Last Beer for the Year (Perhaps One of the First, Too). Helping Chitunga to Clear the Fridge Before He Returns to Iowa. Crazy Belly Filler

I really did have the booze thing cut completely off, even beer and wine. Didn't miss it much and likely won't miss it again when he takes off. I figured, though, with NCTE and his birthday, we'd be celebrating regularly, so I stocked the fridge. That, and hosting Thanksgiving, resulted in many gifts, of which I'll like keep hidden and out of the way until the next frolic (although there are three bottles of Basil Hayden and that is really good stuff. 

As for the Stellas, it's basically drinking cold water. And it fills your stomach. And you pee a lot. There's nothing really redeeming about it. I'd rather have a glass of water.

Chitunga wanted to get together with Bev & Leo before he left Connecticut, so we potlucked what we could from our refrigerators and had a short catch-up festival. Lys returned to Syracuse and made it without incident (as she has to teach middle school biology in the morning). 

I prepped the two cakes for the last classes this week (a tradition for the final workshop evening), and I'm already ready to sit at home in front of the holiday lights grading without all the noise and distraction of the University. I'm not sure how the college kids are taking it, but I wouldn't want to come back after Thanksgiving just for one week of classes. I'm thinking about those that fly across the country to their schools. What a pain. We know enough now that there's no reason to be face-to-face for all classes. I'd want to phone in the last week I was them. 

And I almost napped yesterday. We were watching a football game when my eyes got heavy. I laid down against a pillow and said, "I thinking I'm crashing," but then there was a good play, I was stimulated, and then I was up for good (albeit I'm beat from the last week...all that preparation). 

Ah, but it's another Monday and the workweek beckons, so here we go once again.