And by 'proper,' I mean long.
I shall try to do this in some sort of logical order.
School is done. DONE. I have officially survived my first year as a professor. Towards the end, there were crazy-making shenanigans, including yet ANOTHER instance of annotated bibliography plagiarism (bringing the semester total to three, though one was a legitimate misunderstanding), several students just deciding not to pass the class (by not handing in their final portfolios), random hiring crap on the departmental front, implicit threats of violence towards a colleague from a student that had us all on edge, and my car getting hit in the parking lot.
But I turned in my grades on Friday, sat through a 3-hour graduation on Saturday (complete with prayers. At a STATE SCHOOL. I did not pray.), and have spent the past few days doing pretty much nothing.
The car getting hit was the most annoying thing, actually. I left work around 5:30 on Friday, after a day of being annoyed with my students, leery of my colleague's possibly-unstable student, and generally tired of grading. I got into my car, and as I pulled out of the lot, I saw the note on the windshield. Fine. Pull into the drop-off area in front of my office building and grab the note. Person hit my car. Person called the cops. Person left phone number, license number, etc. Person is clearly a decent human, despite having smashed her SUV into my poor little car. Actually, my car is fine. Except for the paint being scraped off the bumper and the trunk. And, honestly, since it's still banged up from the accident that I caused last semester, it's not THAT big of a deal. Just...annoying. (And it all happened about 20 minutes before I got out to the lot.) So I'm dealing with that. Her insurance is coming out to look at the car tomorrow, and will probably cut me a check then and there, which is fine. (It's just easier that way, since my car has preexisting damage...it's all a thing.)
In addition to that, I have been needing to get Mirax (the car) inspected for the past few weeks. I had to get my tail light and side light replaced before it could pass inspection, b/c the light was still cracked from the accident in November. Had that done last week, for about $250. Not too bad, and they even banged out some of the dents. Yesterday, I *finally* had time to take it over to be inspected. I went to a place that is literally across the street from where I live. Thought I'd pass with no problems. This is, after all, West Virginia.
Nope. In order to pass, I needed 2 new tires and new wiper blades, b/c one of mine was apparently torn. They quoted me a decent price on the tires (about $150 total--$55/tire and roughly $50 for labor) and then told me it would be at *least* $40, plus labor, for the windshield wipers.
LOLWHUT?
NO.
Sorry, Mr. Car-Repair Person, I know I have breasts and all, but I'm not actually stupid about car repair. I know I can replace and install my own wiper blades for about $20 total. So I told him that's what I was going to do. While they ordered the tires, I marched myself up to the auto parts store up the hill, got a pair of wiper blades, explained to the guys there that, yes, I really do know how to install them--I've been doing it for years, and I even show my neighbors how--and then headed home until my car was ready. When I walked back to get the car, it still wasn't quite there, but they finished it within about 10 minutes, and even installed the wiper blades for me, without charging me for it.
So now my car, battered though she is, is legal in West Virginia. Finally.
I seem to have finally taken up exercise. I joined the Y a few months ago, and I've been doing pilates there. I love pilates. It's hard, but not in the way that makes me not want to do it. It just makes me want to do it well. I feel like I'm really getting something out of it.
Since pilates was going so well, I decided I should add some cardio to my routine. So now, before my pilates classes (I go 2x a week), I try to do at least 15 minutes on the elliptical cross trainer. Yesterday, I did 25 minutes, and 2 miles. I know that's not much, but I'm working up to it. Before yesterday, I was able to do about 1.5 miles in my 15 minutes. It's amazing to me what a difference having an inhaler has made. I can actually do real exercise without feeling like I'm going to die of not being able to breathe. I can take deep breaths!! I had no idea that you were supposed to be able to take deep breaths when you exercise! I thought gasping frantically was part of the deal. It's no wonder I hate running so much, when I could never breathe when I ran.
Yeah. Exercise-induced asthma, even a very mild form like mine, sucks. But the inhaler has helped a LOT. I think all of the pilates breathing (and the breathing required for choir) has also helped.
Oh, what else? I had a long list of things to tell you all. I am going home for six whole weeks a week from today. SIX WEEKS at home! It's the most time I've spent with my family since they moved back to Washington. I'm really pleased. :) Of course, the downside is that I have to have surgery. Nothing serious--I am having my last, impacted, wisdom tooth removed. It needs to be done, and this way I can have it done without imposing on friends to sit with me during surgery and then sit with me afterward. Instead, I can just ask my parents to do it. (And, bonus, my mom knows to pretty much leave me alone when I feel wretched.) I just need to remember to tell the doctor that Vicodin makes me sick, which I learned the hard way from the
last horrible wisdom tooth extraction. So glad I'm having this one done surgically. I don't ever want to do the whole novocaine extraction again. (Lucky me, I only ever had two wisdom teeth, so this will be my last.)
I have spent the past couple of days absolutely wallowing in my freedom from grading. I've read like five books, taken naps, begun shoveling out the Augean stables cleaning my apartment, sleeping in... I should post about the books, but not right now. I feel like reading. :D