Well child, are your lessons done?
I. Am. Tired.
The two job situation in which I find myself has ramped up to the point that I actually have to do two proper jobs. Properly. I spent nearly eight hours teaching yesterday and while my acquantainances who are real teachers may snort derisively, that’s a lot of teaching for a slack university lecturer. Worse, it’s a lot of me for my unfortunate students. My lecturing style is a lot like my writing style - long winded, unnecessarily pedantic and filled with asides that only I find interesting. Imagine if you will, fifty sets of eyes rolling in unison when I pause mid-thought and say:
“Actually, the discovery of semi-conservative DNA replication is an interesting story…”
When did I become that teacher? The one that I used to laugh at from the back row of the lecture hall and make fun of to the entertainment of my fellow students? Is this some sort of grand karmic scheme?
But being the doddering science lecturer isn’t my biggest problem. Now that the semester has started. I’m burning the candle at both ends. On any given weekday I’m in my office at the university, in my office at my writing job and if I could do so, it would be helpful to be both places at the same time. Instead, unable to circumvent the laws of physics, I wander back and forth along Adelaide’s North Terrace in a state of semi-consciousness. I make a lot of mistakes at both jobs, and 
my mood is detioriorating at a rate directly proportional to the number of hours that I’m working.
Grrrrr.
The good news is, with Dr. O’C gainfully employed, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. If I can keep it together until Christmastime, I’ll hopefully be able to settle back into the mundanity of a single job. I can’t imagine what I’ll do with my time.
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Leonard Cohen’s “songs of Leonard Cohen” is available from 
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Ohhh I would never snort, it’s far too unladylike. I feel your pain - I can barely manage the one job I have, so two must be a nightmare. Only 141 days, 23 hours and 17 minutes until Christmas - I’m counting down as well, trust me!
Agness last blog post..Lots of Coverage
05 Aug 2008 at 3:12 pm
Ah damn. Just one teaching job was enough to suck the life out of me. I am glad you have the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s amazing what we can put up with for the short term. Nose to the grindstone, my boy. It will be Xmas before you know it, and you will have a glorious celebration on the beach in honor of being rid of a job. You’d better take pictures.
Not Afraid To Use Its last blog post..Missing the Flirting Gene
05 Aug 2008 at 3:30 pm
i always thought the teachers who liked their subject were cool! but it helps to power through things with momentum and reiterate things with numbers, helps people focus and remember e.g. there are 3 things to remember about DNA replication, 3! 1= 2= 3= and so on, 3 experiments showed DNA was semiconservative, 3! 1=2=3= and might keep you focussed? just bullet point everything! they’ll be watching the powerpoint if you have that anyways! and any lectures you can get a load of power point off the internet, like from harvard bio site.
or just podcast it to them.
but sleep is good. mmmm, sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
05 Aug 2008 at 5:32 pm
ugh… hold on. You’ll get through it. You might lose a tad bit more of your sanity along the way, but you’ll get through it!
05 Aug 2008 at 8:59 pm
I would never snort either because 8 hours teaching is enough to put even the greatest teacher into ‘bite the head off a small mammal’ mode.
But the $64 000 question is…..which job will you give up??? The part time one which you enjoy? Or the full-time one which brings in dollars but involves those loathsome scum of the earth….undergrads?
My heart goes out to you Prof.
arizaphales last blog post..Best Shot Monday: Through The Rain
06 Aug 2008 at 6:56 am
As my mother is fond of saying, “I used to burn the candles at both ends, but I can’t find the matches any longer.”
Coal Mimer’s Granddaughters last blog post..Sticking the Neck Out
06 Aug 2008 at 7:31 am
Last year found me working 75 - 80 hours a week, because our staffing wasn’t up to snuff. I feel your pain. Do your students read (or even know about) your blog?
Also, I noticed on the bottom left corner of your blog (and the comments page) is a happy face in a tiny square. Interesting.
Joes last blog post..Blogging
06 Aug 2008 at 7:53 am
Agnes & Arizaphale - you’re much nicer than I am, because I would snort.
NATUI - I can’t imagine a better reward than an Xmas beach celebration. Want to come?
SSG - What are the three things to remember about DNA replication? Let’s see how good your undergraduate tutors were…
Angel - there’s precious little left.
Arizaphale - that’s a decision already made.
CMGD - I love Southern sayings. Two of my favorite, which I can’t wait to use on Z, are ‘Well, son, you can wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which fills up first” and “If ‘if’s’ and but’s’ were candy and nuts we’d all have a Merry Christmas”. I’m full of ‘em.
Full of something.
Joe - I’ve never noticed that happy face nor have any idea how it got there. Damn - good eye!
A Free Mans last blog post..Well child, are your lessons done?
06 Aug 2008 at 8:22 am
And yet you still find time to blog. I salute you for that, good sir.
courtneys last blog post..Mothers. Am I Right?
06 Aug 2008 at 9:13 am
I used to teach as well, and it is not a job for the weak of heart. Sometimes you actually DO make interesting asides, but asides rarely get respect.
Well, hang in there! At least in Oz you can cane the students (I know firsthand!)
06 Aug 2008 at 10:12 am
the image is called wpstats and if you go to stats.wordpress.com its in the corner there too and can also be found here http://stats.wordpress.com/g.gif?
can i come visit in 5 years?
06 Aug 2008 at 5:53 pm
Did you mean to say you actually taught for 8 hours straight in a single day? Quit that job now!
06 Aug 2008 at 10:51 pm
Only a few more months! Hang in there.
07 Aug 2008 at 12:53 am
I wanted to add that I heard Leonard Cohen in concert 10 days ago, and that he was amazing. The concert was 3-hrs long, much appreciated by all the serious fans, as well as those completely new to him (e.g. my brother-in-law who went on my urging). Cohen acts way younger than his almost 74 years, he really looks ageless.
07 Aug 2008 at 10:25 pm
Vera - fortunately the job is only temporary and the teaching only twice a week. Hardly a burden when compared with a secondary or primary school teacher!
Leonard Cohen - I bet he would be amazing! Jealous!
I was having an argument with someone about who’s version of “Hallelujah” was better - Cohen’s original or Jeff Buckley’s cover. I said the latter. Do you have an opinion?
08 Aug 2008 at 6:20 am
chris, teach me teach me!
09 Aug 2008 at 12:31 am