Being sick right after Halloween means that I haven’t taken down the spooky decorations and replaced them with the Thanksgiving/Harvest ones. It means my pumpkin is slowly rotting on the front porch and his once happy grin has become a squished grimace as his weight falls down upon himself. It means I never properly welcomed in the month but part of the reason, I think, that I got sick was the immense amount of stress I have been secretly harboring about the month of November.

There’s a lot of things that will happen this month, not all of them unpleasant. I have a bunch of things coming up like: a baby shower, seeing New Moon, a day outing to some caves in our area, and the weekly yoga sessions.  But on the other hand, the dogs need their shots this month (expensive), we have doctor’s appointments (co-pays add up) and I have already started thinking about buying Christmas presents so that there’s no last minute lack of funds/running around trying to find stuff. So that right there equals stress.

I am beginning to feel that same anxiety that I think my students are experiencing. It has something to do with the fact that after Friday, we have three weeks and two days before the semester is over. Thanksgiving looms and they all want to go home and see their families and remember what that’s like, even though they only left it a couple months ago. I too feel that same pull. I can’t wait for Tuesday night of that week, when we’ll pack up the dogs and all of our junk and sojourn the four hours to my parents’ place. If all goes as planned, my aunt and grandparents will also be there. Plus, we’ll get to meet my sister’s boyfriend. I cannot wait for the insanity of Thanksgiving day! No really. Even though it’ll be crazy, there’ll be pies and turkey and stuffed mushrooms and football and (hopefully) slightly cool weather. (It’s Orlando, after all).

To say I am excited is an understatement but as always, I have to remind myself that it’s still 20 days until we leave; don’t get too ahead. I still also have 22 research papers to grade and grass to mow and all the little tiny day to day things that have to be tended to; now’s not the time to get lazy and start letting holiday brain take over.

I read the last two paragraphs to my students and it helped them understand that I can see things from their point of view. It’s surprising how disconnected from the instructor they can sometimes feel. I don’t consider myself that much older than them but 12 years makes a big difference. I think we’re on the same page now.

*****

And now, a brief list of things I am wishing for (reasonable or not):

• an afternoon to myself when I’m not sick
• Metro Deli sandwiches on call as my cravings hit
• An ipod Touch, because this is the solution to my data plan woes
• I want my ATT upgrade date to be sooner than the 19th
• New clothes that happen to be magically free too
• A bigger living room
• A blog topic to come to me every single day; one that is riveting

And that is all for now. If two posts a day count as making up, then I’m there.