The most perfect moment of my week occurred on Wednesday when clear skies, crisp air, and a hankering for apples inspired me to bake an apple cake from a recipe handed down forever by old church ladies, so even though I was exhausted from teaching four classes I stood at the counter peeling and chopping apples, stirring batter, and coating pecans with brown sugar and cinnamon and then I put it all into the oven, where the baking cake filled my house with the aroma of autumn, and then when it was done and cool enough to cut, I put a chunk of that fresh warm apple cake into my mouth. Cinnamon, apples, crunchy nut topping, the taste of fall perfection--unbelievable.
As for the rest of my week--well, it was more like that mess of apple cores and peelings I tossed into the compost heap. May I apply for a do-over?
It wasn't any one big thing but instead a perfect storm of annoyances large and small that piled up to a point that felt unbearable: a nonfunctional water softener, a student's open contempt for my class, a birthday gift that didn't get delivered ("delayed by the wildfires," they said; "we're sorry," they said; but no estimate on when it will be delivered), a friendly phone call that sparked a political tirade that reduced me to tears, an office so cold it hurts, a lack of sleep, problems paying a medical bill (because the bill-pay site won't work right, so if they want their money they're just going to have to come and get it), a mass of uncertainty about some issues I'm not at liberty to discuss in public...too much all at once and no one to talk to about any of it.
But there was that apple cake, which was so perfect that for a moment it drove all thoughts of anger or frustration from my mind. If I could eat that first bite of warm apple cake all week long nothing else would bother me, but I'd really like to send the rest of the week back where it came from and try again.
On the other hand, I'd rather not go backward when we've made it this far. I'm giving my first midterm exam today and marveling that we're still here teaching face-to-face on the brink of midterm week. I never thought we'd make it this far, and with no current cases of the virus on our campus. Round of applause for everyone who's working so hard to make it happen! Hip-hip-hoorah for apple cake! And the rest of the week can just go rot in the compost heap.
2 comments:
Ugh, how awful. Hope next week is better! (and kudos to your college for handling the virus well so far.)
Thanks! Next week is already better by virtue of not being this week.
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