Forgetting

The minute I woke up this morning, I remembered that I was supposed to open an assignment window last night for a student. I felt horrible that I had forgotten. I occasionally forget things; there's no surprise there. But I never forget anything for work. I immediately jumped up (I'd actually been awake for a while, rolling around trying to go back to sleep, thanks to my neighbor's blaring television), got on the computer, and sent an apology note and a link to make up the assignment. I said I had no excuse other than that I forgot. Making excuses did cross my mind; certainly, I have a lot going on right now, but none of that is the student's fault. She didn't need excuses. She needed a way to get her work done.

Since I didn't tell her my excuses, I'll tell you! I am having the worst time concentrating with this mess in my house. The insurance check is allegedly coming on Monday or Tuesday. Every time I try to grade or complete a scoring shift, my eyes drift from the paper or computer screen over to the ripped out wall between the kitchen and living room, or to the row of boxes stacked in a row throughout my living room. My plan is to move the bookshelves into other rooms, so until I do that I can't unpack the boxes. Some of them have kitchen things in them too, and until I get the cabinets I have nowhere to put them. If it weren't 200 degrees in my garage, I'd make an attempt to put at least some of the boxes out there, but I don't want anything to get ruined in the heat.

After today's scoring shift, partly because my stupid neighbor's TV woke me up at four this morning -- again -- I was exhausted. I did some cleaning and then tried to take a nap. Even with my eyes closed, I can still see the mess! I gave up on that, did my thirty minutes of exercise (although admittedly I was less enthusiastic about it than any day thus far), and made myself a spinach wrap for dinner. My head is tired. I'm lying back down.