Nine Degrees of Separation

Spring semester: day thirty-one

It's nine degrees outside, hence the title of this post. It apparently feels like -2, and is only supposed to get up to the high 30s today for my long Tuesday on campus.

I will again remind you that my Spring Break starts in nine days, at around 11AM on the 13th.

Despite having all sorts of free time this weekend, I didn't do a whole lot. Thursday I went to bed after coming home and eating lunch, Friday and Saturday I spent poring over/obsessing over the snowstorm forecasts, and Sunday and yesterday were really just spent sleeping, doing household chores/making lesson plans, and sleeping some more. I went to bed last night at a little after 7 with the help of a sleeping pill, woke up from a nightmare about a tornado at around 11:30, and then slept again until around 4, where I was dozing off and on until the alarm went off at 5.

It's now 5:49, and I'm wide awake and ready to take on the day. I do have a longer day than usual today, filled with errands and extra things to do that I wouldn't normally have to take care of on a Tuesday -- I have my meeting with the benefits people at 1PM, and there's also a campus-wide tornado drill at the same time. I emailed the benefits guy and asked him if I should show up before that or wait until it's finished. They do a campus-wide tornado drill every year, usually around this time of year. When it happens, you're forced to sit in one of the tornado shelters on campus for roughly half an hour until the all clear is issued. It's a pain in the ass for people who have stuff to do during that time (such as those of us who would be in the middle of one of our classes, or something like that), but of course it is understandable why they do it. I mean, this is Kansas, after all, and it is rapidly nearing spring (despite what the temperatures and snowstorms here would tell you). I expect to see at least one or more tornado watches/warnings before the month is out. Knowing my luck, that shit will happen when I'm in Omaha over my Spring Break.

Aside from those other errands, I've got grading to do this afternoon, and review (as per my lesson plans) for my 011 class tonight. That class shouldn't take that long; tonight is an in-class conference night, I'm collecting journals, and we're going to briefly discuss a three-page reading I assigned them last week. That's it, really. After I slept well last night (for the first time in a while, actually) I don't expect to be tired throughout the day today, but I know I probably will be once I return home this evening...whenever that time may be.

I have gotten all eight badges in Pokemon X and am now making my way up Victory Road to the Pokemon League. It's been a fun and interesting game thus far. I might take the 2DS with me in case I get everything finished early this afternoon before I have to go teach.

According to the news, gas prices went up to $3.45 last night in Wichita -- that's the highest I've seen them in many months. I don't know whether I'll need to get gas this morning or not; I'll have to check once I get in the car and take it out of the garage this morning -- I go by mileage, not by the gauge (as the gauge isn't exactly reliable a lot of the time in my car), and I can't remember where I'm at on that. On the plus side, I can actually afford gas again without worrying whether or not it's going to break me.

Of course, even though it's supposed to be warm this afternoon, I will be wearing layers this morning upon leaving the house. I originally wanted to get up and shower, but I showered yesterday, so I don't really need it and don't really have time for it anyhow before I leave this morning. I'll shower tonight (if I have the energy) or tomorrow before I go to teach my evening 210 class -- which should also be really short and easy. In my 210 class I'm collecting their PSA assignment and giving them their next one, the Resume/Cover Letter. That's it. That one doesn't even have any corresponding passages in the book(s) for the class, as it was created solely by someone who taught the class years ago as a filler assignment that they'd find useful, as I mentioned before.

Also, apparently today is Fat Tuesday. From what I hear, anyway. Hm. Interesting. Okay.

Tomorrow, as if we were being served leftovers of the weekend storm, we're supposed to have a "wintry mix" most of the day. I don't really know if that's going to affect my drive down to West campus tomorrow night or not, especially if they're treating/have already treated all of the roads. I had several more students email me last night to tell me that the roads all around both campuses are fine and are clear, but the neighborhoods and side streets are not (which I expected, of course), so at least my drive to/from both campuses today should be okay once I get out of my own neighborhood.

So that's my day ahead of me, really. I'm glad I'm not tired, and I'm glad I'm not overly stressed (for the moment). I keep reminding myself that I've only got another week of this or so before I get almost two full weeks off to relax, spend time with Daisy, and sleep when I need to/can. I also keep reminding myself that it will get warmer soon, and I will be able to break out the shorts and flip-flops to teach in within the next two or three weeks, but when it's nine degrees outside right now and there's a wintry mix expected tomorrow, that seems so, so far away, so distant that it's a fantasy.