Ah, it's finals week - a time of non-stop grading and chaos. The students don't like it when I tell them that I feel like I work harder as a professor than I did as a student at this time of the semester, but it's true. I'm stressed, which leads to food cravings. Damn, I want a taco. And cake.

Gave a final exam to one of my all-time favorite groups of students today. I've been lucky this semester - even the "slackers" are earning Cs and everyone has been participating and interested in the material. And they've been so, um, candid and funny. One of my favorite students said, "I love you" when I told him that he got an A in lab - not that there should have been any doubt. And when one of my students asked right before the exam if she could listen to NIN on her CD player during the test, I responded, "Of course, I've been listening to it non-stop since last Tuesday." Complete silence for a beat, then students were asking me my opinion on the new album. One student who had commented that he couldn't get concert tickets screamed, "I hate you!" when I said that I had a ticket. One of my other students will be working at the show, and all the students got a laugh when I mentioned I used to wear all black before moving to Arizona made that impractical.

What, do they think I listen to Celine Dion?

And, a student who has been with me all year gave me a big bag of "Dark Side" M&Ms and a nice note saying that she hopes that she'll be as good a teacher as me. D'aw... guess that makes all the grading and the chaos worthwhile.

Speaking of chocolate, for stressful weeks like finals, I recommend Ben & Jerry's "Chocolate Therapy". Works for me!