Hello, friends!
This week shall live in infamy as a hellish ROLLER COASTER! My job, my house (especially the front porch), my students, my body (still protesting/recovering from last weekend's 10k), my bank account, some friendships, my car, my state (gah, NC politics!), etc. -- why is it that everything must go into chaotic transition all at once, never just one thing at a time? Nope! Everything is currently in a state of simultaneous upheaval and limbo. Now, I'm as flexible and adaptive as the next person (perhaps more because never-knowing-what'll-happen-next is the name of the game for NC teachers, especially adjunct instructors), but too much is still too much! It's just like my ever-changing body [thanks to my committment relationship with running]: why can't I lose all of the weight and inches (and fat deposits) first before gaining muscle (and the weight that comes with it)?
Luckily, with coffee in hand as I attempt to blog -- I mean grade! -- this afternoon, things seem to be, if not stable, at least relatively calm. Plus, after 2+ weeks of gray skies and blahhhh weather, the sun is finally gracing us with its warmth. After I plug in a few hours at this coffee shop, I plan to take advance of the weather and go for a walk, giving my body one more day before its long run. I do have a race to prep for in a week's time, after all -- more details on that later, but, as a teaser... c-o-s-t-u-m-e!
Today's productivity is brought to you by peppermint mocha -- enjoy!
Day One: Tuesday
My first teaching day of the week began a particularly stressful week, which meant that I wanted to exude both professionalism and reassurance for my students. That means: release the curls!
One of my absolute favorite fall outfits is this colorful Belks find from two years ago paired with brown (though they look black in these photos) tights and my chocolate Mary Janes with a solid teaching heel. Note: will post a close-up in a later post... But hey: Who needs a turtle neck when you have a lovely cowl neck, am I right?? I normally wear it with my brown suede piratical boots (a gift from a friend close to 8 years ago), but, alas, they're *finally* looking so horribly droopy, dog-earred, and kill-me-now pathetic that I can't justify dusting them off for work purposes. And yet, I still can't dispose of them... Which means... shhhh, be very very quiet -- it's time to hunt for new fall brown boots!
Day Two: Wednesday
For a day of office hours/student conferences and a faculty meeting [that turned quite empassioned and discouraging, to be honest], I wanted something quick, easy, warm, and bright in order to perk up my "horribly droopy, dog-earred, and kill-me-now pathetic" mood. Luckily, between coffee chats with friends and colleagues and a few encounters with fabulously appreciative students -- and sushi and fro yo to end the evening -- my curls and I survived relatively intact and ever-determined to boot.
I've always adored the boyfriend sweater trend, yet it never looked quite "right" to me on me. I decided to give it one more go with a sweater from Kohls with a series of 3 center buttons, no more and no less. I paired it with a tribal print Belks dress with the cutest black buttons on the flutter sleeves (hard to see in the photos, so take my word for it!). Good news is that the sweater will be taken out of my Goodwill bag and put back into my closet, methinks. Black tights and my favorite black Victorian-inspired teacher heels completed my second day outfit.
As a side note, does anyone else push up sleeves on sweaters? Here I thought that I hated 3/4 sleeves, and yet, I turn all of my long-sleeves sweaters into 3/4 sleeves and get aggravated when the sleeves fall down... go figure!
Day Three: Thursday
I was feeling a bit melochromatic on my second day in the classroom (especially after the aforementioned faculty meeting of despair), so that mood definitely reflected in my fashion choices.
Boyfriend sweater by Vera Wang is definitely growing on me -- think it's a keeper. A fun sweater dress (Belk's), black tights, and tan flats (DSW). And my recent yellow necklace purchase and my favorite yellow hoops just further remind me that there is always some measure of brightness among the black-and-white gloom and doom of academic politics.
Though job security is, to put it mildly, shaky, one thing is abundantly clear [especially as I've been trolling job postings of the both academic and non-academic variety over the last several weeks], I love to teach. And I love the written word too. And I love sharing my loves and passions with students, friends, colleagues, and others just in general. I can't imagine being stifled in a "typical" 9-5 cubicle doing paperwork, editing, spreadsheets, etc. I love coming alive with new ideas, new ways to share those ideas, and new students just waiting for me to "spark" them in some new ways.
This week, over 20 students alone have come to me asking what I'm teaching next semester and begging to let them (not my call, but still warms my heart) take my classes... priceless. Several students have personally invited me to their sporting events, sorority runs, and other activities to show me what they love in return... priceless. Two students brought me chocolate and five more brought me amazingly well-written drafts of their next papers a week in advance of the due date... priceless. I had two smooth class days where students shared, asked the right questions to prompt thorough discussions, laughed and joked about advertisements (yet stayed on topic), and were, overall, very solidly prepared for class and for next week... priceless.
And I am planning to take "off" Monday morning to stand with fellow educators for a "walk out" and Wear Red for Teachers protest sponsored by NCTE in downtown Raleigh around the legislative building from 8:00 am-12:00 pm. Priceless? I plan to help bring attention to the plight of others who likewise love teaching and seek only to do what they love with the support that they richly deserve... join us?
Feeling slightly dizzy from the up-and-down lurching of the week -- and yet, as ever, onwards!
~Dirty Diva
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