It's the shoveling period of the end-of-the-semester blizzard, and I'm looking to making snow angels.

The tipping point is upon all of us in higher education where culminating 15 weeks of labor, planning, reading, grading, and presenting turns around into projects submitted by undergraduate and graduate students. At the same time, gingerbread cookies are dancing in my head and the latest Peter Jackson Hobbit film is waiting for my viewing in theaters somewhere near my home.

I traveled through Canisius Hall today, handing out 'snowflake' glasses to the individuals who make the work I do at Fairfield University possible. Dawn, pictured to the right, sported the flake specters with cheerleading finesse (she once was a cheerleader for the New England Patriots, after all, so the flare served her right). Really, however, it's the energy of colleagues and staff that keep me spirited between the grading, shoveling, sprinkling of salt, and fret of holiday shopping - a zest that brings the holiday season alive.

I did what I could yesterday and know I have at least two more days of assessing to complete before I can think about heading to the frenzy of holiday stores to finish the purchases before heading to CNY. I look forward to the moments when the pile of student work is no longer on my desk and when I live like a normal human being without the guilt of offering better and more substantial feedback.

You'd think it would get easier, but it remains exhausting - the mental work, however, is what it's all about. At least today, the temperatures are suppose to rise and it shouldn't take 1.5 hours to reach the University. Fingers crossed.