Still procrastinating

I still have only graded 20 of the 85 bibliographies I need to grade. I've been a little distracted on top of my usual procrastination, though. I only had 35 out of 85 students in class yesterday. The Friday BEFORE Thanksgiving. Since when did a two-day break become as long as spring break? We are closed Wednesday through Friday next week, which seems reasonable to me so that students have time to travel home, but a lot of them missed Friday, too. Campus seemed eerily quiet and the parking lot had lots of spaces at 10:00am. I can't imagine how many students I'll have on Monday. I should really finish this grading so that I can enjoy the break next week, but as I said, I'm feeling distracted. A colleague's wife has been fighting cancer for almost two years and the latest news is not good for them. I am not close friends with them, but our department is small and I know most people fairly well. We picked up this colleague at the airport when he interviewed and supported him when it came time to vote for the position. I have other friends who are closer with them, and this is having a big impact on many people in my circle of friends and acquaintances in Small College Town. It's nice to have that sense of community. I'm feeling so sad for this family and can't believe how many people around my age have been getting (and dying from) cancer lately. It's all just too sad.