1. Students who sign-up for conferences, neglect to write down the time and place and don't show up.

2. Students who think that signing-up for a conference, neglecting to write down the time and place, and don't show AND don't think that it's going to adversely affect their grade.

3. Students who turn in rough drafts with errors that we've SPECIFICALLY discussed in class... such as proper MLA citation (i.e. text text text (author page #). It's in the book people, I've pointed it out to you a bazillion times (ok, well at least once a class)... get it right.

4. Students who ply me with excuses for poor writing such as "oh, I wrote that at 4 a.m" Buy a clue, people, don't tell your instructor that your crappy writing is a result of your poor time management.

5. People who pick their boogers on the T... it's just plain gross.

So I'm obsessed... completely and totally obsessed. My sister and I saw both a minirose bush and an orchid last time we went to Home Depot (like three weeks ago) and I have not been able to stop thinking about them. I'm DYING to get one of each. I simply must have them. I will perish without them. Litterally cease to exist. Must. Get. Plants.

In other plant news... my second job has these two GORGEOUS spider plants that I have surreptitously snipped little peices off (shh... don't tell). Currently, they're hiding in a dixie cup full of water under my desk. I plan to sneak them out under my jacket when I leave.

Was debating the merit of a third job. So not getting one... I barely have time to finish grading papers, prepping for class, doing my homework, working on my thesis let alone eatting and sleeping as it is. My first book better so make it big...

My schedule currently looks like this:

• Teach/work Monday Wednesday & Friday
• Nothing on Tuesday & Thursday
• Soccer on Friday
• Sunday Sports on, well, Sunday

So initially I was thinking, "hell yeah! I can sleep in late on Tuesday and Thursdays, maybe go to the gym, do a little writing..."

No dice. I spent from roughly 11 a.m. today until about 9 p.m. tonight prepping for my class tomorrow. We're talking lesson planning, grading homework assignments, learning how to use the online grading component of WebCT, grading more assignments, more lesson planning... see a pattern here?

And did I accomplish anything I needed to, like sleep? Like thesis writing? Like gym time??!

The answer, my friends, is a big fat no.

This teaching stuff is hard. Not hard in the "I can't do this" kind of way, cause I can and I am. In fact, I love my students (so far). They're smart, articulate, and willing to muddle through this first week with me. No sir, this teaching stuff is hard in a "god am I pooped" kind of way. I literally spent seven hours reading and responding to 14 four page papers. And then another two hours putting my class for tomorrow together.

I. Am. EXHAUSTED.

Mentally and physically. I should be sleeping, as I have to get up at 6:3o a.m., and my finger hurts (Sunday Sports related injury--I jammed my right hand distal phalanx... it's turned a lovely shade of reddish purple), but I'm so exhausted I can't sleep.

And I still haven't done my for real home work...

*sigh*

But at the end of the day I have this incredibly satisfying sense of accomplishment. I've got this class that at least pretends that they're really into the class. And it's so neat to see them in that moment of "aha!" especially when they've made a connection between the texts we're reading or the texts and current issues.

*sigh*

So today was the first day of my teaching career. That's right folks, I am officially a college composition instructor (Adjunct Professor to be exact).

So how'd it go, you ask? It went.

I have 17 kids in my class ranging from the ages of 17 to 40. That's right, I said 40. This guy in jeans and a t-shirt and I'm thinking "Ok, this is some IT guy come to take away the T.V. in my room." Which truthfully, I wouldn't mind cause the room is effing small. But no, this guy sits down. So now I'm thinking, "Ok, this guy is a continuing ed student and he's just in the wrong class." So I decide that I'll announce the title of the class. Like three times. He still doesn't move. Long story short, he's the IT Help Desk Coordinator at Emerson College and he's pursuing an adult degree--which major kudos to him for wanting to better himself. I think I may have scared him though, cause he came up to me at the end of class and asked me if he should consider dropping the class because of work and school assignments. I told him to hang in there for the week and then we'll talk.

BUT (there's always a but), this TOTALLY changes the dynamic of the class. I mean, I can not talk to him as though he were 18, that's just insulting. I'm looking forward to see what this guy brings to the table.

Other than that, the first day went well. The kids like to talk. A lot. Especially this one Theater Major--he talks over me. We are totally going to have to break him of that habit. And yes, I'm patting myself on my back.

It's a lazy lazy day. The roomie and I aren't up to much, just painting the apartment. We had to run to Home Depot to get more supplies and I found the most GORGEOUS orchid and mini indoor rose bush. Am tempted to buy it but I keep telling myself no more plants until the bills are paid and the apartment fixed up just the right way. *sigh*

And now I return to the painting...

I am the WORST cat momma ever. I took my kitties home (to the rents house) for the extended weekend. Pretty Kitty, needless to say, was a bit traumatized by the whole ordeal. She spent most of the time under the futon in the spare bedroom, which was fine since we were camping the whole weekend. So everything should have been, and was alright...

Until we came home.

Until the dog barked.

It wasn't until half an hour or so later that we figured out that Pretty wasn't in the room I had shut her in. It wasn't until half an hour later that we realized that the screen in the window was popped out. Panic ensued. We searched the ENTIRE house looking for her, refusing to accept the fact that the cat had freaked out at the dog barking and busted out the screen window.

We looked every where. I cried profusely. And then we looked everywhere again with flashlights. My father, bless his soul, stayed out late and got up early to look for her. He spotted her this morning, but she ran. So he's set up train cameras to try and catch a picture of her in the woods. He's also investing in a live-trap to catch her with out hurting her. My mother, bless her soul, is posting flyers and putting out food for her.

I returned to Boston with out her. I feel so bad having done so, but I have no choice. My parents will continue to search for her.

Wish us luck.

All my worldly goods are packed into boxes and the cats are corralled (unhappily) in their crates. Now if the guy upstairs in our new apartment would hurry the hell up...

In other random news: if you're looking for a highly entertaining, laugh-your-socks-off blog to read, check out WWdN: In Exile. This is the blog of Wil Wheaton. Yes, that Wil Wheaton who starred as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I had the HUGEST crush on Ensign Crusher when I was a wee lass. I LOVED this show when I was a kid. My mother grew up with the original Star Trek and exposed us to the joys of this futuristic morality play and it's spin-off when we were little. My sisters quickly lost interest but I stayed hooked. But I digress... Wil's blog is, as previously stated, hilarious. He pulls no punches about being a geek and talks unabashedly about his life, loves, family, frustrations, hopes, etc. I about pee my pants every single time I read it... which is daily.

I never said I wasn't a geek.

EDIT: Moved all my worldly goods, including the computer (which I managed to "lose" in a box some place--thus the late post). Had to take the cats home to the parents house for the weekend--6 hours away. Pretty Kitty has been mildly traumatized and has not come out from under the bed. *sigh*