.
Technically, I can take time off whenever I want to, around holidays or whenever, as long as I have met or do later meet my current deadlines. But of course, when I don't work, then I don't get paid... *sigh* It's an ongoing problem. :)
Love the new profile photo, by the way.
I know for a cold fact that expat has never once used the term "caf" in all his life....
It took me embarrassingly long to figure out why Greg knew someone named Scooter. What's up homie?
Good call, Topspun, good call. "Caf" he did not say--that's why this is CREATIVE nonfiction. The actual term was "the Ferg," which is what they call the student center in these here parts, but who the hell would know what I was talking about if I wrote that?
Dave, my friend, be not embarassed. We fly under the radar here in Scooter Nation and yes, we're back in the "neighborhood." One day when I get my shit together, I'm coming to B'hm and we're all getting together. I think I'm going to make Open Book coordinate it, but she doesn't know that yet . . . Still living the high life in Hoover?
Scooter- Nah, these days I live the low-life out in the sticks. Count me in for reunion type shindigs when they go down.
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