Summer's end

I really should be working on my course descriptions, the syllabus for one of the classes, and general planning for the 2011-2012 academic year.  Gearing up, in other words, for next week when the proverbial "rubber hits the road", and I am back in the classroom!  See, this will be my experience:

Source

Okay, so my students are a bit older and don't look at me with such adoration.  Other than that, my teaching experience exactly mirrors this photo!

(This isn't helping me at all....)

Obviously my summer has pretty much ended, so I need to get OVER IT.  The greatest challenge as I transition from summer break to school has nothing to do with the idea of work.  Surprisingly, there is that little rush that comes with being back on campus, returning to the classroom, and seeing students and colleagues again.  It is quite comforting, in fact, to find that my brain cells still whirl along and enjoy a bit of stimulation.

The hardest part, for me, about returning to work is dressing the part.  After 3 languorous months in which I lived, for the most part, in flipflops, Patagonia capris, Patagonia t-shirts and Patagonia dresses (slight obsession, I know!), I now have to return to the adult world, at least in terms of personal appearance.  We had meetings last week, and I tried to cut a somewhat professional profile, but on Tuesday, it's D-day:  Wake up early, shower at the beginning of the day, try to 'do' my hair and even leave the house with make-up scattered on my face.  I seem to have slacked off on these sorts of habits over the summer, wallowing in dirt and sweat on a regular basis.

However, since I don't want to mourn summer's passing before that has even happened, I AM enjoying my weekend, damnit!  We had totally blown whatever budget we thought that we had this summer, and we've continued that trend this weekend, eating out on Friday night, Saturday night and brunch today.  Shameful, I know!  I also just cut up a watermelon, which I plan to finish off by this evening, while indulging in my last "Law and Order" marathon viewing session (the whole DVR thing is terrible!).  We should also eat the rest of the Haagen-Dazs Dulce de Leche that is going to be the last ice cream that we buy for the next several months!

Yep, that, in a nutshell is my summer:  lots of eating out, lots of eating ice cream in, not showering, sweating plenty, and wearing flipflops.  

Next week just might kill me!

Sacrificing myself for the job!

As I mentioned, I returned from the camping trip with major windburn issues. My face was bright red, felt raw and stung, and was dry and peeling in a weird way. I am not a high-intensity lotion person, so I used what I have around the house, but it didn't seem to relieve many of the symptoms. Fortunately, by Saturday, my skin felt and looked almost normal.

Good thing, because I had to attend the Baccalaureate ceremony that night, and I preferred to not schmooze with parents looking too rough around the edges. In fact, by the time I set out, I looked half-way presentable and even wore a pair of black patent heels. A few parents complimented me on my pants which fall into the "dressy" category. That means that I pull them out of my closet about twice a year. I found myself very appreciative of these pants by the end of the evening because my zipper was down while I spoke to a small group of 400 parents and students, but no one noticed. Thank God because I would have resigned on the spot if it had been obvious.

By the end of the evening, my feet were killing me, and I had blisters on both of my feet, near the heel. This could have presented a problem yesterday when I had to dress up YET AGAIN. Having to look dressy and professional two days in a row? Talk about a sucky weekend! Don't get me wrong - I love clothes, but I gravitate to my Chaco or Dansko sandals, easy knit dresses, Patagonia t-shirts, sweaters and fleeces... Yesterday, I put on a mini-fashion show for Michael before he finally approved a silk dress and slingback sandals for graduation. Not that it really matters what I wear since we spend most of the evening in the obligatory cap and gown, but I did want to look presentable before and after (especially for the after-party for faculty and staff! Tons o' fun!). So, all was well, until the end of the evening by which time I had developed terrible blisters on the front of my foot! Seriously, my shoes hate me, or my feet hate my shoes.

Fortunately, I am home today, and moleskin is covering my entire body as I try to recover from the demands of the last week.

Need I say that I am so ready for summer?!