Every now and then I remind the department head at the school where I work that I’d gladly work extra hours if I could have them all in the morning.

This is because I prefer having my classes in one lump without any long breaks between them. For example, on Friday’s I have three classes in a row, lunch and then a fourth class. It’s intense, but it’s less exhausting than having a lighter schedule with lots of breaks. If you have a bad class there’s no time to fret over it as you have to get to the next one. You can even warn the next class about the bad class you just had and explain what bad things will happen if they don’t stay in line.

One of the quirks of my schedule, though, is that on other days it provides frequent and long breaks between actual working hours. The problem with this is that there’s not always enough time to actually leave the school and do things like go to the bank and pay bills. Instead, I’m stuck in the school doing “planning”.

Usually, this isn’t a problem, but every now and then I have only first period and sixth period classes. That means I have five hours to fill (four periods and lunch). This seems like a consummation devoutly to be wished: I can do whatever I want and that’s awesome, but the actual progression is more like:

1st Hour: Hard working, diligent, lots accomplished.
2nd Hour: Still working, some lag, maybe I need to get up and stretch. I’ll eat lunch early.
3rd Hour: There is no God so I’ll just surf the internet.
4th Hour: I wonder what that person there would look like if I killed them and ate their skin.
5th Hour: I am the God of Hellfire and I bring you: fire.

Then I go teach a class and go home.

The five hour cycle could be avoided if I was more able to work in the office or if I had an actual cubicle to call my own. If I can get away from people, it’s easier for me to focus and to work and I only go through the stages for hours 1-3.

Now though, I just sit and wait and let my idle hands become the Devil’s Workshop or I become a God. Something like that.