And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes; Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone

Well, the weekend is upon us once more and once more the majority of my time will be be spent in graduation. I just returned from a lovely, filling breakfast with the Booth College Board. There's an alumni presentation and reception tomorrow afternoon; and the graduation itself on Sunday. I decided not to go to the Grad banquet, although that was the most enjoyable event at Prov last weekend.

This is the first year that so many students I've taught , so many students I have loved teaching, are graduating. I watched a presentation of strengths-based leadership and one of the things the presenter said about strengths is "a strength is something that makes you feel strong." In figuring out strengths you figure out the activities that makes you feel excited, rejuvenated, like you've accomplished something. If this is true, then my strength is teaching students who enjoy literature and film and are excited to learn more. They make me strong.

I know there are students who make me feel this way who aren't leaving, and that there will be future students who will make me strong, but there are so many I'm saying goodbye to this year. And it is, as the poet says, "so hard to say goodbye to yesterday."

Wait. That wasn't the poet; that was Boyz II Men.

And she left in the fall, that's her picture on the wall.

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button

Opening Credits: "The Island, Come And See, The Landlord's Daughter, You'll Not Feel The Drowning" The Decemberists

Waking Up: "Walk Away" Tom Waits

First Day At School: "Blue Turning Grey Over You" Louis Armstrong. Apparently this part of the movie is Woody Allenesque

Sex Song: "Ol' 55 (live)" Tom Waits, from the VH1 Storytellers. "My time went quickly, I went lickety splittly"... no comment

Party Song: "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" Dana Fuchs, Joe Anderson & TV Carpio. So, apparently it'll be like every high school party I went to.

Falling In Love: "Whatever Gets you Through the day" The Radio. lol

Fight Song: "Devil's Eyes" Buck 65

Getting Stoned: Love Supreme: part 2, resolution

Breaking Up: "Under your Spell/Standing (reprise)" Amber Benson/Anthony Head. Wish I could stay.

Prom: "Tango til they're Sore" Tom Waits. I wish they played this at my prom.

Life's OK: "Hold on (to What)" Beautiful South. That would explain the upcoming mental breakdown

Mental Breakdown: "A Hard Rain's a-gonna fall" Dylan

Driving: "Rhymin' and Stealing" Beastie Boys

Flashback: "Jersey Girl" Tom Waits My itunes likes Tom Waits.

Getting Back Together: "My Guitar Wants to Kill yer Momma" Frank Zappa

Wedding: "Little Drop of Poison" Tom Waits And she left in the fall, that's her picture on the wall. She always had a little drop of poison.

Birth of First Child: "Trane's Blues" Miles Davis. My kid's going to be cool

Final Battle: "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)" The Decemberists

Death Scene: "Girl of the North Country" Dylan

Funeral Song: "Figure Eight" Blossom Dearie. Haunting and educational - School House ROCKS!!

Closing Credits: "All you Need is Love" Dana Fuchs & Jim Sturgess

If I could change your mind, I'd really love to break your heart

Well, my three classes have written their exams and I'm almost finished all the grading. I'd love to say that when I'm finished this last batch of papers that I'll be able to take a couple of days off and relax, but that's simply not going to happen. I have two consecutive weekends of grad ceremonies and hoopla and then a week-long intensive course in May that I have to prepare. In fact, this is going to be a busy summer. I have a conference in June, new classes to prepare, a program to create and two week-long intensive courses to teach.

Busy, busy, busy.

But this weekend I plan on enjoying myself at Prov's graduation weekend. There's a banquet on Saturday, a few things on Sunday. I get to dress up in my fancy-pants robes and see a whole lot of students I've grown to love and respect walk across the stage and graduate. And I'm kind of thinking about it as my graduation from Providence too.

I sold opium, firewood and lead

Taught my last class at Providence College. I'll still be going out there a few more times before I'm officially done, but this was the last day of teaching, the last day of "normal" work.

Don't know what I was expecting - weeping? being carried out of the room on the shoulders of the students? - but it all felt a little anti-climatic. Some students came up after class and told me how much they liked the class and that was fantastic. I really appreciate it when student do that. And it wasn't a bad day or anything, but the whole day just felt a little off, a little rushed. People I wanted to hang out with weren't around or were busy and I was busy with grading, so it hardly felt "special," which is what I was hoping for.

Maybe I sound whiny - not my intention at all. I've loved my time there.

Good as gold and stupid as mud

My wife will be so pleased...

25

Ain't Bobby so cool?

Anxiety? Giving a public lecture in 35 minutes and being sure no one will be showing up. I have an Inbox full of regrets...

I know Dave thinks that I've been shurking my bloggin duties and I have lost the right to be called a blogger... maybe I have. There have been many possible posts abrewing in my brain. I've just had a hard time finding 1) the time to blog and 2) the right language to express myself. The time is simply the reality of end of the term pressures - primarily marking and committee work. The language is part the need to censor myself - Raw EMOTION doesn't necessarily fly - and compose my thoughts in a manner fitting who I am.

This is all vague nonsense. I'll try to do better.

I blew a tire out for the first time in my life on Monday. Could have died.... if I lost control of the car and rolled it. Almost changed my first tire too, but thankfully a nice Purelator Courier guy stopped and helped me. He figured if I was reading my manual at the side of the road, then I didn't know what I was doing.