AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

Even a tsunami has its big part, the real kahuna, the mother of all surges that makes you think it will never end. That's what I'm in right now. My modest quota this-many-per-day strategy strains almost to its breaking point. Today I must grade ten research papers, ten journals, and five final exams. It will continue this way for another three days and then it will taper off.

But then more work will come in.

I won't feel zest for quite a while.

Right now I feel anti-zest. Phhhhouest. Yechhhhest.

And after the grading comes the number crunching for the REAL grades. Out of 100 students, 90 of the grades are pretty easy. They know what they did, they know what they deserve, and so do I. No sweat. Ten out of the hundred require some head scratching. Five of those ten require intense head scratching and re-running of the numbers. Two of the five require the wisdom of Solomon.

Finally, the answer comes to me in a vision. It always does. Frequently it is accompanied by a second vision of the student in question having fun and larking about, not concerned in the least. That's when I wonder why I should be agonizing.

"My room at home is what you would call genetic. It doesn't have any distinguishing parts."

"The waves softly crashed to the shore.

"The breeze the next day was warmer and cooler."

"I learned some important lesions."

In the end, it gets done. Then I get to worry about Christmas Eve dinner.

I've always wanted to make charlotte russe. Doesn't that sound like a good dessert for Christmas? I only have one question. What is it?

I dunno. It might be too hard for me.

A bientot, dear reader.

love,

becky

2 1/2 weeks till Roma!