Everyone keeps asking me if I’m “all done,” and I say “yes!” and then they say “are you really all done?” and I say “well, not really.” I am still getting grade-grubbing emails and still getting emails from my department supervisor and stuff. Haven’t yet filed this stack of papers or put my big class binder away for the summer. But also, I have yet to shed the feeling of not being done. I love the rhythm of the academic calendar–months of intensity interspersed with long periods of epically unstructured free time–but the transition between the two modes proves difficult. I think I need to start scheduling decompression tank time at the end of each semester, where I go alone to a yurt on the beach or something and just lay on my back for 8 hours. Then I can come back to civilization and get started on my summer projects. But you can’t just wake up the morning after the grading deadline and immediately get to work on reading all this David Harvey or whatever you need to do for your own research! Consequently here I am and it is Saturday and I have done nothing of note and am still in sweatpants, which as you know is hateful unto me.
One thing I did do was minimally help out with the execution of a surprise birthday party. I have never been to one before, and my level of excitement as the moment of jumping out and yelling approached was sort of disproportionate and weird. My heart was pounding!! It went off without a hitch and the birthday boys in question were indeed very surprised. They took it like champs though.
Then there was dancing and yelling and eating huge trays of nachos and drinking so many different kinds of margs (watermelon! lime! cucumber!) and then the unwise consumption of red wine and then a really intense sour beer and suffice it to say Yours Truly is not feeling her hottest today, although the “ice bath face dunk” competition at the end of the evening is doing wonders for my skin. Ultimate hangover prevention! Dunk your face in ice water before bed and wake up looking 10 years younger*, even if you feel like shit. Note: ice bath face dunk REALLY HURTS
The previous night we went to see Adam play a beautiful set downtown and everyone was good naturedly discussing how old we are all getting. I sure can’t stand on concrete for hours like I used to! Ordering a kombucha instead of a beer. Frantically putting in earplugs at first hint of amplified sound. I really respect those of my friends who are still fully comfortable in the milieu of constant show-attending and late-stay-upping and eating like garbage and sleeping until 1:00. I wonder what this ever-deepening difference in lifestyles says about us as personalities. I mean, I don’t think it takes a Dr. Freud to point out that I am very uptight and need to control my environment pretty profoundly and that this is not necessarily the world’s most attractive character trait. Then again, those with day jobs must vibe control–I think Jesus said that.
Lots of discussion of sleep problems. Part of aging appears to involve finding discussion of health and sleep issues to be fascinating–something I would not have believed at age 20. “Really, valerian?? That doesn’t work for me, I use melatonin and do 10 minutes of yoga before bed” “Oh, I can’t do yoga because of my bum knee”
I love hanging out with my friends. We are all spanning time together. I look at them and I see their youthful faces overlaid and I am filled with love and joy. What a good thing it is to live and grow and learn all together with the best people in the world.
Today I have acupuncture. I am like: “Finally!” It has become a totally worthwhile cost factored into our domestic economy. I would go more often if I could.
well bye
*exaggeration
We have determined this game to be called “ICE FACE”. Just FYI.