This morning I wrote:

Here we are at the end of another chapter in my life. I handed in my letter of resignation yesterday – parting on very good terms – and in the fall I’ll start a new position here in town. I was so exhausted last night that I fell asleep during dinner. I just put my head in my hands and was gone. I woke up when the strawberry covered cheesecake appeared.

The flip side of crashing so early is that now I am wide awake at two a.m. I am trying to decide between forcing myself to fall back asleep and just going into work. I have two contract days left – half days – to finish up my grading and clean out my room. I was thinking that I would take the truck today, so that I can easily load all my stuff up. The tags are expired, so there is some risk involved.

Blah, endings are troubling, but as they are also generally beginnings the angst is mitigated. I have the summer off to contemplate my navel while I continue to get paid – there is much to recommend the teaching life.

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I did not take the truck. I did eat at a truck stop. They were playing ABBA in the truck stop and it was odd. Many hours later I was at the staff picnic and they were also playing ABBA. It was also odd. Take a chance on me, baby can't you see... I liked that song immensely the year before I started kindergarten. I used to sing it when we played Monopoly and I had to draw a Chance card. I am feeling bookended in time by ABBA.