Is It Really Just 4:17 p.m.?

This has been a long day -- a productive day, but a long one. I can happily say that I no longer have to wash my dishes in the bathtub; the plumber came and hooked me back up, so I have a kitchen sink again! Everything is finished except the baseboard trim and the backsplash -- and all of my credit cards (of which I actually have very few) are maxed out. Supposedly I'm receiving several thousand dollars from my insurance company this week, but they've been pulling the old "check's in the mail" thing on me since last week. Can I just insert a reminder here that I reported the damage in May? And the time I incurred most of my out-of-pocket expenses was in July. It's just ridiculous. Do you think the insurance company would continue to do business with me if I didn't pay my premiums? I don't. I'm holding up my end of the bargain. They should do a better job with theirs.

All of this home repair has really slowed down my grading. I usually get papers returned in a week, but I'm going slightly over that this semester. Of course, having a double courseload doesn't help. And do you know the one college I work for (the same one who's screwed up my pay for the last three months) still has not paid me a cent for the work I've done over the past month? By the time I get paid, I will have taught for six weeks of the eight-week course -- and received two checks from the other college where I teach. I need a break! As of now, I am scheduled for one class at each institution for the spring semester, and I may decide to keep it at that. I can fill in the money gaps with online scoring; at least when my shift ends at that job, I'm finished -- no grading, no planning, just log on and score essay and log off.

Lord, I'm tired! I know I'm a big, whiny baby, but despite the fact that it's so early in the afternoon, I'm ready to put on my pajamas and snuggle up with my little dog on the sofa. My classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays start later than those on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I can get some work done in the morning. If I light a fire under myself tomorrow morning and Friday, I will actually get a weekend! Between home repairs and classwork, I can't remember the last time I actually had a weekend!

Now that I am finished typing, it's 4:27 in the afternoon. Maybe that's not too soon to call it a day.