I have seriously blushed thrice in the last twelve hours; an insult, a compliment, and my patience dashing itself upon the leering rock of my short-temper when dealing with a Loud Professor (about whom I will say bad things if I don’t stop now with the single aforementioned adjective). My first caffeine fix today sits in front of me, or rather a little bit to the left since I’m facing the computer—and I usually have a café latte in the morning but here I am with a cappuccino after noon . . . !

I can’t help thinking that there must be some direct correlation, obscure is it may be at present.

My work-day was spent sapping enjoyment from the companionship of my friends and now I have nothing of scholarly substance done. Concentration hangs by a thread! Do not be worried about my blogging, though—I have to have some kind of writing activity to relieve these silly thoughts that scamper and caper rambunctiously through my mind. I suppose it is a little like letting an energetic child play hard until she is sleepy enough for the nap she is supposed to be taking.

I cannot wait until summer, when I can sit outside on my tiled balcony to read Dandelion Wine and The Martian Chronicles and feel the breeze tugging a little at my t-shirt. Iced tea and breathing deep of a warm, sweet air. I can almost smell clean laundry and the green scent of trees, not to mention the odor of fresh bread that seems to hover on the “right temperature” days. Wordsworth was right in that he said memories and dreams of happier places can sustain us in the business of metropolitan chaos.

Right, well, I think I can work now. GAH! The computer lab is closing due to another unexpected class . . . *sobs with head in arms*

update: ROFL! Proof of the all-pervading Sense of Humor has just manifested itself in the computer lab. Our Blessed Lab Technician, truly best be he, looked at his watch and shooed everyone out in a hurry--the computer was needed for a class at 4 p.m.! Everyone out! He is so sorry!

As my things were spread out over my desk, I scurried and hurried over my books and the thousands of windows I had open on my computer desktop. Just as I was about to close the whole operation down, BLT said "Whew! I was worried for a minute, but I guess people are late for their four o'clock class." What class, I asked. "Oh, it is an Italian class." Weird. I could picture my eyes narrowing. Who was the teacher? Mine own. I swallowed my impulsive Klingon war cry and asked in a Vulcan tone doesn't that class start at 5.30 p.m.? "Oh, does it?"

So, here I sit with the computer lab virtually (pun intended) to myself and no Loud Professor! WOOT! I haven't been so happy since . . . yesterday:)