Monday, May 04, 2009

End of Term Chores

Well, the good news is that I've turned in all my grades, except for 2 students who didn't show up for the final test and who I've been unable to get in touch with. The bad news is we still have graduation ceremonies on Friday and Saturday. At Xavier, all faculty are required to show up in academic regalia to take part in the graduation process. I didn't mind so much the first ten years, but the last 13 have been a little harder to take. Graduation speeches and marches don't change much.

Academic regalia, by the way, means that we have to wear those long black robes and a dainty little square hat with a tassle on it perched on our heads. I look so extinguished (and no that isn't a typo for "distinguised"). For the first few years I always wore a suit and tie, sans jacket, under the robes. Then I started wearing dress slacks and a dress shirt with a tie. Then the tie went. Now I just wear some kind of lightweight slacks and a t-shirt. No one's going to see what's underneath anyway. At least not till I get home to Lana.

The other bad news is end of the semester chores. I finally got around to cleaning out my car today. Stuff has been piling up for a couple of semesters. Next I have to tackle my office. I hate chores. And it's already HOT down here for doing outside chores. I was sweltering.

Maybe I'll have a nap instead!
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29 comments:

Chris Benjamin said...

huzzah for naps! maybe while you sleep the mice will eat all the garbage and move on to the next car.

Virginia Lady said...

You give new meaning to Spring Cleaning, Charles. Good luck with it all.

Randy Johnson said...

Thanks a lot for the mental image of the dainty little square hat on your head. I'm seeing that with the duster!

Steve Malley said...

Louisiana in May... go shirtless under the robe! :-D

Michelle's Spell said...

Hey Charles,

congrats on getting to the end of the semester! Here's to taking a nap instead of doing evil car-cleaning chores. I keep my house clean to the point of neurosis, but my car is a fright. I don't know why, I just can't bring myself to do anything about it. Poor Snowflake!

Heff said...

"academic regalia" ...for some reason, that term sickens me.

Charles Gramlich said...

benjibopper,I have the faintest of doubts that that mice thing will happen but I'm going to ignore it.

Virginia Lady, thanks. I appreciate that.

Randy Johnson, lol. That would indeed be an image to behold.

Steve Malley, I would wear shorts if my ankles didn't show and look funny in black socks and dress shoes.

Michelle, I occassionally have to clean the papers up in my office or risk being unable to find anything.

Heff, Imagine if you had to wear the crap, my friend.

Lana Gramlich said...

Now you see why I kind of laughed when you talked about taking early morning walks in the Summer. It's already getting hot & it's only May.
I vote for the nap!

Travis Cody said...

Yes yes! A nap is always a good alternative.

X. Dell said...

(1) I always hated cleaning out my office at the end of the spring semester. That's what happens when you're low man on the totem pole. You move from office to office.

(2) You guys have an early year.

(3) At least you don't have to wear pink, like my discipline requires.

Inside our hands, outside our hearts said...

I agree, go for the nappy!


soft love,
T

Cloudia said...

Most of us wear the regalia only a time or two. I sympathize with all the rig-a-maroll you put up with in academia.
BUT
it is end of term! Hooray!

Enjoy your summer, Charles

jodi said...

Charles, Don't you just hate all those idealistic, optimistic, and naive speeches? EWWwwww. I say go for the "lay down"!

Leigh Russell said...

Have a nap - sounds much for useful. Just fling your gown (that's what we call the long black robes here) over the clutter in the back of the car and then no one will know what's there - only then they'll see your T-shirt... I'm just the same, I no longer bother to dress up beneath my gown on speech day. No one knows. Now I come to think of it, I'm not sure where my gown is... I only wear it once a year... where did I leave it last time? Must be under the pile of junk in the back of my car... Time for a nap.

Charles Gramlich said...

Lana Gramlich, I soon had one.

Travis, Lana calls me the Napping Avenger.
X. Dell, I’m lucky in that I haven’t had to move to a new office very often. I like getting comfy in a place. Pink?

Tara, too nap, or not to nap. Too nap.

Cloudia, I only wore it once for my own graduations, once for undergraduate. I refused to march for the advanced degrees.

jodi, especially when I’ve heard them enough that I could mix and match the phrases.

the walking man said...

I want to see your:
Picture in the robe
picture in the robe
picture in the robe
picture in the robe
Picture in the robe
picture in the robe
picture in the robe
picture in the robe

Yes I can keep this up all day.

Picture in the robe
picture in the robe
picture in the robe
picture in the robe...

writtenwyrdd said...

Naps are always a good choice, and they go with anything! :)

pattinase (abbott) said...

When you're done your office, can you do my husband's. I can't convince him that students from the eighties aren't coming back for their papers.

Charles Gramlich said...

Mark, I think there's a monetary cost involved in that!

Writtenwyrd, yes, and I'm off to have one now. This is a new day, new napping opportunity.

Pattinase, hum, guess I better go through those old boxes of tests myself then.

laughingwolf said...

i'm all for the 'extinguished' look, charles ;)

and yeah, grab a nap anytime you can!

G. B. Miller said...

Used to see my dad go through a ton of those in my life time.

Funny thing was, right up to the very end, he always wore a shirt, tie and dress pants under his gown.

Charles Gramlich said...

Laughingwolf, I believe naps keep you young.

G., I sort of wish I had the discipline to do that, wear the suit and tie, but I just can't swing it.

JR's Thumbprints said...

Need you remind me of my duty to attend the prison graduation ceremonies in June? I can't imagine your event being any worse.

Sam said...

Can you wear your hawaiian shirt and fisherman's cap to the graduation cermony,
:-)
At any rate, congrats for getting all that work done! Whoo Hoo!

Miladysa said...

I think you should post a photograph so we can all see the "extinguished" Charles :D

I wonder why those two students didn't turn up?

Charles Gramlich said...

JR, well, how long does yours last? Our's is usually close to four hours.

Sam, I wish!

Miladysa, I found out that one of the student's had not completely paid their fees and so can't get grades for the semester. The other had a family health emergency and I gave her an Incomplete.

Anonymous said...

I totally concur! We need to see a pic of you in full regalia!

Wil Harrison.com

Ello - Ellen Oh said...

Lucky you! I'm still grading. And yeah for the shaking of things up by the way. And luckily I don't have to go to graduation. I refuse each time. That robe is hot! and I don't mean in the good way.

Charles Gramlich said...

Wil, ain't gonna happen, my friend.

Ello, it's actually written into my contract at Xavier that I go to graduation.