This Too Shall Pass

Long day today. Actually every Thursday is a long day. It's my marathon school day. This quarter, I'm at Bethel every Thursday for approximately 11 hours. It's one of the busiest times of my life, and it's not only hard because the schedule is full and difficult, but also because my time to be with my family is significantly reduced.

After today's craziness, I decided I want to write out my schedule for today so some day I can look back on it and see how God brought me through it (assuming I don't die from it!).

6:36 AM - Wake up. For some reason, I wake up to Jamie right next to me in bed - naked. I don't know where his pajamas or night time diaper are or why he isn't wearing either of them. Thankfully, the bed's dry. But now that I'm up, so is he.

6:37 - Get ready as fast as I can. I need to be out the door by 7:00.

6:55 - My mom shows up to begin her marathon day of babysitting. Beetz has conferences tonight, so my mom will end up having the kids for about 12 1/2 hours. She's a trooper. It kills me that I won't see my kids until right before they go to bed with them tonight. I keep telling them that someday, they'll have a dad.

7:05 - I'm out the door and on my way to Bethel Seminary.

7:25 - Traffic on the exchange from 35E to 694 West. Apparently the weave hasn't been sufficiently "unweaved." Each time I've been out to the seminary early in the morning, there's been significant slowdowns at that exchange. Today was no different

7:45 - Stop at the local Holiday gas station for a breakfast burrito and a large coffee. I don't usually drink coffee because it tends to upset my stomach, but the early morning and long day ahead of me seem to warrant one.

7:55 - Get to my classroom, pull my computer out, and get ready for class.

8:00 - Class starts.

10:00 - First break of the morning - a 15 minute break, which I spend pacing back and forth in the class room. My back tends to tighten up from sitting in the classroom chairs. Walking seems to help.

11::00 - Break #2, this one's a only a five minute break, which I again spend standing, trying to work out the issues in my back.

12:00 PM - First class of the day ends, and I sprint out to my car (which is parked in the commuter lot, which seems like it's a half-mile away). Once in the car, I begin the five minute drive to leave the Bethel grounds and make my way to Holiday (the same one I went to for breakfast). I get a beef and potato burrito and hop back in the car. I eat the burrito on the way back to campus.

1:00 - Second class of the day begins, more long hours of sitting, and more back pain.

3:00 - First break of this class, a 15 minute one. More walking and staring out the window.

4:05 - Second break of the class, another five minute one, spent standing.

5:00 - Second class of the day ends, and I walk briskly to the vending machines in the lower campus center. I get my "supper" which consists of a bag of Funyuns, two Pop Tarts, and a Dr. Pepper. I sit at a small table and eat. I've only got about five minutes to get to my next and final class of the day: Greek.

5:10 - Get to Greek class and get called on to translate a sentence as soon as I sit down.

7:00 - Greek, the last class of the day, is over. I go and get my coat, and begin the long cold trek back to the commuter lot.

7:35 - I pick up the kids at my mom's and bring them home.

8:00 - I get the kids ready for bed, and let them stay up a little later since we haven't seen each other all day.

9:00 - Relaxing on the computer and blogging about my day. I just keeping telling myself, "After this term, and the next term, and the term after that, there're only two terms left!" Oh goody.

This too shall pass. Someday I'll look back on a day like this and smile. Maybe.