Five years of teaching full time at HCC and I can't believe I still have trouble adjusting to going back to work after the summer. No, I didn't teach on campus this summer, but I did teach two online classes and do a lot of traveling so it's not like I was totally a bum. The worst part of it is that this is like the easiest semester I've had since I started there!
For starters, I am only teaching 5 classes at HCC. The past 4 fall semesters that I've been there, I've had an overload for a total of 6 classes, and usually, that means 6 classes that run for 16 weeks. This time, I have 5 classes, and 4 of them are 8-week classes, which means I am really only teaching 3 classes at one time. How awesome is that?!?! PLUS...my schedule is so sweet this semester that I am only teaching 4 days a week...yeah, seriously...4 days! I don't have to teach on Fridays for the first time in...well...EVER!
So why, am I so exhausted all the time when I come home? Today, I was done with class at 2:15 -- I stayed until 2:30 to help a student. Then I went back to my office and sat there for a minute thinking of what I should do. After about a minute and two seconds, I decided to go home. Yeah, that's right! I went home! Why? Because I could! I was technically done for the day. So home, I went.
"What did I do at home?" you ask. Exercise? No. Grade papers? No. Load the dishwasher? No. Plop down on the couch and turn on the TV? Yes! I was excited to find Haunted Collector on and was settling into a lazy hour or so before Dr. Phil came on when before I knew it, I was out like a light. Completely, totally, unconsciously asleep. Apparently my phone rang twice and I got two text messages during this time. Keep in mind that the phone was on the arm of the couch directly above my head. Did I hear it? No. Might it have been important? Yes.
Sadly, one of those calls and one of those texts came from Ken, who was stuck at work because the poor chap locked his keys in the car. My fault? No...but I guess I should have been available to go get the guy. Thankfully, he kept calling and I finally woke up. Then, of course, I had to drive to the JD Northeast site in my barely awake stupor.
Thankfully, the house was not on fire. Had the fire alarm gone off, I probably wouldn't have heard it, and I doubt any one of our 3 cats would have been as heroic as those dogs you see on TV rescuing their owners when they are passed out. Of course, they have no trouble walking all over me and biting me in the face at 3:00 a.m. when they want to be fed, but bother to do a little thing like wake me up in the face of a life-threatening fire or an urgent phone call, no. Thanks, cats.
And so the adjustment to a fall work schedule continues. Hopefully, for myself and the sake of those who may ultimately depend on me to save them by driving spare car keys across town, I will get into this routine and the nap times will either become less frequent or less comatose in nature.
4 comments:
Rescue cats is an oxymoron. :)
I thought I was the only one that ever locked their keys in the car!
Roger checking the blog everyday - he is so happy you're writing again, says you should write a book!
Sheila
LOL! I feel much the same. I stupidly agreed on yet another overload class, so I'll be teaching 21 hours this semester - but one only starts in the last eight weeks.
But I suppose I can logically explain some of my exhaustion on small human beings running me ragged :)
You guys are awesome! I love reading your comments.
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