Light at the end of the tunnel...

It must be getting late in the semester, because this seems to be the time that I think about blogging (and even when I started this blog). We only have a few weeks left and I'll be grading a virtual mountain of papers before it's over, but I already have the end in sight! Next week will be a nice break with Thanksgiving (only two class days) and then just two more weeks- and two of my classes will be doing presentations the whole time. This semester has really worn me out. I don't remember it being this bad when I last taught my full 3-course load in Fall 2006. Maybe I'm just getting old?

I finished a set of grading today that felt like it had been weighing on me for a while, but it's really only been a week. That means I am almost caught up- and won't get much more grading until the last week (when it will get REALLY ugly).

I guess I don't have anything too exciting to say. Just wanted to check in...

Nothing like a blogger meet-up...

...to get me blogging again! Yes, I'm still here. Of course, a lot of you already know that since I'm friends with you on Facebook, but for anyone else still out there, I've finally decided to check in. What better format could there be to catch up on the last month, than RBOC?

• I had a blogger meet-up with Dr. Super Babe and her man this afternoon. They were in our general area to visit some friends, so H, D, and I met up with them for coffee before they got on the road this afternoon. It's always wonderful to meet virtual friends in person, and it was especially nice to meet them both. We all bonded over our shared liberal views of the world and wondered why more people don't agree with us. We had a great talk about all sorts of things and after they left, I thought of more things I wanted to ask them! No foot pictures this time- we took a couple 'real' photos that will likely end up on FB, though. I'm so glad that we were able to meet up. :)
• I'm giddily (ok, that's an exaggeration) counting down the days in this 5-teaching-days-a-week semester. The end is definitely in sight, but I have a mountain of grading to climb before it's all over. I've already been scheming about next fall and how I can avoid teaching five days a week again. I really miss having just one day a week when I can stay in my sweats, take D to the school bus, then get some work done without having to be anywhere.
• Personally, I'm not too thrilled with things right now. I'm generally upbeat and happy most of the time (as I have always been), but I have been noticing some real low periods creeping in now and then. I'm exercising three to four days a week, so that should help, but I still seem to get into a funk now and then. I can't point to any one thing, but I know I am still being haunted by last year's miscarriage. It doesn't help that I have two friends (who live far away) that had babies when I was supposed to last fall (and they both celebrated their first birthdays in the last few weeks). And these friends were BOTH at D's birth- how's that for a coincidence? There are times when I enjoy seeing photos of their kids, but other times I just can't bear to see a baby at all. I keep thinking the feeling will fade, and I can't believe that I'm feeling like this almost two years later (ok, 18 months). Good grief, people.
• I have to end on a more positive bullet point, right? Well, I am thrilled with my RA this year. She is doing great work and I get along with her on a personal level. It's SO refreshing after last year's disaster. Hooray for good grad students!!

So, that's it. Four bullet points to summarize the last month. I guess I could have gotten into more details about the crazy traveling for my friend's memorial, followed by my mom's annual visit and D's 10th birthday, then H's friend visiting from Very Distant Country right after that, and D's swine flu shot, and going to the ballet, and some other things, but that about sums it up! I hope everyone out in blogland is doing well.