Concerted Effort

It's been one of those weeks. We're getting into crunch time in the semester and it's hard to come up for air. My grading is overwhelming, not to mention my grading job on the side. In addition to writing consulting work every week, I've been presenting several workshops (some of them to an audience way more advanced than I am) and, well, basically, this introvert wants to sleep for a thousand years.

All I wanted to do yesterday afternoon was curl up in bed and read/nap the night away, but that wasn't an option.

My writing job had a big appreciation party. And my little group of peeps hosted a pre party. Never in all my high school or college days did I go to (1) real parties, much less (2) parties where you start drinking in order to get lubed up for the actual shin dig. But last night? I indulged. One of the peeps made fresh jalapeno margaritas and I may or may not have had three.  Before the party.

A few hours into the party, we gathered around the fire pit and our director passed out student comments to each of us, made a warm and fuzzy speech, passed out 30-yr-old scotch, and we toasted ourselves. Although I think drinking scotch is like drinking a smoke monster, I downed that puppy, laughed and commiserated with my peeps, and took a few minutes to just be thankful for a job I enjoy, friends I enjoy, and to be appreciated enough to be badgered into going to parties.

There are worse things.

This weekend is a busy one. There was the party last night, and today we went to G's friends' house to watch the Nebraska Corn Huskers get beat play football. Knowing that I wouldn't get my normal thousand hours to catch up over the weekend, I exhausted myself last week. Most days I was on campus before the sun rose until long after it set. And I'm over it.You can see it in my eyes; this gal is so not getting her desired 10-12 hours of sleep per night. Not even close.

G's friends have the most precious dog in the world, though, so at least I caught up on animal lovins. If Lucy cuddled with me like this, I would never leave the house. I would lay around with her and eat bon bons and nap forever.

What else? Despite my total and complete lack of exercise, I've lost 16 pounds and on the weeks I don't lose, I at least maintain. So there's that. Now that the majority of my workshops are over, things will become more manageable and I'll attempt to raise my heart rate every now and again.

My students are also under the gun, facing a deadline for their second major paper/project. Last week I was like, "How would you guys feel about doing a work shop instead of class?" There were actually squeals of glee. And not just from the girls. So I'm now teacher of the year.

There has been sporadic yard decoration as well, which thrills me to no end.

This one is my favorite. I found minion attachments for a real pumpkin! Isn't that the most hilarious thing you've ever seen?

And, to cap off the best weekend ever, we're having the fall brunch tomorrow. Tonight, during commercials in the Arkansas/Alabama game, I've been prepping the treats:

More details tomorrow.

Two words: Bottomless mimosas.