later

My gradebook is incomplete, my finals are not marked. My bag is stuffed with papers divided into categories Oughtta, and Should, and Must.

I'll think about it next year.

Yesterday I met a mother whose non-English speaking daughter, currently in China, will soon join a brand new class I've created along with another new Brazilian and a handful of others, assuming the master schedule bends to my will.

I'll think about it next year.

While I'm not exactly relaxed yet--the thousand and twelve items on my to-do list (coincidentally the same number as the count of items on my laundry room floor) stands in the way of that--the mantra of Next Year is helping. It's a mind game, sure, but it has the benefit of being true. For the rest of this year, the entire of the annum, I'm not required to deal with anything work-related, though I'm sure I will, I mean I probably might, or at least I could.

In the meantime, I'm going to sleep, and when I've slept for four hours, I. am. not. going. to. get. up! I'll sleep for four hours more! Or even six or eight. It'll be like two nights in one! What luxury. What necessity. Given the nodding I may have already started. But when I've made a dent in the deficit, I, being the good professional, may even think about something educational--because by then it will be next year.