2024 Session One, Week 15

Well! NEWSCOMI keeps sending out more and more announcements about end-of-term meetings, votes, award ceremonies, and on and on. If you haven't been running one of these, or on the speech-making or receiving end of an award, you've probably been deleting these messages and trying to get on with your work. But please keep in mind that next week (28 April) we will be having our own party here at the Ad Hoc Research Support Group of NEWSCOMI. Remember, we said back on 15 January, "We'll have fifteen goal-setting weeks, a mid-term check-in on session goals, and a final 'party' reporting on session goals on 28 April." 

(In view of the limited support we get from the institution, it would be handy if we could get some volunteers to bring snacks and drinks next weekend, though I may be able to coax some lemon bars and tea out of the catering staff to get us started; our most helpful adminicritters don't like citrus flavors, so I think I can score their share of the lemon bars. Please add your food/drink offers to your comments.) 

Nonetheless, we have one more week for setting goals and trying to meet them! And thanks to Dean Tabitha (may her tail grow ever fluffier), we have a limited number of Time-Turners available for checkout. Of course you may wish to offer her some treats in appreciation for the loan! Probably some flavor other than salmon would be desirable, as salmon tends to have, er, unfortunate results on digestion in the Dean's office.

So, what magic would you like to achieve this week? What magical assistance do you have or desire? Is there anyone for whom you can work magic? Let us know in the comments, along with how you did on last week's goals.

Last week's goals:

Daisy

Paper revisions, seriously…
Start other paper revisions
Planning meeting for new paper
Clean up all teaching samples
Mark exams and submit all grades
Exercise x5

Dame Eleanor Hull

Have fun
Get enough exercise without wearing myself out
Make it to the airport on time
Unpack, laundry, sort mail, take stock

heu mihi

OBE?

JaneB

** self care: Daily Journalling, physical care through movement and food choices and Boring Stuff, care for my environment through routine tasks, adding in a couple of less routine tasks and paperwork type tasks like financial review and finding out about Access to Work scheme

** Fun - read a novel, start a non-fiction book, knit/crochet, do some art, do some D&D prep, play D&D at least once.

** Work and boundaries - follow up from employment advisor meeting, maintain boundaries and grey-rock the Interim Head of Dept check in meeting, do limited work hours (I have three grad student meetings)

** work projects - nothing

Julie

1. Proofs for article - urgent.
2. Online meetings with dissertation students.
3. Finish marking.
4. Review revised journal article.
5. Work on grant application (have blocked out Friday morning for online writing retreat).
6. Exercise
7. Healthy eating.
8. Important house job.

Susan

1. Really finish the introduction
2. Follow up with people who need to send bibliographies
3. Start looking at Famous Author again.
4. Work in Garden
5. Do something fun
6. Eat/ sleep / move

2024 Session 1, Week 14

 I was struck reading last week's responses about the mentions of place.  Also, heu mihi, Julie and Dame Eleanor are all traveling for work or pleasure.  It got me thinking about my somewhat ambivalent relationship to travel: I enjoy travel and exploring new places, but I am always grateful to get home.  Are there things you understand differently or think about differently when you are away?  Or are there ways of thinking  that only happen at home?

Goals from last week:

Daisy

FINISH work permit
FINISH paper revisions
Help student with thesis revisions
Help student with thesis data
Sort out field school stuff
Do something fun with friend
Run 3 times

Dame Eleanor

Finish the conference paper
Keep up some semblance of exercise (yoga, walking)
Have fun!

heu mihi

I have goals this week, but they're mostly just about staying afloat, so I'm not going to post them! I just need to try to check off as many of the little necessary tasks as possible....

JaneB

I need to get OUT of waiting mode and I'd like to try to do some of the "not just the basics" things around the house/in terms of self-organising. But I always feel capable of making and following All The Plans later in the evening, it just all goes away overnight and takes a LONG time to come back the next day. And I'm still suffering from the "none of this is appealing or feels worth doing because Everything Is Disasterous and I Am Ineffective" feelings which go with burnout, and also with life under late capitalism. Although working on the Mixed Volume paper was actually quite interesting (we've gone outside our "just the data" comfort zone to also write about how Enlightenment thinking might be causing blind spots in our understanding of what prehistoric peoples were doing and why, and it's finally coming together...).

** self care: Needs changing up somehow because it isn't progressing really. So Daily Journalling is going first, because that at least stirs up the brain sludge, then physical care through movement and food choices and showering regularly and using moisturiser, then care for my environment through routine tasks, then adding in a couple of less routine tasks and paperwork type tasks like financial review and finding out about Access to Work scheme
** Fun - read a novel, start a non-fiction book, knit/crochet, do some art, do some D&D prep, play D&D at least once.
** Work and boundaries - follow up from employment advisor meeting, maintain boundaries and grey-rock the Interim Head of Dept check in meeting, do minimal work hours (I have some grad student meetings)
** work projects - nothing

Julie

On holiday -- goals from previous week:

1. Carry on marking!
2. Expenses claim
3. Figure out travel to conference
4. Prep for Berlin trip
5. House/admin jobs - 1 urgent, 1 important
6. Go to friend's bookshop and buy books for holiday reading.

Susan

1. Finish revisions to introduction to Big Collaboration
2. Read last straggler essays and upload to google drive
3. Do preliminary check on sources for new project and potential research trips this summer
4. Keep up with all the admin stuff
5. Have fun (brunch with friend, dinner with another, and who knows this weekend!)
6. Sleep/ eat / move

2024 Session One, week 13

It seems to be conference season! Some of us have already gone, and I'm setting out today for one of my favorite conferences (why this week's check-in post is going up early). Even though NEWSCOMI isn't contributing anything substantial to the travel, I'm going. In a way it's freeing, knowing that I'm paying for it myself: I can choose what I want to do, where to stay, there's no need to document that yes, this IS the official conference hotel, or worry about whether I have a receipt for this or that. And if I decide that I'd rather skip a session to go sight-seeing, there's not the slightest need for guilt that I'm not doing all the conference things, because it's my trip, not NEWSCOMI's.

So for this week's prompt, if you feel like it, tell us about a magical conference experience! Maybe it's a recurring experience at your favorite annual meeting, or maybe it was a one-time event that worked out perfectly, or a serendipitous happening at a conference. 

Alternatively, feel free to grouse about budget cutbacks at your own personal Scummy U that make it difficult or impossible to travel. There is, after all, bad magic as well as good!

Last week's goals: 

Daisy

• URGENT work permit
• Continue paper revisions, aim for doing the figures first and then getting started on text
• Set lab/final exams
• Finish all term marking
• Sort out field school stuff
• Do something fun with friend

Dame Eleanor Hull

• Exercise: swim x2, cardio x3, trainer x1, yoga x4.
• Work: finish conference paper, upload PowerPoint, prep Latin, order fall books
• Social/outings: trip-related errands, annual physical, dinner with friends.
• Planning: arrange to drop off car for repairs, message VRBO hosts, pack, make sure Sir John has all necessary details.

Heu mihi

• Conference re-set.

JaneB

1. self care: move intentionally three days, do seven household tasks, eat mindfully, make sure I rest as needed, journal daily, find out about Access to Work scheme
2. Fun - read a novel, start a non-fiction book, knit/crochet, do some art, do some D&D prep, play D&D at least once.
3. work and boundaries - employment advisor meeting (from local neurodivergent support charity; advisor is AuDHD like me and used to work in student learning support at my university, so I'm hopeful they'll at least understand some of my context), maintain boundaries and grey-rock the Interim Head of Dept check in meeting, do minimal work hours (I need to email some students, check emails, plus see 4)
4. work projects - Mixed Volume paper's final-final deadline is Tuesday so I've promised to read over it tomorrow (Monday) to try & get SOMETHING off even if it isn't what we hoped for, and I need to write a couple paragraphs for the Consultancy Paper too.

 Julie

1. Carry on marking!
2. Expenses claim
3. Figure out travel to conference
4. Prep for Berlin trip
5. House/admin jobs - 1 urgent, 1 important
6. Go to friend's bookshop and buy books for holiday reading.

 

Susan

1. Return to the introduction to Big Collaboration
2. Chase down the last 3 contributors on my list.
3. Catch up on email.
4. Organize desk
5. Do something fun
6. Eat/ sleep/ move

2024 Session One, Week 12

Well, now we know the various forms of creative procrastination each of us has developed!  Since we're at a university of Magical Instruction, it's good to remember that we all experience magic.  Where do you find magic in your work.  Is it in the initial vision?  Some moment along the way?  Or at the end?  And how do you hold on to it in the less magical parts of research and writing?  

Goals from last week:

Daisy

Start on figures for paper revision
Data analysis for paper revision
Data analysis for student project
Get work permit for summer field area
Last of the concerts
Comments for last thesis
Conference admin tasks

Dame Eleanor

Exercise: cardio x5, yoga at least x4. Swim x2. Trainer x1.

Work: ~3-5 hours/day on research (reading, translating, outlining, writing; focus on conference paper). Order fall books. Schedule one hour on the syllabus. List the "done."

Social/outings: vet run, campus run, book group.

Planning: book trains, message VRBO hosts with arrival times; finish assembling the tax docs; maybe get 2nd estimate on car repair.

heu mihi

1. Write LOR, read prospectus, read & offer feedback on colleague's book proposal
2. Enter ch. 3 revisions
3. Finish France album (so close!)
4. Apply for little tiny professional development thing
5. Read and prep for next week's seminar (I need to start getting ahead; it's the only way I'll survive)
6. Brew beer, re-clean house, and run twice, if I can swing it!
7. Catch up on community service stuff (figure out what to do with some emails for Sustainability Committee; small task for elementary school Yearbook Committee)

JaneB

1 - self care: move intentionally three days, do seven household tasks, eat mindfully, make sure I rest after a few hours. Journal daily, read papers about burnout.

2 - Fun - read a novel, start a non-fiction book, knit/crochet, do some art, do some D&D prep, play D&D at least once.

3 - work and boundaries - occupational health meeting, maintain boundaries and grey-rock the Interim Head of Dept check in meeting, do minimal work hours (this week I have a chapter to comment on and a stack of emails that are high-urgency and need small actions taking)

4 - work projects - nothing

Julie

1. Submit final copy of journal article - formally accepted, just need to add in references removed for peer review
2. Write report on PhD thesis for tedious piece of Spanish bureaucracy (basically a scam where I'm not formally examining, so can skim-read, but still have to read enough to write report, but don't get paid because I'm not formally examining!)
3. Collate scores for recorded presentations & chair meeting to decide prize winner.
4. Carry on marking essays, but don't rush to finish.
5. Mock interview for post-grad.
6. Real interviews for languages post (external panel member, so not too much work)
7. Book theatre trip!
8. Tidy desk
9. House/life admin jobs - aim for 3.
10. Cooking for family on Sunday.
11. Do something creative!
12. Exercise - run x 2, pilates x 1.

Susan

1. Enjoy myself
2. Do enough so that I'm not overwhelmed when I return home.

2024 Session One, Week 11

Let's think about making magic, or if making other things can be magical. This week, I got at least a little bit un-stuck on a must-do task by taking some time to attempt a creative making that I've had on my list literally for years. (PSA: iron-on t-shirt transfers that you've had around for years may not function as well as new ones!) While involved in necessary waiting time for the t-shirt project, I made progress on the must-do. It reminded me that when I used to feel overwhelmed by grading (back in the days of a higher class load and far more students), I'd go bake bread or muffins or scones (also back in the days when I ate grains), and then I'd feel better able to tackle the stacks of papers. 

Do you stress-bake or do other stress-relieving crafts? Could you make time this week to make something for fun, and see if that makes you better able to tackle the things you must? My friend in Magineering says that such activities build up energy that magic can use to help power "brain off" charms and similar devices.

Here's the list of goals from last week. How are you doing?

Contingent Cassandra

Overcome By Events?

Daisy

Get extra sleep if possible
Set up and start academic advising
Practice music for upcoming concerts
Student theses feedback and rewrites
Fun meeting for new joint paper
Accounting for trip
Slightly overdue review

Dame Eleanor Hull

Exercise: cardio x5, yoga at least x4. Swim x2. Trainer x1. See if light weights are okay now.

Work: ignore the syllabus! ~3-5 hours/day on research (reading, translating, outlining, writing). List the "done."

Social/outings: campus run, medieval talk on Zoom, pick up Susan, go to book group, go to party.

Planning: book trains, message VRBO hosts with arrival times; finish assembling the tax docs; get estimates on car repair.

Heu mihi

1. Reread ch. 6 and complete preliminary revisions (basically, make sure that the chapter is really finished)
2. Round of revisions to ch. 3
3. Festschrift abstract of nonsense
4. Return to notes re. ch. 5 and start figuring out next steps...
5. Read and prep for next week's class
6. Process article reviews
7. Exercise like a fiend
8. Read book I'm considering for next year's class (it's short)
9. Clean house
10. Make cookies
11. Write LOR; read dissertation chapter
12. Send email about workshop for grad students

JaneB

1 - self care: move intentionally three days, do seven household tasks, eat mindfully, make sure I do rest after a few hours. Contact employment advisor at the local charity, journal daily, read next book about neurodiversity, GP appointment about returning to work or having a few more weeks to recover.

2 - Fun - read a novel, make some Easter cards, knit/crochet, do some art. Do some D&D prep, play D&D at least once.

3 - work and boundaries - maintain boundaries (possibly push back on Interim Head of School wanting another check in meeting, contact union to check about that), do minimal work hours (this week I have meetings with two grad students in the diary, plus will do email triage)

4 - work projects - nothing.

Julie

1. Revise grant application & work on costings
2. Start marking latest batch of essays
3. Finish watching recorded presentations for conference sessions (on the judging committee)
4. House jobs - aim for 3
5. Book theatre weekend
6. Exercise if back recovered enough - run x 2, pilates x 1

Susan

Do some more work on introduction; deal with any essays that come in late
Send out list of admits to faculty - write to admitted students
Look over program for conference, make plans
Enjoy myself
Eat/ sleep/ move

2024 Session One, Week 10

 Last week's discussion of rituals was great, but the real energy came around JaneB's suggestion of a "Brain Off Button".   Most of us could use that.  It is possible that some clever undergraduate in Magineering will figure it out!  Until then, I thought we might celebrate the relatively small tasks that end of feeling like we've done something big.   Sometimes these are things that hang over us even though they will take only about an hour or less; sometimes they haven't even been on the list but when we do them we feel extraordinarily accomplished.  

Goals from last week: 

Daisy:

Learn new and review old music for upcoming concerts
Urgent lab work day, send off samples
ALL the student thesis rewrites
Make and give conference presentation, enjoy conference
Make and give student event presentation

Dame Eleanor

Exercise: cardio x5, yoga at least x4. Swim x1. Trainer x1.

Work: do something on sample syllabus for 1 course proposal; ~3-5 hours/day on research (reading, translating, outlining, writing); prep for Latin group; finish Alms section; conference paper work.

Social/outings: Zoom with conference collaborator; eye exam; read book for group next week.

Creative: write out story climax idea/scene (may not have time for this, but it's a nice thing to keep around).

Planning: finish April trip arrangements; assemble tax documents

heu mihi

1. Get set up for spring break writing: reorient myself with my current chapter and/or think through ch. 5 some more; try to make some kind of progress on the floundering abstract of nonsense
2. Students: Read advisee's prospectus, take care of an incomplete, bunch of little things for my class
3. Send next issue of journal off to the press
4. Start ch. 3 revisions

JaneB:

1a - move intentionally three days
1b - do seven household tasks (check list in my bullet journal)
1c - eat mindfully
1d - make sure I do rest after a few hours
1e - read one book on neurodiversity
1f - the decluttering woman cometh, so I need to brace for that! Some VERY dusty bookcases are going to be purged...
2a - spend some decent fiction reading time, do some doodling, knit/crochet
2b - do some D&D preparation for a game I run, play D&D
3a - maintain boundaries, do minimal work hours (no meetings in the diary for the coming week, so will just aim to do email triage once)

Julie:

1. Revise grant application to make use of positive feedback from colleagues.
2. Talk to research support staff about costings.
3. More meetings, but last week of term.
4. Try to do some other bit of research/writing if time.
5. Restorative stuff
6. Exercise: run x 3, pilates x 1
7. House jobs: aim for 3
8. Book theatre weekend for summer with friends.

Susan 

1. In theory everyone is supposed to get everything on big collaboration to us by Friday. So most of my time this week will be on that.
-- work on introduction
-- start work on illustration table in the form they want it
--read and deal with essays that come in late
--zoom meeting with co-editor
--communicate with authors who are late
2. Administrivia: there are meetings on several subjects that need attention. I will chair one tomorrow, and need to do it with friendliness and grace
-- reach out to admitted students about questions
3. Find time to plan time at conference in great midwestern city. What sessions will I go to? Which museum will I go to when I play truant?
4. Deal with necessary phone calls, schedule cat for boarding, etc.
5. 3 journals
6. Take a trip to the dump with stuff in garage. Maybe go to storage unit for a preliminary scan of the challenge there.
7. Test drive one of the cars I am thinking of buying when I get rid of the current car.
7. Something nice/fun. Eat/sleep/move

2024 Session One, Week Nine

Using magic is tiring! Even talking to fairies, or tossing a charmed object that someone else has enchanted, takes its toll on the person wielding it, let alone the enchanter's energy. Mostly in History and Literature of Magic, our jobs have only the normal stresses: reading, grading, writing, preparing classes, trying to hold the attention of students who would rather be doing applied work than learning about old stories. But sometimes we have extra magic-related expenses of energy, and then it's very important to replenish properly. The applied users have their rituals to raise and store magical energy, but the rest of us have to think about how to tend our energy levels. Sleep is an obvious method, and so is meditation; spending time outside is good, as is listening to music, making art, writing in a journal or on a fun project, creating something, spending time with pets or friends.

What energy-restoring ritual would you like to create this week?

Contingent Cassandra (held over)

 --Begin work on conference paper (probably due to panel chair in early March, so it’s time)

--Engage in some sort of purposeful movement – short or long walks, stretching, weight-lifting, stair-climbing, and/or gardening – at least 5 out of every 7 days

Daisy

More visits

More grading

More fixing data issues

More thesis comments

More thesis rewrites

Dame Eleanor Hull

Exercise: cardio x5, yoga at least x4.

Work: sample syllabus for 1 course proposal; ~3-5 hours/day on research (reading, translating, outlining, writing); prep for Latin group; finish Alms section.

Social/outings: attend live presentation at LRU library; take Basement Cat to vet.

Creative: find files on old desktop; write out story climax idea/scene (may not have time for this, but it's a nice thing to keep around).

Planning: make April trip arrangements; make eye exam appt for me; assemble tax documents.

heu mihi

1. Exercise some; sit some

2. Read grad student's chapter

3. Initial assessment of two journal submissions

4. Find reviewer(s) for other journal's submission

5. Read 3 articles for research

JaneB

1a - move intentionally three days

1b - do seven household tasks (check list in my bullet journal)

1c - reduce (lets be realistic here) refined sugar for Lent

1d - make sure I do rest after a few hours (I think that's part of what has messed up my sleep...)

1e - read one book on ADHD, 7 types of rest for burnout recovery reading

2a - spend some decent reading time, do some doodling, knit

2b - do some D&D preparation for a game I run, play D&D

2c - sort out cards and gifts for Mothering Sunday (Sunday 10th in the UK) and my Mum's birthday (which is next week, sigh)

3a - maintain boundaries, prepare for Review, do minimal work hours (one grad student meeting in the diary, possibly one more if it can be scheduled), & check for Gossip

4a - anything that comes up re: future graduate students (I've had another enquiry!)

Julie

1. Viva tomorrow, write up joint report with external.

2. Finish marking (due Thursday).

3. Write final lecture for next week.

4. Two PhD chapters for different students.

5. Short report on research trips last term for funder (due Thursday)

6. More meetings.

7. Nephew's birthday present.

Susan

1. Read revised chapters as they come in, upload

2. Spend a coherent 2-3 hours on the introduction

3. Write the VERY LATE review. (I have just emailed the journal and said it would arrive by next Monday.)

4. Maybe do some journals or decluttering

5. Plan March trip to conference and friends

6. Do something fun

7. Eat/ Move / Sleep