I’m sitting on the couch, watching sportscenter while I write. I hardly ever do this sort of thing, and I can’t say writing on the laptop as I sit on the couch is particularly comfortable, but it’s NCAA weekend, and I’m doing well in the pools, so I want to keep tracking how I’m doing. I should probably try to get some sleep pretty soon. I don’t know.
More drama at work, but I’m still calm, more or less, with the situation. This gets a bit harder when you’re older and you have kids. Sure, I could get a job somewhere else in the country, or maybe even around here, but there’s always the fear the kids won’t get insurance or whatever. I’m not helped by the fact that the teacher hiring environment is so tight locally. I’d feel better if teachers were getting hired. My dean is extraordinarily supportive, and I could handle a lot, but of course this all bounces around in my mind. By the end of the summer I should have a doctorate and two Masters degrees. I would hope, in that scenario, I could support my family. I’ll try not to worry about this. Remember, I’m trying not to rile myself up, I’m trying to avoid that behavioral pattern. Maybe I’ll go upstairs and read Gatsby for a while, or maybe I’ll get drunk and watch basketball. Either way.
I mentioned my dissertation by implication above. My dissertation chair said I could defend my dissertation either in late June or late July. Now, this means I’ll have to work pretty hard up to that point, but I think I could pull off the first date. We’ll see. On Saturday M has invited friends over for the boys, so I think I’ll hit the library and work for three hours so I can send the chair a draft of chapters one through three by Sunday. Tomorrow will be a bit busy as well, but I should be ok. If I get to work early, after hoops, I should be able to grade a slew of action research papers and maybe plans a bit further for Monday’s class. Next week should open some time. I don’t have seminar again until late August, so my Thursdays get a bit easier, and I’ll finish a slew of paperwork and the like by the end of next week. Ok, I need Xavier, Indiana, UNC, and Pittsburg to win. More later. Good night.