Oh, grad school

You know how they tell you grad school's more work and less sleep than ever before? What do you know, they were right! It's not even that the work is harder, there's just so much of it sometimes I just hang my head and sigh. I'm not even TA-ing a lecture this semester, nor am I studying for the Latin MTEL like I should. Sigh. But I'm almost done for the week, Cicero's done, another week's almost gone, and the test is written to give my eager young Latinists.

Speaking of my eager young Latinists, I had an outside-of-class (optional of course) review tonight for the kids who are not feeling good about the test tomorrow. As they walked out of the room, as bewildered as they were before, apparently, I got my quote of the night: "Wade, you've ruined my life." They say the joy of teaching is in the difference you make in people's lives. (It's ok, she was just kidding - she's one of my best and favorite students)

Most Fridays I get to come home right after teaching my class. And I like it. But tomorrow I have to attend the William Bulger Awards in the Classics department. This was boring until I found out that William Bulger is pretty well connected to Boston organized crime (seriously, his brother's literally on the FBI's 10 most wanted list; google Whitey Bulger). That raised my interest level a little - a lover of classics who's got connections in 'waste management'. How often do you see that?

A quick aside - a big thanks goes out to each of my friends who makes me feel better anytime I get to feeling sad, lonely, or just plain ready to go home. The early part of the week was pretty rough, but as it turns out it was nothing a good talk with a good friend or a good round of Battefield 2142 (warfare in a new century) with Kevin and his friends couldn't fix. Sometimes despite all the crushing work looming over me, I have to say 'screw it' and just forget about it for a few hours. Sanity tops getting all my work finished any day.

Song of the night: "I've Changed" by the Josh Joplin Group.

PS - it's officially Friday, so 1) yay, and 2) happy birthday to Lisa (who I'm sure will never read this, but who cares?)!