Random thoughts for a Friday

I know I haven't been around much. Life's been a little busy cleaning sand out from between my toes. I have a lot of random thoughts bouncing around my head I just need to get out:

• As I sit here watching the NHL Draft, I'm realizing how much I like watching the TSN coverage. Canada does a lot of things right, and TSN is definitely in that group.
• I love a good thunderstorm, and lord knows my grass and garden need it, but I don't love it so much when all I want to do is get in the pool.
• I don't even feel a bit guilty about the amount of fried zucchini I consumed tonight. Hell, I picked six GIANT zucchini this morning. I need to do something with them, right? With that said, in our attempts to be healthy, I will not fry all six. In fact, I already have plans for the other battering rams large ones sitting on my counter.
• Three days at the beach was perfection. Eating delicious crab each night was perfection. I need my seasons and I love winter, but there is something about the ocean that just makes me never want to get out of it.
• I have an incredible amount of love for UVa. This may seem odd since I never attended as an undergrad, but the honor I feel from graduating from there with my masters degree trumps anything I ever did in undergrad. To see the chaos surrounding the coup (yes, I said it) regarding President Sullivan's ouster goes against everything Jefferson stands for. I'm sure he's doing more than simply rolling in his grave at everything. The only way to make this right is to reinstate President Sullivan and for Rector Dragas to honorably step down from her post. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for both early next week.
• I still don't deal well with illness, death, and funerals. Who does? But I think I'm dealing better than I have in the past, and that's a huge step. I still don't cry, though.
• But the post-funeral food in the basement of the church? Took me back to my elementary school days where the little old ladies prepared the food in the cafeteria kitchen. I gorged myself on the best homemade applesauce I've ever had. Don't tell my grandmother.
• I need to read like, four books at once and I don't even know which one to pick up first. Reread Mockingjay? Finish all the essays in The Hunger Games and Philosophy? Plow through At Home (which I want to enjoy more, but Bill Bryson, you are all over the map with this one)? Finish This I Believe essays? I don't know what I want!
• I know you could never, ever pay me all the money in the world to pick up the absolute trash that is Fifty Shades of Horseshit Grey. Grow up, ladies. Find something decent.
• I think before the weekend is over, I need to make this blackberry cheesecake. Because that just looks incredible. Who wants a slice?

When you love what you do...

Summer for teachers is usually a time to catch up on all the sleep they didn't get throughout the year, recharge, make doctor's appointments, vacation, and generally morph back into a functioning human. I can happily say I'm achieving all of those (eye doctor? check! sleeping? check! vacation? check! feeling slightly normal? check!). However, I'm also still working.
I'm thrilled to be back at my FAVORITEJOBINTHEWORLD at The University, teaching the gifted children and remembering that not all students are awful. My course this year on The Hunger Games has filled me with enthusiasm I haven't felt in years. These kids are making connections I haven't even considered. They're young, fun, and willing to think about virtually every aspect of the books. They're happy to work hard. And they're so eager to discuss these books I can barely keep them quiet. It's perfect.
I'm beginning to remember what it's like to be in a job you love. Yeah, I'm only a week in and by the end of July I might be a little burned out. I may have analyzed Peeta's transformation to death. But it's not very often when you go in to work early because you're eager to get started. And it's not very often when you wish you had another couple hours each day to continue the lesson. It's a good feeling.
And it's a feeling that has me seriously considering where my future in education will be.