Summmmmer

It is, at long freaking last, almost about time for me to enjoy a long-needed change of mental pace. I taught the last day of Summer Session I today, meaning that out there in the world right now there are fourteen young persons sweating their brains off studying for a final that I hope will not kill them. Really, they'll be fine.

This also means that I'm about to move into a world where there is not a constant daily pressure to

a) create or tweak a lecture,

b) deliver said lecture in an engaging fashion (college theatre majors are not, it turns out, naturally inclined to be stricken with wonder about, say, Medieval Theatre, and I guess I can't blame them)

c) lead discussion on a play that I might or might not love but must know inside and out

or

d) grade stuff.

Now most of you are saying, "hey, ass hat, these things above sound like, um, you know, a job, and most of us have to do that about 50 weeks out of the year, so quitcherbitchin'" This is true. This is very true. There is, however, some extra stress to the world of academia, because in addition to all of these things there are many other "unfunded mandate" type responsibilities that you must do.

This was not intended to turn into a whine session about my career. I love my job. Seriously, love it.

The point, and I swear there might be one, is that I am incredibly fortunate to be someone who gets to change channels regarding work, and that feels like a welcome opportunity right now. The next two months will consist of some unknown sort of work (and some much-deserved travel), but the particular pressures of teaching - basically being onstage most every day - will not be part of them. I still am not exactly sure what work is going to come my way, but I'm looking forward to it. With any luck, it will be outdoors, and will involve building something with my hands. The perfect channel-change.

Oh, and here, for your possible amusement, is the poster I created to lure unsuspecting students into taking my theatre class this summer. (You have to advertise for the summer section or else you might not get enough kids to take it, and then you'll be doing a bit more sweating and building than you had expected. Yes, I know, I'm complaining both ways. So be it.) All of these persons were actually covered during the class, and I will award $536 or less to the person who can correctly identify them all: