I'm back (I think)

I haven't posted anything for two weeks but needed a break.  Thanksgiving was a busy time and we're now in the home stretch for the fall semester (today starts the last week of classes and final exams are next week).

I've also has a staff member abruptly resign and I have a lot of work to deal with that (forensic recreation of what the person was working on at the time, hiring and working with a temporary replacement, writing a new job ad, etc).  We're also in the process of rewriting all department syllabi to make sure we have assessible student learning outcomes and assessment plans. Political bullshit - don't get me started on that topic.

I've been so stressed lately I've been having lots of dreams at night about working.  Nothing interesting or exciting in the dreams - just me working.  It sucks.  I wake up exhausted. Also working on losing some weight and cutting back on some of life's pleasures - good food and good beer.  Easy rule of thumb, if I like it and it gives me pleasure, it's bad for me.  If there is a god - he's cruel that way.

To top it all off, it's the "Holiday Season." One of my wife's nicknames for me (she has many, few flattering) is Scrooge. Yes, I hate Christmas.  Not Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, those are fine, it's nice to see the kids all excited about getting presents and the warm feelings associated with all of that (I'm not a monster).  What I hate is the lead up.  The raw, naked greed exhibited by retailers (and some people) in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  Let's celebrate the birth of Christianity's Messiah by buying shit we can't afford (and often the gift recipients don't really want or need) on credit.  If it was up to me, we would just celebrate the solstice at my house.

I totally avoid retail stores and malls in December (online shopping works just fine, thank you) but sometimes can't avoid the big increase in traffic (and holidays seem to bring out the worst drivers).  I also DESPISE having to hear "Christmas music" EVERYWHERE!!!  Do I really need to hear Jingle Bell Rock in fucking Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts or Panera when I want a cup of coffee?  Really?  It doesn't put me in the holiday spirit, it makes me even more grouchy than I already am since I'm usually in line behind people who appear to have all the time in the world (yes, I'm impatient too).  Is "Fuck you!" an appropriate response to "Happy holidays!" from some cheery cashier.  Probably not, but that's what I'm thinking.  I'm a very, very bad man.

So, anyway, I'll try to start posting more regularly again.  I'll even try to make the posts about science!  Just needed to vent a bit.