Merry Lent

Grading, grading, grading these next couple of weeks, probably for 2-3 hours a day. Not my favorite thing to do, but I've learned just to accept it. And I am supposed to be working 20 hours a week as a teaching assistant, after all, so I really can't complain. I think us 'scholars' sometimes have the idea that we should be paid while in graduate school to do as little work (that isn't our own) as possible. We need time to learn, to read, to write!! I admit, it'd be nice if we could be paid just to do these things--paid to go to school, essentially--but this isn't quite the way things are set up. Still, during the weeks that I'm not grading, I only put in maybe 5-10 hours towards teaching (especially since I've done world religions so many times now)--so it's not a bad deal.

Things are good, otherwise. Going to Madison this weekend, which should be fun, and I've been making steady progress on my work, getting something 'productive' done every day while being sure to have a little fun every day. Balance, balance.

I'm also trying to quit smoking. This is day 3. It's not so bad. I get cravings every so often, but I just try to think about something else or do something else until the craving passes. I figure it'll be easier by next week, and then I just have to resist the temptation to bum a smoke when I'm out, drinking, talking. Wish me luck.

There are quite a few people on this campus to whom I'm attracted. They're everywhere. I think I need someone to make out with. I'm not propositioning anybody--I'm just saying.

Oh, what else is going on? I've continued to feel pretty content. I should have my incompletes done in the next few weeks, and then it's spring break, and then i'll be taking my qualifying exam in April, and then, and then...the rest of my time here will essentially be spent doing exactly what I want. I can pursue my own interests, fairly exclusively. I absolutely cannot wait for that. I'm so excited. And it's keeping me going, through the grading, through the incompletes (the work for which I'm not so interested in anymore), through the things that I'm not as excited about. I'm trying to live in the moment while being directed towards the future.

Looks like I'm going to Mass tonight. It's Ash Wednesday, welcome to Lent. I don't think I've been to church since December 05, but luckily, in the Catholic Mass, things tend not to change much.

I've been thinking a lot lately, about various things, and I'll try to write more later.