I. Hate. Grading!

I am taking a break after some fairly productive plowing through the grading today. I have finished the Stripey Class except for my exams I have to pick up from Office of Disabilities, which I can't do until Monday morning, obviously, and I am finished with my comp class except for 3-4 final exams which I am not sure if they should pass or not, so I am holding on them. I hate making decisions like this. The final is an up-or-out situation, so you can't fail the final and pass the course. These are borderline and I am waffling about whether it would be totally humiliating for whoever has part two of the comp course to get these students and see their writing and know they were mine. (I know you're supposed to consider if taking this course over again would be beneficial for the student, but, let's be honest, if I were to ask if they still needed to learn all the skills from this class I would fail the whole section; if I were to ask if they would get anything out of taking the class again I would pass along all of them because I don't think they would put in any more effort this time than the last time.)

I still have to do the entire set of Fruit Studies finals and calculate grades. And the grades are due tomorrow. Bleah. A short break, I promise.

I must say I'm liking having a back porch to relax out on, even if it is small and has bars and is under-decorated. It's a gorgeous day ---- after being warm and cloudy all morning it is now sunny and warm (and on my porch, a little too hot.) One of the postdocs mentioned I should get an umbrella like for a patio table and set it up back here if I am too hot and lacking shade, but that somehow seems kinda silly. It might be nice, though. Although the big umbrellas with a big heavy stand are expensive, no? Hmm. Dunno. I'm getting a nice breeze and enjoying hearing birds twittering, though. Terrible laptop glare, on the other hand.

Sigh. I don't want to deal with the last of the grading! or my conference paper! Or figure out my research and job-search-y plans.

I had cookies for dinner last night. I am well on my way towards spoiling tonight's supper as well. And the floors need vacuuming because of the cookie carnage. Luckily, I will soon no longer have any cookies in the house to ruin my meals. I have impeccable logic. And a very strong drive for eating everything that's there, regardless of how hungry I am. Diet and exercise are also on my list of things to plan out for the summer. Meh.

At least the weather has shaped up nicely today. They seem to alternate a nice day with three or four nasty days, which is unfortunate when one has a flexible schedule but also a huge to-do list, because every day I really need to go work in a coffee shop and then do a zillion errands on campus, it is beautiful out, and every day I set aside to go do something else, it is super cold and windy or raining.

Uncas just went by! I said hello and he froze, tried to blend into the weeds. I'm sure he was thinking "I'll just stop by and see if there is any food in the bowl OMFG there is a PERSON out on that cage thingy and I did not even see it! Quick, hold still and maybe it won't eat you!" Just a sec.

* * *

I went indoors, via the back door, got out the cat food, and then went out the front door. Sure enough, Uncas was sniffing at the bowl and zip! went to hide under my front porch steps as soon as I opened the door. He is getting more and more skittish compared to when I first got here. And smaller. Poor thing! I fed him and he came out. I bet he is still confused about me and the back porch though. Can't be helped.

I suppose I have to grade things again now. Phooey.