Personal Days

This past semester was probably one of the most difficult in my academic career. It's a sad statement -- I only took 5 credits, and how hard can Calculus II be the third time around? It wasn't difficult because of the material (fuck, a smart high school kid can ace this class), it wasn't difficult because of all the hours I had to put in, or the tutor I had to get. What made this semester so hard was to devote so much of my prescious time doing something I'm not good at, that I will never be good at, that only serves to wear away at my self esteem.

Whether I get the F I earned (how does one earn an F?) or my professor takes pity on me and pushes though a D, there is only a minor change in my academic course. Either situation is tollerable, but I've been waiting a week to find out which course I need to chart. If I had known in January that I didn't need this class, I would have taken a fluff class and enjoyed myself a whole lot more.

Whatever. The whole ordeal is over, before I can move on and return to the grind I need to rest. I'm done fool. Finished. Fried. There is no wick, there is no wax, there is no candle to burn at both ends.

With only a week and a half between Spring Semester and Summer Term, and my "annual trip to Europe" coffers drained from the pay cut that my new job affords me, my much deserved vacation will have to be confined to the greater Fairfax City metro area. That, and the meetings I can't miss on Tuesday and Thursday at work mean I can only have Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

I decided to use my three remaining personal days to catch up on things and with people before it all starts over again on May 15th:

• Stain the french doors


• Powerwash and stain the deck (though I doubt there will be time)


• Take the used oil the previous owners left to county hazardous waste


• Refill both propane tanks for the grill


• Finish the molding in the hall and master bedroom so the fucking carpet can be put down


• Dinner with Virginia (been putting off since February)


• Dentist Appointment


• 30k Service on my car


• Lunch with Lisa

Of course, some things snuck on the list: Paul van Dyk at Nation Thursday, the trunk on my car not closing (forcing the 30k service), and an interview on Wednesday for a job I really wasn't looking for or planning on.

My checklist is long, and this week is going to be insane, but my only hope is when it's all over I'll have a sense of being all caught up.