As Grad School (student) and High School (teacher) are now in full swing, I find that I have already made sacrifices that make me sad. Or I suppose that sacrifice isn’t really the correct word. Compromise. I compromise my free time now for what I hope to gain when the grad program is completed. All in all, it still seems more like a sacrifice much of the time.

I no longer have time to play the guitar. I sat down yesterday for the first time in over a month and played for about 30 minutes. It’s all I could spare between grading and finishing up a paper that was due today. With as badly as I actually play the guitar, it kind of surprises me that I miss it as much as I do. It is, however, in some strange way, oddly relaxing knowing just how much I suck.

I haven’t written a single word of fiction since the semester(s) started. Not only that, I dropped off mid story and have been dying to get back to it. I have taken about 5 pages of notes on a new story (ok… not really notes… more like scribbled ideas) but that’s it for my creative output. I am praying that I am able to find some sort of balance where I can devote a few hours a week to at least finish up the short I have in progress.

This blog. I had managed to work out a nice little schedule of posting 3 times a week, and that has been shot all to hell. It took being let out of class early tonight to find time to write this short note. I am trying very hard to make at least 1 post a week. I even have topics saved up to write about, and a huge, multi-post review of the Harry Potter series (which is all but finished, save for the last book which I am almost done with).

I am having a ton of fun teaching, but I wonder how others do it and go to grad school at the same time. And it only gets busier next spring when my schedule at the HS increases. It is going to get very interesting. Basically, I will still update as often as I am able, but if a week or two slips by with no word, don’t panic… I am just grading mid-terms or working on my 25+ page pager for Grad School.

Oh yes… one final note for all of my students that have discovered this site….

GO STUDY YOUR VOCAB!