cheers 'n jeers

Ah, another entry just For The Sake of It today. Getting ready to head to the PacNW on Saturday for three weeks of holidaying and lit. review and methods section writing, awwwwyeah!

This week is finals week, and per every year, it's a different schedule than when classes are on, necessiating grading, submitting final grades, writing papers and/or thinking about writing future papers, giving finals, grading finals, packing to head out of town, seeing everyone before we disperse for the season, etc.

It's these times that I wish I had live-in domestic help to hold down the home fort as well as organize all the articles I'll need to bring, not to mention the necessary cords and adapters and whatnot that go into travelling with MacBook and cameras, etc. Oh, and if he/she could set up my automatic light switch timers and also make sure my mail is held, that'd be swell. Danke schön!

So, now, right-quick like:

Cheers to carolling with friends this evening in their neighborhood. It was RATHA cold (this is what I get for not wearing proper footwear in the low-30s night air...), but I hadn't actually been real carolling in YEARS. Door to door. Scampering children, festive cheer.

Jeers to the high stress level some of my friends and peers are facing in their preliminary phases of The Job Search. Ick, it wil all work out how it's supposed to but I'm feeling your anxiety, dudes.

Cheers to mall sales and a few new clothing items and shoes so that I may, just for a moment, not feel like a teaching/reading/writing/researching drone but...a woman.

Jeers to freakishly warm weather followed by near-freezing temps. Double jeers to power outage debaucles in the PacNW--HOW long have people been without power now? Cheeses! This is NOT normal. The signs are all around us.

Cheers to not having classes this week! Not that I don't love them but...wow, flexible time is sure nice, and it's nice to not have to face those few students who really don't give a crap.

Jeers to that nasty-asz incense that SOME neighbor/s have in our apt building. It's like pachouli gone BAD and it's SKANKY. I guess it's better than whatever scent they must be trying to cover up? But why such intense skank smell levels?

Cheers to Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond". You made me believe your character and you need some sort of award. Good onya!

Jeers to regular cable TV. There's never anything really good on and it's not getting any cheaper to get my monthly fix (of WHAT exactly, I'm not so sure any more). Biznatches!

Cheers to bright, sunny, near-winter mornings, where I've appreciated welcoming the new day over that first cup of coffee and had that pleasant feeling that comes from actually getting stuff done early in the day. Conversely, jeers to the few dank, dark, wet mornings that do not inspire action beyond slapping the 'snooze' button.

Jeers to Bush sitting on his Iraq 'strategery' until after the holidays. What, got some important Hanukkah party and/or Christmas bazaar to attend? What gives?

Cheers to the warm fuzziness of the holiday season in general.

Jeers to sinus infections, of which I have had TWO this season. I'd never really had them before and never knew that, hello, they are very very very PAINFUL. Ugh. The plunging weather changes don't help much with that either.

Cheers to candlelight, by which I bring you this entry.

OK, now your turn!