grateful, even so...

For reasons I don't want to go into here, but that have nothing to do with teaching or what I think of as the real part of my job, I'm less than thrilled to be going back to work this semester. (Again, let me stress that the classes are great.)

But I have to say, there are advantages to the flexible schedule of college teaching. Yesterday Mariah's biology teacher decided she should go home early--he felt her forehead and reportedly said, "Jesus, Mariah, you're burning up! Go home!" Mark was able to head down to Petersburg and pick her up, because his classes were over for the day. Today, the school nurse from Nick's school called at around 11 with a similar message--he was coughing and seemed tired and "uncomfortable"--though, no fever. This time it was my turn--I don't teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Later today I head down to Petersburg early again, to get Mariah for a previously-scheduled doctor's appointment. I actually tried to get her to stay home--seeing as she'd been sick yesterday and had a doctor's appointment today--but she didn't want to miss school. So Nick will come with me to get her in an hour or so. In the meantime I'm sitting in my living room preparing tomorrow's classes (ok, yes, and blogging) instead of sitting in my office.

The downside of the flexible schedule is that you're never off work. There's always something you could be doing and you can do it pretty much anywhere. But today I'll take the trade-off. Check with me again after a couple of snow days, though--I may be feeling differently.