...and...

Merry Christmas!!!

Today at the mall, doing my traditional Christmas Eve shopping and people-watching, a few things, as every year, caught my eye:

1) The number of adults leaning precariously over the railing to catch a glimpse of Santa on the floor below.
2) The men - props to you - sitting and waiting on the benches outside a store. Only one asleep, a few teens, many holding bags.
3) The men - the few, the brave - holding women's clothing items up to their own body in front of a mirror to figure out if the significant (female) other will like it.
4) The scarcity of Santa hats (one).
5) The beauty of a smile and a "Merry Christmas!"

Much as we like to pretend otherwise, there's a lot to be said for the small child in each of us who wants to giggle and finds it hard to go to sleep tonight...

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Rhyme and Strain and Song

Christmas Rhyme and Strain and Song

Morning - red, and green, and white
Morning - peace: try not to fight
Morning - music; seek the light

Daylight - gifts of second fear
Daylight - lonely rush of tears
Daylight - (distant) God is near

Evening - fire is glowing warm
Evening - sit close; watch the storm
Evening - pressure to perform

Starlight - bright, the first new flame
Starlight - darkness hides the shame
Starlight - promise: freed from blame.

Midnight - day is getting late
Midnight - expectation/hate
Midnight - ill-content to wait

Christmas - fear to laugh or mourn
Christmas - digging out the thorn
Christmas - seeds of hope still born.

The Twelve Days of Finals

In celebration of finishing the first semester of grad school, and in proper holiday spirits, I am proud to bring to you, for the first time in the history of this blog (wow, that sounded very pompous, didn't it?)...The Twelve Days of Finals (to be sung appropriately).

Enjoy!

The Twelve Days of Finals OR The Twelve Final Days

1. The last week of classes, I saw a long, long road
To freedom from Tribble Hall

2. The last Tuesday classes, an abstract due at ten
Write quickly now
Toward freedom from Tribble Hall

3. The last Wednesday classes, I saw the break ahead
Course evals
Write a little more
And then freedom from Tribble Hall.

4. On the penult day of classes, I had a paper due,
Send it on Blackboard,
Course evals
Write a little more
And freedom from Tribble Hall.

5. On the last day of classes, I thought my time was free
It's getting cold
Bluff a Latin quiz
Course evals
Write a little more
And then freedom from Tribble Hall. (right)

6. On the first day of reading, I saw the light ahead
Papers keep coming
It's getting cold
Gripe about the work
Find more books
Write a little more
Only six hours in Tribble Hall.

7. On the second day of reading, a Latin test ahead
-bo, -bis, -bit, -bimus
Papers keep coming
It's getting cold
Gripe about the work
Find more books
Write a little more
And eight hours in Tribble Hall.

8. On the first day of finals, three papers loom ahead
Conjugate "esse"
Time to check Facebook
Save every minute
It's getting cold
Gripe about the work
Find more books
Write a little more
Elev'n hours in Tribble Hall.

9. On the second day of finals, the caffeine level's high
Three papers queuing
Free food at midnight
Time to check Facebook
Save every minute
It's getting cold
Gripe about the work
Find more books
Write a little more
And twelve hours in Tribble Hall.

10. On the third day of finals, I felt the panic grow
Don't lose your outline
Three papers looming
Free food at midnight
Time to check Facebook
Save every minute
It's getting cold
Gripe about the work
Find more books
Write a little more
Thirteen hours in Tribble Hall.

11. On the fourth day of finals, no more excuses now
Panic at midnight
Don't lose your outline
Three paper deadlines
Free food at midnight
Time to check Facebook
Save every minute
It's getting cold
Gripe about the work
Find more books
Write a little more
Fifteen hours in Tribble Hall.

12. On the fifth day of finals, the end of all has come
Double the coffee
Panic all morning
Back up your finals
Three paper deadlines
Eight hours of writing
No time for Facebook
Save every minute
It's getting cold
Gripe about the work
Write last words
Let the papers go
And then freeeeedom from Triiiiibble Hall.

Merry Christmas in 7 Days!!!!

DONE

C'est fini

Finitus est

I'm done.

Take that, first-semester-of-grad school.

I will now collapse for a week.

Ode to Room 201

After having spent no less than 8 hours a day on campus since Saturday and NO LESS than twelve hours a day on campus since Monday, this is the response of a brain in desperation.

With no further ado, please forgive my Ode to Room 201, where I have spent most of those hours.

----

Ode to Room 201

O Room with glued-on faux antique wood door,
a throne for ev'ry king and ev'ry queen
as long as there are only two of each--no more,
lest like Twelve Angry Men you stage a scene
with seven angry grads who fight for sway
of velvet plush that squeaks a regal tune.
Your promised hidden panels soon exhaust,
O room of caffeine flowing night and day,
where books like sphinxes claim a costly boon,
and mind-spent students scream that all is lost.

----

Yes, Wake Forest, you have brought me to this.

10 days...

...until freedom.

Lots of paper-writing between now and then. Not a good time for getting sick.

Somebody tell my germs that...

Please?