The Long Weekend

It’s nearly the end of week 2 of the term, what promises to be an excellent term.  A 43-student literature class (better than 50) that I’m looking forward to tonight;  2-composition II classes with many students I’ve worked with before;  and the one composition III class where students get to spend the entire term focusing on one major research project.  So far, the topics are fascinating (from miracles to lesbian artists).

So what am I doing? Packing up articles to read, papers to grade, finding a cat sitter, calling hubby to dig out my suitcase from the garage–because I have to pack when I get home later tonight.  Yes, I’m taking a vacation–a long weekend–with about 15 friends. We are convoying to the coast: yes, it’s winter, and it will be cool and rainy at the coast, but I look forward to running on the beach, drinking scotch by the fireplace, playing board games, and eating lots of seafood chowder.

Oh, and yes, I’ll grade those papers, too.

Why is this blog-worthy news? Because in my 20 years of teaching, I have NEVER gone away for a long weekend that was not a conference or a meeting.  I’m usually at work on a Sunday afternoon, catching up or prepping or grading.  So this feels so fabulously decadent.