It’s nice to have a two-day week followed by a five-day vacation. Many people are disappointed that we do not have a full week’s vacation, but it was worth going to school today to see that one of my finest students is recovering her normal good spirits after a very trying last week.

Jean’s aunt is visiting right now, which always means a visit to the Chinese Buffet with our best friends Thursday. That should be yummy! The rest of my time will be spent on a lot of schoolwork, such as grading tests, doing marking period grades (and who would belief the third marking period is over already!), writing a newsletter, and some scholarship recommendations. But being able to devote my entire day to the work without interruption makes it relatively stress-free work.

Currently listening: Greatest Hit (notice the single form!) By Dream Theater, one of my very favorite bands which combines progressive rock with heavy metal into a powerful and dynamic mixture. This is a highly-recommended double-cd.

Currently reading: the second novel in Naomi Novik’s acclaimed series about an air force during the Napoleanic Wars consisting of dragons! The Throne of Jade also involves a visit to the Chinese empire, one of my favorite locations, making this second novel even more interesting than the first one was.