Am I delusional or is my professor?

If you recall, when I turned in my last paper, my comments about it were, "I'm not happy with it, but like before, I decided it wasn't worth spending the hours it would take to revise it into something I would be happy with. I'm sure it is a below 85 paper...maybe in the 70s. Ugh. At this point, I don't care."

It was due right in the middle of the week that also included 2 midterms. I put much more time and energy on the midterms, and rightfully so. Now, I KNOW that I tend to be uber hard on myself, but honestly, I thought this paper was cr@p! I was so tired of it, that I didn't even cite any cases using 12(b)(6) motions, rationalizing to myself that judges know how to use them, so why did I need to tell them? I was too lazy to read those cases and try to incorporate that into my paper. I KNEW I'd be docked for it, but honestly, I didn't care.

So, I picked up that paper this morning. I was prepared for a comment like, "What happened here? Not enough research and depth on this one. You suck!" Well, maybe not the sucking part, but here's what I actually got, "You never cease to amaze me......such great writing!"

The look at my face at that point was a big WTF???? How could anyone like this? Yeah, so I turned it over and got a 95! I have never been more surprised on any paper so far. NO freaking way! I only missed 3 points for not citing any 12(b)(6) cases and only a point in each of two other areas for failing to citing the statute section in the argument. (I had cited it only earlier in the paper.) Big whoop.......nothing-burger deductions.

I'm just so shocked. I didn't think my arguments were that strong, and frankly, even though I commented on the differing opinions on the law, I thought I was really weak in doing so. I had kind of taken the position that in 7.5 pages you can't really do an in-depth analysis, so keep it simple, clean and straightforward and get to it and then move on. I guess my professor appreciates that style, even though personally, I always feel like it is lacking.

Well, if she is happy, I'm happy! (And for anyone who is keeping track, with 50% of our grade determined by these first 3 papers, my grade in this class is a 95%!)