adventures in neverneverland

Things are relatively good over in Neverneverland. I survived the first week of classes. This will be a busy semester for me (and hopefully a productive one as well). I'm teaching again. It's my final semester of indentured servitude, Hallelujah. I have three classes of 25 students each. Even still, I ain't letting these children stress me out this time around. Teaching evaluations be damned. I will be released in December. Knowing that I won't have to necessarily teach again keeps me in a chipper mood. And maybe for the first time ever, I feel competent as a teacher. This is awesome news, as far as I'm concerned.

I'm supposed to assemble my dissertation committee, finalize, and present my proposal this semester. Yeeeeeaaaahhhhh, this scares the shit out of me. But as a friend reminded me, my job is to just get this shit done so I can move on with my life elsewhere.

I took another job this semester. I will be grading papers for another course as well. It's not soooo bad because it's similar to the teaching gig I had last year, at least paper-wise. If there's anything I should know by now, it's APA-style writing. I can do this. Plus they're paying $17+ per hour. Consider myself having signed at the dotted line.

As if I didn't have enough writing to do, I'm continuing with my plans to take this Creative Writing Workshop class. I've been to two classes so far and I actually enjoy it. It's very different than a psychology class, that's for sure, but different in a good way, using a separate unused part of my brain. Finally, after all these years, I am learning my craft. I promise you, I'm more of a writer than a psychologist. So let's see...

I'm attending a support group for Black women with depression. We had our first meeting on Friday. It went along swimmingly. To dialogue about how depression affects us, to know that I'm not alone in the ups and downs, and to meet some other Black women I know in a context other than grad school will be a good experience for me.

I kicked off my resolution to leave Neverneverland at least one weekend per month. This weekend was a road trip to a sleepy little town about 2 hours away. The occassion was a wine-tasting. By the by, I know little-to-nothing about the technique of wine-tasting. I've never been to one of these things before. I just know I like sweet, fruity wines. I tasted a couple I liked... and by the end of the night, I was sloshed, lol. Anyway, these excursions are an excuse to get away, leave work behind, bond with friends, and stay in a hotel on the low-low, so I'm satisfied.

I'm trying to decide whether to stick with Weight Watchers. I've been half-assing since I joined a few months ago and went completely AWOL these last few weeks, so I'm afraid to step back on that scale. I'm still hovering in the same 5 pound range. *sigh*

I'm still going to therapy once per week. We did a check-in after not meeting for a month or so. It's the same old same old with me. No easy answers and issues that run deeper than any particular messed-up situation in my life. Such is life and human behavior, I suppose. If my schedule permits, I'm also continuing with my group therapy as well. I can't imagine not participating because it has nurtured my personal growth over the years. We get into heavy, deep shit, but we still get together and laugh as only Black women can do. I've missed it over the summer and I'm raring to get back.

No new interesting men to speak of, but such is the case for Neverneverland. Some things never change.

And.... that's all for now, folks. Damn, evaluating this list of activities almost makes me overwhelmed. But everything is everything. I'm in good spirits.