Free!

Last night, I had to attend my final obligation for the school year: commencement.

I was NOT excited to attend.

Typically, commencement is held in the mid-morning in the auditorium of our campus.  You still have to suffer through the long process of pomp and circumstance, but at least it's done early in the day and is conveniently located.  But this year, the college is celebrating its 50 year anniversary and the president has wanted to make a big deal of that anniversary by holding commencement in downtown Ft Lauderdale at the Convention Center -- at night.  It's what everyone wants to spend their Friday night doing, right?

I seriously thought of skipping out, and I probably would have but I was being specially recognized since I was Professor of the Year and my absence would be noted.  So, I went.  Reluctantly.

There were a lot of things about the ceremony that kinda sucked: confusion about where I was supposed to be in the processional and receiving little direction from commencement officials, sitting for 2 hours, standing on stage to receive my award and feeling absolutely Butterball-ish (in my regalia, it's indistinguishable that I am 9 months pregnant -- I just appear to be round and fat).  But, on the plus side, being recognized meant that I was in the front row, which means...yes, I was one of the first ones out!

To beat nearly 5,000 others out of the auditorium had a distinct advantage: I made a beeline for the bathroom and then for the parking garage, and I was outta there faster than I had anticipated.  So, I got home much earlier than I thought I would -- time enough to come home and still enjoy something of a Friday night with the Jer-Bear.

And now, I'm all done for the term and the year!  What a relief to have the next 14 weeks off.  There are definitley some things I'd like to get prepared around the house before Caleb's arrival, but if they didn't get done, it wouldn't matter.  Now that I'm done with work, I feel a huge weight off me: He can come anytime now and it'd be okay.  Phew!