The end of semester fatigue is real, and I am not sure when it’s going to end. Like, it has just been a lot and all I want to do is sleep. I was thinking something was wrong with me, but I had a psychiatrist appointment last week, and she pointed out that I’m coming down from all the adrenaline of the semester and moving my daughter back into town so of course I’m exhausted. And then I talked to a few colleagues who said they are feeling the same way. So I’ve decided to stop fighting it and just lean into the exhaustion. Hopefully, it’ll be over before the week is out, and I’ll feel more like a full human before the week is up. Hopefully.
So, here are the books I’ve read since my last post:
Or a musical and a play, if you’re being pedantic.
But, yes! I finally got to see the touring production of The Lion King, and I went to see Kiss of the Spider Woman, the play I assigned to my students this semester.
My last post was on Feb. 27 and since then the following has happened:
1. Spring break! I was on spring break from March 5-11, and I spent the week with a friend at a resort on Playa Bayahibe in the Dominican Republic. The weather was perfect, the beach was perfect, the water was perfect, the company was perfect–everything was perfect. It was so good to get away and be warm and near/in beautiful water and to do nothing but sleep, eat, read, and get in the water.
I was going to post while I was there, but I decided to unplug from all social media and just be present. Here’s a pic that encapsulates what my week was like:
rough life, I know
Heaven.
2. Then, I had to fly home. On the first flight, there was no wi-fi and no in-flight entertainment, which would have been fine except I finished my book with about an hour or so left in the flight and needed a break before starting my next book. On top of that–and I have no one to blame but myself–I didn’t/forgot to add movies or TV shows to my phone before the trip. I had to just stare into space for a little while because I wasn’t ready to jump into a new book and I, you know, had nothing else to do.
My second flight got delayed by about an hour or so for a mechanical issue (the inside of the plane wasn’t cooling off), which sucked but was also great because that gave me time to add stuff to ye olde cell phone. I mean, I had already added a couple things because of the layover, but the extra time meant extra time. So, of course, I didn’t watch anything at all on that flight.
By the time I landed and got to my ride, it was about 1:45 a.m. and the driver gleefully announced that it would take a half hour to get to my place, which meant I would get home after 3 a.m. because of the time change. I had forgotten about the time change but was glad he told me so I could change the time on my oven when I got home.
I got to bed–finally–at 4 a.m., which would have been fine except the next day…
3. I went to the Oscars party at the Academy Museum. My friend is a member and wanted to go, so go she and I and another friend went.
I was skeptical about going to watch a screening of the Oscars in an auditorium, but it turned out to be really fun, and even though we weren’t at the actual ceremony, it felt like we were very close to being in the actual room. Everyone got all dressed up (the invite said to wear “Hollywood glam”) and there was food and fun. We learned a lot of lessons about what to do if we go again, and we also understood fully why celebs have glam squads. Let’s just say boob tape was involved and never speak of it again.
Also, I got a pedicure before I left on my trip because I wouldn’t have time when I got back, and my nail polish chipped on the LAST DAY when I was packing up to get on the plane. I was bereft, especially since I only had open-toed shoes to wear.
4. The next day was back to work, which wasn’t so bad because (a) my sabbatical officially got approved [expected], and (b) I got nominated for a teaching award by my students [unexpected]. So, that was excellent news all around.
And to top it all off, it was light outside when I left work because of Daylight Saving Time. I have been in the best mood all week because of the time change haha.
5. I am officially back to the grind–especially because I am on the hiring committee for my department and we got over 400 applications to screen. My eyeballs are melting out of my head, but I decided to take a break and post this.
6. Also, you know between the spring break and the last time I posted, I read some books:
In case you missed it, it snowed in California this weekend and, more specifically, it snowed in Southern California. I got several texts asking me if it was snowing where I lived, and my answer to each was no. Because I did not see the snow. I saw the hail, I saw the rain, but I did not see the snow. If it did snow where I lived, it was before I woke up.
My mother called me and asked if I was sure I lived in Southern California because all of her weather sources were telling her snow, but I was not. So, yes, my mother thought I was LYING to her because I wasn’t filming snow from my patio door. (This is mostly a joke.)
To wit, this exchange I had with a friend on Friday:
Me: I’m trying to get it together over here
Her: I’ve given up hope of ever getting it together
Me: I need to do this. I was almost to the gym before I realized I left my headphones at home which meant I had to do my workout in silence like some kind of animal–a dolphin perhaps? Or a gym rat Then when I changed out of my swimsuit I discovered I left my bra at home.
text from image
Also, to continue last week’s trend, I got to two places early this past week only to wind up late because of parking. Again. So, yes, I have given up on ever getting ahead this month. You win these first three weeks, January. I’m just keeping my head above water and making a wave when I can here for the rest of the month now.
First things first: A Month of Faves is back for this year! Yessssssss. It is one of my favorite blogging events, and I look both for it and forward to it every year.
I did my last update post in July (!), so here are some things that happened since then:
I cannot believe I have not updated my blog since February. FEBRUARY. I thought for sure the last time had been in April. Clearly, I was very, very wrong. Also: this has been the longest year ever. I know because when prepping to write this post I came across a book I read in April of this year, and I could have sworn I read it last year. That’s all I’m saying.
A brief overview of things that happened since February:
I went to a taping of Ellen’s show (guest host)
I went to Mexico
I went to the LA Times Festival of Books
I went to Florida
I met one of my cousins for the first time
My daughter graduated from college
My daughter’s friend gave us COVID (mild cases; everyone was fine)
The latter, as I’m sure you can imagine, contributed to me not updating my blog since I’ve been limiting my screen time.
I hope to talk more abut those later (especially Universal Studios, COVID, and chronic eye fatigue), but for this post, I want to highlight the five-star books I’ve read so far this year.
You know how you really want to reread Harry Potter during this pandemic, but maybe you’re not so sure about JKR right now? But you are still really craving a trio of friends who are clearly good fighting a fight against evil? And there’s also a lot of humor and a magical school that’s just out of sight of the world that we live in?
And as always, I know you want to know if I’m talking about the Percy Jackson book series or the movie series. And the answer to that is “What movie series?” We do not mention the movies in this house because my daughter is a die hard Percy Jackson fan and has a visceral and bone deep hatred of the movie, and it all started with the trailer, though she did give the actual movie an honest try.
Don’t worry, though. Nobody hates the movies more than Rick Riordan hates the movies:
The Englishist 