Second week of school and

it's already exhausting. It feels as if I have been back for several weeks. A presentation in Amer. Lit tomorrow and a Reader Response (1st of 12) due in Asian Lit. Had a history quiz last week. It's been a bummer on campus-furlough days for profs-no pay and less class time for us-good and bad. But of course we have the same work load-I'm not sure how it's going to work out. I feel bad for the kids struggling to get their classes-it was hard enough for me and now I'm going 4 days a week. I do love my French class-it's a bit harder than I thought it would be since it is all in french, but that's good too.
Nic is settling in as an 8th grader in love...with Hannah and not homework. We'll see how this plays out over the course of the school year-yikes!

Off to see

Wicked tonight in SF. Patrick is in SF for 4 nights and he's off tonight. I love the theater and I love hotels! And I love SF! It will be nice and cool and foggy and I can wear jeans.
Hard to believe that summer is almost over and I have done nothing-except gain weight. Well I am in the midst of trying to get rid of the extra weight-down a bit. And I quit eating desserts-almost 3 weeks now. Although last night I did have dreams of chocolate...
Finished the essay class-got lots of great comments but it did not inspire me to keep writing. Instead I've been so burned out from school that I've been doing nothing-except working, watching movies and driving my son to different skate parks. His eyes light up when he goes to a new one or when he does the "night sesh" at Cunningham. Can't wait for rock camp when he is with his band and playing music.
After seeing both Sandi and Shawn's FB pages with photos from Italy and England I want to go away-Paris, South of France, London, anywhere in Italy-I'm ready to go. Could also be because my French book arrived in the mail. I want to be fluent in French-seems pretty difficult now, but hey I'll enjoy the journey.
Off to see the wizard!

online essay class is

taking up more time than I thought. We have to post 4 essays over 4 weeks and then comment on each others essay and the editor also gives us feedback. The first week is over and bam! I have to post another essay by the end of the weekend. At least only 3 essays left to write and critique.
Last day of school today for Nic. He's had a bad week: lost Dad's video camera (left at park) too late to sign up for skate camp (his dream camp-skateboarding for a week in the mountains-no parents) and his girlfriend broke up with him. He has all the makings of a ballad or maybe even a country song (but he hates country!) It is definitely a bummer to start off the summer with no money! He needs a lot of money to pay Dad back-hard to do on his allowance-he needs a job or at least some gigs with pay. Hard to find paying gigs at 13.
I am so happy to be on break from San Jose State. Just thinking about my fall semester is enough to make me quit-but I want that degree! I am also going to take a summer tennis class starting next week-woo hoo! Maybe I can get in shape and get a PE unit.

Memorial Day!

This feels like the first full day that I relaxed. And then of course I remembered what Memorial Day is for...I read the paper and I salute those who serve.
What a crazy week it's been-school done, band concert, band practice, Maddie's high school graduation, work, Memorial Day party and now the glorious day after. What a fun day. All the friends, the music, the kids. Seeing the kids and adults play together is great-classic rock with alt rock-love it!
Speaking of music my son, Nic is doing a project for leadership called "Songs of My Life" He has to list 10 songs that have been important to him in his life. I've been getting nostalgic reading the list. Like "All My Loving" I sang it to him as a baby to go to sleep and when he heard the Beatles version he was surprised because he thought I wrote it (I wish!) Then there was "The Cup of Life" Ricky Martin-in preschool he was CRAZY for Ricky Martin-Iplayed that song at least a million times! And "Beverly Hills"-the first song he played on guitar in a talent show in 4th grade in his first band "Blue Fire". And his first song on vocals at the Willow Glen Tree Lighting-"All the Small Things". And the first song "No Reason" wrote in rock camp-"No Idea" -wow! The list goes on. I love this project!
I'm not sure where the time went today-it's been the best doing absolutely nothing, except going for a walk. In a week I'm doing an online essay workshop. I forgot I signed up and felt like backing out, but I'm going ahead-it is just what I need after all the term papers, poetry explications, etc. to get back to my own writing.

The last final of

this long semester. I'll be leaving soon so I can get there by 8am. What a fabulous professor! She changed the final time from 715 to 8 am-so much better. My head is filled with definitions of literary criticisms and the essays are all blending into one giant essay-they all seem to mean the same thing.
No matter what it is all over by 945 and life as just a mere worker and all my other names will seem SO easy.

Kid home sick

but he still had to go in for standardized tests. He's home bored waiting for me to finish work so we can go to the doctor and the doctor can tell him he has a sinus infection and then we can go get antibiotics.
My group from Shakespeare is coming over later this afternoon-we will study our lines for Twelfth Night and figure out props and costumes-I feel like I am in high school again-not liking this assignment at all.
Read some great stories in fiction though and got good feedback on my story and A- on psych theory in Max Where the Wild Things Are.
Some days I wonder exactly why I am back in school...this is one of those days....

Last paper for literary criticism

and I'm a bit tired of Max in Where the Wild Things Are. I always knew this was a great book, but I have such a different perspective on it now. And the movie is coming out this fall. I will definitely see it because I have to critique it after all my work on different literary theories.
Back to school tomorrow. I can't wait until May 18th.
Tomorrow my last short story gets workshopped-always a scary thing.
Have to memorize my lines from Twelfth Night. I'm going to watch it tonight and pay attention to Olivia's role-that's my part!
The boys are gone tonight so I'm getting lots of work done.
Maybe my allergies will be better tomorrow-I've really been suffering these last few days-to be able to breathe again would be great!
Oh well-off to Shakespeare!