The End, Part I

The End of Spring Semester

Yesterday, Thursday, was officially the last day of classes for Spring Semester 2012.

This is, of course, a good thing. It means that I am now officially done with 2/3 of my graduate school career. Well, I will be once I finish grading my students' exams next week, I mean, but for all purposes pertaining to me? Yeah, I've finished two years now.

I can't help but think back to last year at this time. So many things were different. I was in a relationship with a different woman, I had just finished teaching English 101 for the last time, I had crazy-long hair and a very thick beard, I had a lot more money to my name and I didn't even own my car yet. Yes, folks, so many things in my life were drastically, drastically different.

Would I change a thing, however, from how they are now? No. Maybe little things here and there -- little things I shouldn't have said, or the way I handled little situations, but overall? The big picture? Nope. I wouldn't change anything. I used to have regrets about a lot of major things in my life. I've not always been the best person (few people can say they have been). But I've learned from my mistakes, and I've generally made peace with my regrets. During the long period of time that I was single, I was able to think about my life in a much clearer fashion, and partition it out piece by piece for cross-examination. I came out the other side much stronger and with a clear head.

Do I have a better life now than I did a year ago? In most ways, yes. I have a wonderful woman in Lady. I have a car that runs well (knock on wood) the vast majority of the time. I have my own place, in which I live alone in peace and solitude. I don't have a lot of money, but I get by just fine for the time being, and even though I may be poor I can still feed myself and the cats. I also think I am stronger, thinner, and wiser, even if I may be a bit more reclusive as the tradeoff to those traits. I also have a job for the summer now, when that didn't happen last summer. Overall, I think everything's a bit better than before. It's not perfect, of course, but better.

This morning, Lady is coming in for the weekend. She doesn't have class today, so she can get here earlier than otherwise. We're planning a nice weekend together. The weather, while hot, isn't supposed to be nasty, so we won't have to worry about our time together being cut short (as we did three weeks ago when she was last here). So that we're not interrupted by anything or anyone, as soon as she gets here my phone is getting turned off. I'm not going to pay attention to anything but her -- it will be our last weekend together in my place for a long time. I have also finished grading all of my students' final papers in the past day or so as well, finishing the last ones a few hours ago, so that I won't have anything nagging at me in the back of my head. I have nothing else to do for the next three days but spend time with her -- and it's going to stay that way.

However, come Monday, things will change. I must return to campus and give my students their final exam. This in itself is not a problem -- it will be pretty simple. I was expecting to be done on Monday, but apparently the fates had other plans. Y'see, the girl I've been assigned as my "grading partner" for finals has a daytime class as well as a night class that she teaches. The night classes take their finals at a different time -- in this case, Wednesday night. As I have to grade both sets of her essays, this means that I'll be stuck going back into campus next Thursday morning again to grade the set from the night class. This isn't a big deal, of course, but it does extend the amount of time I have to remain, y'know, available on the University's terms by three extra days. Therefore, I'm going in there on Thursday morning, finishing it as quickly as possible, turning in/posting my students' grades, and getting the hell out of Dodge. Lady's graduation is next weekend, and I need to do a little self-tune-up to the car before I make that long-ass drive -- such as check/refill the oil, refill the coolant if it's low, get it new gas and put a fuel system/carb cleaner in the tank, and make sure it has enough air in the tires. I've never driven the Monte Carlo such a long distance before (the most miles I've put on it in one day was about 100), so I have to make sure I can do everything I can to get it there and back safely. I wish I could afford to get the car its oil change this weekend prior to my trip out there next weekend, but I just can't. I really have no spare money right now, as all of my bills just came out of my bank account, and two more just arrived in the mail.

So yeah, minor inconvenience, I know, but an inconvenience nonetheless. I look at it as another day's worth of gas money spent at this point, really.

More updates will come after Lady returns to school on Sunday, of course. But, until then, consider me incommunicado.