Overwhelmed

I'm not keeping up -- on this blog or in any other aspect of my life. Teaching again, after so long away, is just overwhelming. First of all, there are so many things I need to learn how to do. Universities have changed a lot since I was last in one. Little by little I'm learning, but it takes a lot of time.

Then there's class prep, which takes time no matter what stage you're at, but which takes a whole lot MORE time at my stage. I have to think and think and think about every bit of material I'm going to cover. I'm out of practice with this stuff! There isn't anything on earth that I could teach right now without extensive preparation. So every lesson plan, every tiny bit of every lesson plan, requires me to research and read, think about and try out different approaches.

And of course, all this work translates into maybe 30-40 minutes of class time with a room full of delightful but unimpressed students, some discussion and miscellaneous class business, and at the end something for me to spend several hours grading. Plus I have to plan the next class, and the next, and the next. Plus I'm still trying to get up to speed on all those things I need to learn how to do. Plus the twins need attention, plus I have to make dinner, plus there's the laundry, the dishes, making sack lunches, oops gotta run to the grocery store, stack of bills to be paid, need to wash my hair.

I like my job, don't get me wrong. It's a great experience. But it's such an unbelievable amount of work.

Oh, and in the midst of all this -- did I mention I got stung on the arm by a wasp last Sunday, just before classes started? If I did, I apologize, and if I didn't, I apologize (that should cover everyone). The sting hurt, of course, and then it began to swell up. By Monday night a large portion of my arm was red and swollen and hot to the touch, so on Tuesday (when it was worse) I reluctantly went to Kaiser. There, a nurse practitioner decided I might have cellulitis, so she put me on a nasty antibiotic called dicloxacillin. I take it 4 times a day, 2 hours after eating and 1 hour before. It is very complicated to fit meals around those restrictions, and I seem to spend most of the day trying to figure out when to take the next pill and when I can eat. Within a day and a half of beginning the pills I was all better, and Rocket Boy keeps saying "Why don't you stop taking them?" but THAT'S not how you're supposed to take antibiotics, right? So I keep taking them, but it's a pain. Two more days, plus the pills I've missed along the way.

One reason I sometimes miss pills is that I'm SO DARN TIRED. I get home from campus on teaching days around 2:20, and a few minutes later it's time to walk to school and pick up the twins. Once we're all home again I try to either work or play with them a bit, but eventually I find myself moving in the direction of my bed, where I take A NAP! Normally I am not a napper, but I'm just so tired these days. Today I didn't even have to work, plus I got a good night's sleep last night, but around 4 pm I found myself under the covers again. And honestly, I'm so tired now (at about 9 pm) that I would like to go to bed, but I need to work for at least another hour. Really, I should work 3 or 4 more hours, but it's not going to happen. Though, since I teach tomorrow, I may not be able to sleep well (too nervous....).

Maybe I'll work tomorrow, after class. Or maybe I'll have another nap.