Word of the day: healthy.

We're almost to the end of the semester, and there are moments the homework threatens to overwhelm me. I've been referring to it as "triage time": there's too much to do, but you've gotta start somewhere, and it better be with the gushing neck wound in the corner. My gushing neck wound today is the second-to-last sociology paper of the semester...I need to finish it by 6pm (though, really, I have until 11 tomorrow). After that comes the soccer test due ASAP (I'm calling it a broken leg), the unit plan for my methods course (severe concussion), and final paper for African women's diaspora lit (early labor pains).

Despite all the academic gore surrounding me, I'm feeling pretty good. I didn't work on the soccer test or paper last night, instead snagging last-minute tickets to Avenue Q, which rolled briefly through town. L. and I were in row E--not bad for a student ticket bought in the eleventh hour. We met up with another pair of friends post-show and checked out a new frozen yogurt bar in town (yummy) and laughed over the show.

This is a really new thing to me--I wouldn't have even entertained the thought of something like this a year ago. Bit by bit, I'm learning how to manage my own stress, and cool off a little before I hit a breaking point. Even now, I'm going to work out for an hour before I begin that paper, because I know I have the time, and the workout matters to me.

I'm in a "bleh, I don't want to do anything" frame of mind lately, but that's just typical senioritis and end-of-semester syndrome--nothing like the crying jags and insane amounts of stress & panic I put myself through just a semester ago. Fingers crossed to keep this trend up till the end of finals!