Home Stretch!

Now that my brother and his family are out of the country, planning family events has gotten much less complicated. For the past 5+ years everyone in the family has had to have a dayplanner at all times. This Thanksgiving, no one planned anything. Everything just sort of fell together and there was no stress. No drama. No problems. Just family, food, and fun. This morning, once the Thanksgiving induced haze had worn off, I realized: Only 2 weeks of school left! While most people would greet this thought with celebration, it brings a measure of dread for me. The end of the semester brings finals, grades, and whining students who have "suddenly" realized their grades are not as good as they had hoped. (Hope doesn't earn you an A, hard work does. Why is that so difficult to understand?) Once I have survived the minefield of grades, though, it's finally Christmas Vacation. Twenty days to do whatever I want. Twenty days without any students. Twenty days that make the previous 120 days worth the trouble. Like last year, I will again be doing a "southern tour" before Christmas eve. However, three things have complicated the start of my trip. To successfully navigate these new problems will require the moves of Mikhail Baryshnikov combined with the flexibility of Nadia Comăneci. It's time to dig out the old dusty Dayplanner and get to work. The first issue has to do with the fact that I have a Friday class this semester. Obviously I cannot leave until after it's been taught on the 12th. And of course that day is also their final exam. The problem is that semester grades are required to be submitted within 24 hours of the end of the class. Since the class ends Friday at 4pm, one can only assume that grades will be due Monday by 4pm. Leaving Monday won't do at all. The best I can do is to get all of my other classes done, and EVERYTHING done for the Friday class except for the final exam and semester grades. I doubt the registrars office will open on Saturday (though we do have classes that Saturday) so I am left hoping they'll stay open late on Friday. Since I'll be on the wrong campus, I'll have to grade, drive, and submit. It's like the worlds dumbest video game, or perhaps something like a rejected version of The Amazing Race. I can't leave Saturday morning because of the second issue. There's a big fraternity event sometime Saturday. I'll give the details on that tomorrow when I have more time and hopefully more details. Monday night, Emily's Toybox will be playing in Brunswick again. This will be the first time in over a year I've been able to get away to see them. I'd hoped to meet Courtney and my friend Jen there for the show. Then head south to visit Courtney and her son Sean the next day or two. This is when the third issue pops up. Courtney's work schedule is a bit of a mess, so we have had to flip flop things. I go to Jacksonville on Sunday, then BACK north for the concert on Monday. Of course if I cannot get my grades in on Friday, then I have to skip the entire Jacksonville leg of the trip and go from Wilmington directly to Brunswick. Quite frankly, that would suck. So everyone keep your paws crossed that my students do well on their finals, because good work is easier to grade than bad work, and hope that I get all the grades done and in on time. (Yes, I know: Hope doesn't get grades in on time, hard work does. Stop using my lessons against me!) Once I get out of Jacksonville it's north to Brunswick, GA for the concert on the 15th, and then to Middle GA for a couple of days. I'm not 100% sure when I'll be headed out of Macon, as I am waiting on feedback from friends in the area to plan the middle of my trip. I hope to catch up with Bernida, Brian, Eric, and perhaps even Kimber while I am in the area. I'll also visit my friend Preston's grave, and will certainly stop by my old Krystal for a moment of silence. Then it's on to Chris' house for fun times with Josh! There's also a Christmas party on Saturday the 20th. Rumor has it that Nancy may be making a rare appearance this year. After spending a few years abroad in Europe, I wonder if she'll talk with a funny accent. (As if people from GA don't already have a funny accent.) Finally, after a thousand or so miles, tons of fun, and likely a lot of great food, I will drag my carcass back to NC for a family Christmas minus, of course, my brother's family for the first time in ages. While following Grade-Mania with a long road trip may seem insane to many folks, I happen to find road trips and travel very fun and relaxing. So the trip will probably be the best Christmas present I can give myself. And if gas stays cheap, it won't cost me a fortune!