Graduation is over. It was a success, with a few minor glitches. But thanks to me, I must say, it went quite beautifully and everyone got his or her diploma and all the families and friends enjoyed the reception and the slide show with the seniors growing up through the years.

I guess it's true that if you don't have a tech rehearsal, you're pretty much guaranteed to have major foul-ups during the actual event. Especially if you use anything mechanical or electronic. Or if you rent risers from a company that forgets to deliver them. Or if your church liaison and your caterer quickly antagonize each other. The church is what we rented to hold the garden ceremony for 16 seniors and 200 guests.

I've been a producer and I've thrown big events, but I've never done it while teaching fulltime. And while I was supposed to be writing evaluations and grading finals and giving final grades.

But now all that is behind me, well, except for the writing of the evaluations, and that is entirely possible and not too difficult. Plus the short workshop coming up in another week, and then the march toward preparing for new classes in September. But darn it I do love this job. I get so attached to the students, come to feel so fondly about them, hope to whatever that I'm teaching them something they might remember or use. I will miss the seniors very much. They looked sort of vulnerable and also spaced out during a lot of the ceremony when they were being spoken of. Plus handsome and stunning. My gosh. Some of those young people look like burnished celebrities. Or better than.