I think today was the worse drive home ever. Once I got close the city the conditions were okay, at least manageable, but most of drive was white-out/near white out conditions. It was a day when I truly wished I'd had someone else in the car with me. Somehow things don't see as crappy when there's someone to keep you company. For some reason, the soothing pessimism of Badly Drawn Boy didn't do much for me.
Come to think of it, the whole day was kind of crappy. Not sure what was up, but people seemed busy. No one showed up for lunch so I ate alone. Oh well, it's not like I think they were purposely avoiding me ... at least I didn't until I typed that!
I taught some Victorian poetry today - Elizabeth Barrett Browing, Robert Browing and Tennyson. While I thought I had lots to say about the Brownings, that portion of the class felt awkward and disjointed. I'm pretty sure a number of them studied "My Last Duchess" last semester, yet it was hard to get the conversation going: "Okay, yes, he is a crazy and controlling Duke who killed his wife. And how do we know that?" The Tennyson ("The Lady of Shallot") went much better. I started with explaining the Victorian interest in medieval stories. I even had some of Julia Margaret Cameron incredible 1875 photographs of Tennyson's Idylls of the King, like this one, "Passing of Arthur." 
I was surprised how few knew who Lancelot was. Wasn't he in that crappy King Arthur film from a few years ago for cryin' out loud? Speaking of "out loud," students even read "The Lady of Shalott" out loud without me having to "Buller? Buller?" it. Getting them to read is usually like pulling teeth, despite being the easiest form of participation known to humanity.