Back to School

This morning, alarm clocks rang early and often.

It was back to school for Holly as she begins her final semester as an undergraduate in college. Lisa headed back today too. Paul’s first day back, at FHS, was yesterday.

That first day back – especially in January – can be a toughie. Fortunately, they didn’t have the ‘cold north wind’ to deal with.

As an aside – why is it that, when it is cold in the winter, there is always wind blowing in your face…no matter which direction you’re heading? In the summer…no wind in sight to cool you down. 

Anyway, the weather’s not bad - at least there is that much on the plus side.

On the other hand, the end of a nice long mid-winter break is hard enough to deal with on its own.

In my own college days, things were broken up differently. As an undergraduate, I was in school when ‘quarters’ and not ‘semesters’ were in style. The great thing about quarters is you knew there wasn’t quite as long to go before you get to the end of the term and switch subjects. That was especially important if your class was a dud.

Fifteen weeks, on the other hand, is a long time.

Think of it…around here, 15 weeks takes you from the middle of winter all the way through spring to the cusp of the beginning of summer. If your classes aren’t great, that is a LONG time to study!

Fortunately, it seems like both our students – and our teacher – have interesting slates of classes and fun extracurricular activities on the side. So, I predict the time will pass quickly until we get to mid-May.

Paul will run a gauntlet that includes choral and drama work – both in-class and outside of class. Plus, he’ll have all the fun and interesting senior activities to deal with. Holly continues her internship with university relations and is still plugged in at the radio station. And she said the first day back wasn’t too bad.

Really, the only entity at our house NOT facing the end of the mid-winter break is Roger. Restless because of the time of year, he goes in and out a lot. And at other times, he’s still in sleep mode.

Sounds like he may have the best idea of all. What is a better way to pass the time on a cold winter’s day than a nice, long, warm nap?

JG

Originally posted 1/9/2013