Thursday, December 4, 2008

Working isn't as much fun as Vacation

Christmas music was made for Jazz singers. I didn't realize this until, well, this morning on the bus to work. My iPod is loaded with Tony Bennett's Christmas album- so picture me toddling to the bus stop in the dark and rain at 6:30 this morning with Tony to cheer me along.

Sil. Ver. Bells. Siiilver Bells.....
Ring-a-ling...

That helped a lot.

I am in early this morning to get a few things done before I FINISH TEACHING! Yes, it is dead week, and lab classes don't have finals. We do have a final homework assignment due next week that I've been scheduled for weeks to have finished grading by tomorrow (lame for me), so there will be some schedule acrobatics then- but the major timesuck of sitting in a basement for 10 hours a week is OVER this week. And then I can go back to my day job- or that is having a day job that only takes up the day. I've enjoyed teaching overall, but it is tough to balance that with my major obligation to myself to graduate before I am old. And not sleeping just makes me age quickly. My project is moving in a much more interesting direction these days, so I am pleased to be liberated to work on that without interruption for a while.

These are a few of my fav-orite things...
Thanks, Tony.

2 comments:

Gordie said...

We really enjoyed the time together with all our family and are grateful you could all carve a piece of your time out for us. It is still not clear to me whether your grievance with teaching is its only its present conflict with your research or just surly undergrads and crummy hours/pay in general. Does this seem to form a decision about career direction? I've always envisioned you in the lab $triving for new and ex$iting di$coverie$ in $cience. But that's just me...Love Dad

Sandlin said...

I think I like teaching ok, but I don't really relish being a TA. You have lots of work to do, little say on what that work might be, and your students want you to speak up for for them. I would have like this class better, for example, if I would have any choice about what work needed to be done when. Instead, I had constant interruptions from Dr. Teacher or students needing help, or sudden, unexpected (and therefore useless) free time that goes to waste.

If biotech doesn't crumble with the rest of the economy, I'd love to take up a job with more $ub$tancial oppurtunitie$ for $aving the World.