1) This was the sort of day where your deodorant wears off before 9:30 AM, and you know that it has.
2) My dark gray mood lifted when I got to the office and found a card addressed to me on my desk. Inside, a thank-you note from a colleague for whom I'd done a favor with a small gift. That thoughtfulness lifted my clouds.
3) But it was a day of intensity: software testing, a lot of requests from volunteers, conversations on the Big Issues, realization of long-past deadlines, and final preparation for the etiquette dinner. And a headache.
4) And the dinner went well. I was very impressed that none of the 50 students put their smartphones on the dinner table, and I got some very good questions from them. The caterers provided us with a menu with some challenges, too: Statler chicken breast, tagliatelle pasta, and spicy soup with overly large pieces of lettuce in it. I'll be eager to hear about the evaluations.