Define Irony.

[kiralamouse]

So, Sunday night I got to bed sometime around 2 and got up at 7 to work on my Evil Poetry Paper. Did not succeed in finishing it.

Monday night I got to bed in the not-so-wee hours of the morning, still working on Evil Poetry Paper, did not succeed in finishing it, woke up at 8.

Beginning to grow desperate, I decided to take a nap Tuesday to steel myself for an all-nighter on my Evil Poetry Paper. After all, it had really been due before spring break and Wednesday would be the second class day back, still no paper. There had to be a limit to how long my prof would accept late papers with only a half-grade markdown. So I took a nap, ate dinner, showered, and settled in to work. In honor of the fact that I had a test that day, at 5 AM I let myself hit the sack til 6:30, then got up again. I worked rather frantically til 10, when it became clear that I was NOT going to finish and I still needed to study for the test in an hour. We're at Wednesday now...


After the test -- geez, we were allowed to leave when we were done but I stayed another twenty minutes til the end of class just for this purpose, biggest waste of time -- I spoke to my professor, asking what the limit was on that only-slight markdown. I was thinking, Please let me have til Friday, please let me have til Friday. The prof thinks a moment, and says, "Well, I guess as long as it's within the next week or so..."

Now, this break was welcome. But I had realized along about Tuesday that not only did I have my Evil Poetry Paper to do, but I also had a 5-6 page paper due in Shakespeare today -- Thursday -- and what with that paper and the planned extra-long choir practice that night, I was all but crying with exhaustion and utter brain-deadness. And knowing I had another week to do my Evil Poetry Paper would have allowed me some much-needed sleep before attempting a second all-nighter running. This, plus the fact that I didn't even know my topic for my Shakespeare paper yet, and the fact that I had a fencing test the next day. I'm klutzy and weak and uncoordinated at the best of times, I don't need to be taking an exam on physical form on an average of four hours of sleep a night for the past almost-week.

So I left choir practice early, got home at 9, and gamely set my alarm for 2 AM.

I could barely keep my eyes open at this point, but I still didn't manage to settle into real sleep til near midnight. Too much nervous energy, and absolutely no mental energy to merit giving it up and starting without sleep.

Switched my alarm to 3AM at the fated moment, and only managed to wake up entirely then when I remembered I'd set a second loud annoying alarm for 3:15 as a backup. Groggily got up and set to work.

Realized at about 9:15 that I was not going to make it to my 9:30 Shakespeare class at all.

Frantically worked until 11:10, ten minutes into my fencing class (but hopefully wasting only warmup time with the prof absent), and managed to wrap up one of my not-better but not-worst papers. Emailed it in to my prof with an apology for being late and raced to fencing, then raced through my neglected Chaucer reading to prepare for a quiz.

Came out of class feeling absolutely grateful that I have nothing due til at least Monday, planning to rest, wishing I'd been better rested for fencing. Then I see two emails from my Shakespeare prof, one generic, then a reply to my emailed paper and apology, as follows:

Subject: Paper deadline
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 11:42:56 -0500
From: [profemail]
To: [profemail]

Hello,

Since some were absent this morning, I'm writing to mention, as I said in class, that my schedule will prevent me from beginning to read your papers until Thesday, March 23d. For that reason, you may have till 5 PM that day to send me your paper.

Enjoy the weekend.

Subject: Re: First Paper
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 12:08:29 -0500
From: [profemail]
To: [myschoolemail]
References:
1 , 2




It's not late, [Kirala]. I've revised the
deadline twice now.
Originally due tomorrow by 5 PM, now Tuesday.
Do you want to make
further revisions, or shall I take this as the
final version?


[Kirala Mouse] wrote:
>
> I'm sorry, this took me longer than I
expected. I can print it out when I get out of
class at 1:45 if you like, but I thought since
I don't know when I can reach you in person
I'd better email it first. Sorry it's late!
>
> -[Kirala]
>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Name: A
Merry Kind Of War.doc
> A Merry Kind Of War.doc Type:
WINWORD File (application/msword)
> Encoding:
base64
> Download Status:
Not downloaded with message


I didn't need to pull any all nighters or even late nighters this week.

Define irony.

Comments

[pretzelmatt.livejournal.com]

Define irony.

I think you've got the definition pretty well under control :D

[ueberx.livejournal.com]

Define irony.

Looks like everything's under control to me. What do you need help with?

[kiralamouse]

Oh, it's not irony for the worse -- it's just the irony of the amount of needless pain I've been enduring.

Though while we're on the subject, I could use help with this procrastination issue that landed me in this soup.

[ueberx.livejournal.com]

I meant that it looked like you had the definition of irony down, and certainly didn't need my help with it.

I've sufferend from procrastination the past several semesters myself. The main thing is just to decide to do your schoolwork instead of whatever it is you were thinking of doing. Getting off one's posterior and doing what one is meant to be doing.

[dypsidollierats.livejournal.com]

man, that bites the big one. but lets look at the good side... *points to the side that has the bed on it* nighty night!

[procrastinatin.livejournal.com]

It's always easier to fix a paper you've already written ;)
So ironically enough, YOU GET TO SLEEP AND GET THE PAPER DONE :-p