Grading...grading...and helping others

I'm picking up paper two from a class, today.  My other class went from a D to B average between paper one and paper two.  Here's hoping the second class does as well.  We'll see.  I'll have something like eight more papers coming in to go with the five I've already received.  So, about five hours' worth of grading, tops.  I should be able to knock that out...just in time to pick up the third paper from the other class.

Other than that, I had an unexpected breakthrough with one of my novels.  I'll be putting it back into the hands of my awesome beta reader probably by the end of the week.  Maybe, with luck, I'll have it ready to go up for sale by the first part of December. 

This evening, we'll probably take the neighbors to Sam's Club.  Tomorrow morning, I'll be going to renew my concealed carry permit.  Next week, on one of Odysseus's days off, we'll take them to re-up for help, and maybe take them to a couple of churches for some extra that the government doesn't give.  Hopefully, soon, we can help them find something that gets better than 12 mpg, so that the missus can get a job and maybe start the family getting back on their feet. 

My mom keeps telling me I have no compassion.  In a lot of ways, she's right--I do have no compassion for people who won't try.  For those who are trying to put their lives, right, though, I will do all I can to help.  Most often, it's in the form of a ride somewhere to start getting their lives in order, rather than in the form of money we don't really have (my mom's favorite method of giving a drunk a drink, instead of actually helping).

I do have compassion.  What I lack is the same gullibility that my mother has in spades for her sisters.