happy sigh

Well. It is the last week of class. And that does not really mean anything, except that I won't have to go to class tomorrow. I still have 3 papers, a debate, and 2 exams between now and finished, and I'm a little swamped and overwhelmed by it all, trying to figure how to fit writing around working, and the fact that exam time always seems to correspond with major religious holiday time, and next week I have to add my nephew's baptism, Passover seder, Good Friday and Easter Sunday in the midst of exams and a 15 page paper.
So, needless to say I am busy, and have used the phrase "I'm sorry, but I just don't have time..." a lot in the last week or so. And I don't. But, sometimes you need to make time.
As I was driving to school this morning after dropping James off at work, the CBC kindly told me that my friend Jian Ghomeshi (ok, so, we're not friends, but...who else talks to me nearly that often?) was going to be interviewing Yoko Ono and Bruce Cockburn. YOKO ONO AND BRUCE COCKBURN. A big deal. Yoko Ono fit into my travel time (and, as much as I was super pumped, the interview wasn't that great). Bruce Cockburn, on the other hand, was beginning just as I was arriving at school to segregate myself from the world in a tiny little cubicle in the library to get some writing done. Minor dilemma.
I made a choice. I found a sunny parking lot next to a nice park. I cracked the windows a tad, set the volume just right, laid my seat back.
And I gave myself an hour.
And I listened.
And I watched seagulls soar and dive against a bright blue sky with the tree tops just in view.
And I may have dosed off a tiny bit near the end.
And I was woken up by a group of geese walking past my car honking their brains out.
And it was good.

After my hour, the refreshed me sat up, parked my car and walked to the library. As if this day was just designed to be an oasis in the midst of school chaos, my favourite study carol in the whole entire library was open. AND there has been reliable internet in this corner of the library (so far). This could just be good.

The only down side being that I re-read a whole 300+ page novel yesterday taking very careful notes for my essay that I am planning on writing today. I left the notebook at home.

PS - Bruce Cockburn's new solo acoustic live album "Slice of Life" is being released today. I think that will be my finishing school gift to myself. Check it out.