The elation that comes for most faculty members after they've delivered their last lecture or graded their last final is deferred for me until I've tossed the annual holiday party we've been holding in our home for, hmmmm, 5 years now (with a substitute home last year because I had a tenure dossier to put together in December--thanks Henry!).
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At any rate, I have that sense of elation now because we held it earlier in the month than usual, so now, here it is December 16 and I'm done! Cleaning up from this gig takes about 3 hours and we had an out-of-town couple linger a bit longer last nite, so I dropped into bed at 2:30 a.m.--floors swept and mopped, food variously put up or thrown away, etc. Everything done but vaccuuming, which would have waked up MP2 and himself (who is getting sick and hit the sack a bit before me). So this morning at 8:45 I got ready to do that last bit by pulling the cushions off the chairs to brush crumbs off onto the carpet, etc. When I was a kid, this usually led to discovering quarters and dimes that had fallen out of pants pockets into the gap between the couch cushions. Ah, but treasures come in different packages as one ages. This morning (or should I say last night), it was all about rogue peanuts and a marinated artichoke heart. Now how DOES one work an artichoke heart between the cushion and the arm of a chair to be sat upon and squished (olive oil and all) into the fabric beneath for a good 5 hours? I just don't get this. Peanuts and pretzels, yes. Big chunks of food, no.
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Nonetheless, it was lovely to see everyone, there were lots of helping hands, a quality of conversation and off-the-rail subject-matter that only shows itself after everyone has had several glasses of wine, and....best of all, my semester feels done, done, done, even though I still have 2 finals and 15 term papers to grade. Piece of CAKE!
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On a different note, I've been writing lots of letters of recommendation for current and former students for professional programs and grad schools. Two or three days ago, Female Science Professor offered a great post about grad school inquiries. I'm too lazy to link it here, but you can rummage around in ye ole blog roll to find her very good advice.
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Yet more. The doorbell just rang two seconds ago and it was a neighbor (versus a Jehovah's Witness--thank you Lord). Apparently there was REAL treasure to find on the street last nite. This woman who, just yesterday moved into the house kitty-corner to us, is pretty sure that she lost a bunch of her jewelry on the street last night while moving stuff from her car into the house and she thinks (hopes?) someone from our party might have run across it while parking....geez. I don't THINK so. But that does sound more promising than quarters, dimes or marinated artichoke hearts.
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