Window to My World

With hours of marking and paper writing laying before me, I thought I'd capture a typical morning in which I progress from mellow sleepy goodness to a state in which I question why I teach at all. In which the only thing keeping my going is the knowledge that without a paycheque, I could not affort indulgence in luxury yarns as I so deeply indulged yesterday at Urban Yarns' inventory clearance sale. Here's a photoblog of my morning.




After going to bed at a senior-citizen-esque hour on Friday evening, I awake early, shower, and turn on the kettle. After an hour on my own with tea and cats, I'm ready for a break from the marking (and Facebook procrastinating) and my lovely Hubby has made me a ginormous coffee and some warm breakfast nosh (the black lumps are dried cherries). The cats keep me company (note the two white paws peeking out under the coffee table) or at least, deign to sprawl beside me after dissapointed sniffing (and distainful nose-turning) at my oatmeal.





Perhaps, I think, now would be a good time to abandon the marking and go for a walk. What does the weather-guy have to say about that? Unfortunately, he has no good news. Its cold, its wet, and I'd have to put on socks. Erm...no. So back to the hell dimension known as my desk I trudge. I think the cat is mocking me as I leave. Cruel beast.

This is my Stygian task - to shovel the er...ink droppings my students have left armed only with a red pen and a limited supply of patience. Here's a sample of my internal dialogue. What the hell? Were you in the class while I was teaching? I'm sure I saw you there physicially - let me check my attendance records. Yup, you were there. So what the hell? If you're going to make up answers in an attempt to cover your ignorance, then at least write something plausible. Vague, generic, overly-general anwers to not earn you marks - they just piss me off because they waste my time and prevent me from getting through this heap of cr..ud on my desk faster. Screw this, I need coffee.

So, back for reinforcement I go - a stiff, bracing mug of Joe. Only now do I note how appropos my choice of mug for the morning is. I decide that Grumpy is not such a bad archtype to emulate - efficient, intimidating, perhaps one of the few Disney characters capable of genuine self-expression. No one can be as twitterpated as those freaking woodland birds and squirrels! I realize that I'm analyzing the emotional honesty of animated fauna and shake off the fug of procrastination that settles so easily when faced with a pile of cr..ud. Sigh... back again I go. I make progress, slowly, ever so slowly, but the antipathy is mounting. What the hell, I keep thinking! Finally, I take refuge in the arms of Facebook once again, concluding once again that as soon as the winning lottery ticket drifts into my possession, I'm done with teaching.