I Slept Through My Dang Personal Day

I took a personal day today--to grade. It's pushing 4:00, and I have only graded for about 90 minutes all day. I walked with a friend, got my oil changed, filled the car with gas, and took a giant nap. Now I'm still avoiding grading. I strategically planned this day off. I have twenty-five AP Lang definition essays to read. (See a post about that assignment if you want!)  Today while I was gone they wrote a practice essay on an Obama speech.  And, yesterday AP Lit took a two-hour practice test and wrote all three essays. Blah. Blah. Blah.  I was going to get lots done today.  It's sad if you have to list "getting gas" as an accomplishment.

I finally started reading the AP practice essays and then was growly to my husband while we went to pick up my car from the shop.  "If it says, 'like' and it doesn't mean, 'I like you,' please consider that it could be a comparison."  "Don't use the word 'experience' three times in two sentences."  "The music is a metaphor. The entire piece develops this." "You  have to answer the question, not just write about cool things in the excerpt." "Stop writing 'the reader' all the time." 

It's probably good I'm home today if I am getting tense over an hour of reading practice tests. 

Settle down, coach. 

Back in the day when I would get the occasional massage (I prefer reflexology), I would often fall asleep. A nap is nice but then you miss  the good part you paid for. That's a little how I feel about today. I slept through the good parts? (Realistically, it was probably a two-hour snooze, but still....wasted time?)

My friend Becky taught first grade and didn't like it when people asked what she was going to do on her personal day. "Personal things," she would say.  Becky also would say, "No regrets." (The two were not connected.) But I shall connect them today. No regrets--here's to oil, gas, and a nap. 

Maybe I'll text Becky (that would be a happy accomplishment). 

She would say, "A nap?  It's a personal day for personal things."

 Have a great weekend.  Get some rest--you probably need it and certainly deserve it.