End of Session

I couldn't find a record, but I think this is our last check-in.  We need some volunteers for the session that will start in January, so I will put up a separate post on that.

A few weeks ago we gave ourselves gifts; last week we let go of things.  This week I want to allow us to reflect on the community here.  What has moved you this session? Is there something someone has done you wish to celebrate? What gifts would you like to give? What do you have that you wish you could share?

Session Goals

Bardiac

Semester goals:
1. Keep up with grading and class prep. (I'm teaching two classes I haven't taught in a LONG time, so they're pretty new, with new texts and such, and one class I'm pretty sure of.)
2. Keep up with prep and committee work
3. Do a good job chairing the committee I'm chairing, and working on two other big committee projects.
4. Write a big report.
5. Write a the statue paper that's part of the bigger paper.
6. Exercise three days a week. (Does mowing count?)

Dame Eleanor Hull

*Live with uncertainty and work the process w/r/t the house.
*Finish and submit a very old R&R.
*Polish a chapter and write an introduction to my book-in-progress so I can submit it to the press of my choice.
*Keep up with grading and other administrivia so they get their due attention but not more.
*Keep up with exercise, stretching, FODMAP-safe cooking, and other necessary physical maintenance.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Steal outright JaneB’s idea of setting an alarm for 45 minutes, so that I get up, move about, and take a break.
Instead of haunting the vending machines, make lunches the night before.
Declutter the work office, at least as far as to see the surface of the desk and to have all the books standing, not laying, on the bookshelf.
Outline the Aurelius project.
Edit the Illuminated project.

Heu Mihi

Research:
1. Proofs and indexing for my book. Due mid-Oct., and I need to start tomorrow. If I do 12 pages per weekday, I'll be fine.
2. Abstracts: Two due Oct. 1
3. Conference paper: For mid-Nov.
4. Edited collection proposal: ASAP
Self: Maintain good routines.
5. Sit a reasonable amount. I've had good luck these last two weeks meditating at 8:00, after Bonaventure (age 7) gets on the bus.
6. Language work: Finish this textbook already.
7. Daily writing/research/reading.
8. Don't prep on the weekends. (I hate, hate, hate prepping on Sunday afternoons. It makes me monstrously grumpy.)

Humming42/Linda

1 Complete and submit five book reviews
2 Complete two article reviews
3 Submit grant proposal
4 Submit residency proposal
5 FInish and present Perform
6 Write and submit DQ paper
7 Write and submit December paper
8 KR abstract

JaneB

1) self-care. key features here are sleeping enough (or at least spending enough time in bed, if I can't sleep), moving enough my stupid joints/back don't get too noisy, saying "no" or "not now" more often, working on slowly getting my house and finances into order, and taking some quality time to think about what I might do if I do lose my job and identifying some practical steps (I think, and my most pessimistic and university-politically-savvy colleague thinks, that academics in our area are probably safe from involuntary severance until Summer 2021, and that our subject area is likely to survive if the university does - but who the hell knows in this world of Brexit and Boris-the-career-liar-who-can't-stop-lying being our prime minister and the general cultural turn against experts and what feels like a big looming recession?) (this means a) working on preparing some job materials which manage to sell my strengths (I am very experienced at preparing new teaching, especially in the unpopular areas of "skills in the discipline") and explain my weaknesses (lack of grants) as contextual (new teaching every year, lots of papers despite lack of people) not personal and looking for jobs (unlikely, but...) and b) probably doing one of those short courses in editing or proofreading or indexing, as my specialist writing skills seem like the most potentially non-academic lucrative skills I have (given my creakiness and age, and that even at senior levels industry positions in my research field are both very badly paid and involve quite a lot of outdoors work, hiking and mud and travel)
2) Research: finish and submit at least one substantial grant application, complete benchwork on FavouriteIslands samples, get the paper ProblemChild1 submitted somewhere and FlatProject1 fully drafted and ready to go, and do the equivalent of another paper's worth of data analysis and writing (lots of options, mostly depending on others).
3) teaching: I am leading a complete redesign of the two key first year modules (which will save quite a lot of money as we change out the field trip venue), I have to look after all exchange students going out or coming in, I'm supposed to be setting up a new programme with industrial placements... this trimester I also have a solo honours module which I taught for the first time last year (but it's moved trimester, which changes the timing of everything, there's a big timetabling problem which messes up my teaching plan, and chunks of it were taught by Incoming last year so need to be rewritten so I can teach them - his materials are scrappy & students were not happy so starting over will be easier) and also will be covering some gaps in modules related to my primary research skills (we hired someone who said they could do it all, but I said they couldn't, and I was right, and now I'm the only person left who can cover some parts of what we need - and we can't change ANYTHING of the advertised content this year, so we have to manage), and looking after the final year project module for the big cohort of needy students and the tutorial/study skills support programmes for the other years. Whine whine! (But I am only on an 80% contract so I do feel kind of whiny!). And next semester will be worse. So, goals for this semester are: resist the urge to get fancy with the redesign of the first year and third year. Get the new degree programme to the stage of either progress to full paperwork or denied. Rewrite all the stats teaching for the second semester module so that it is as close to ready to go as possible. Be responsive to students, and focus on a pedagogy of kindness approach (because I will need kindness, my colleagues will, and often the best way to get is to give out. Plus students tend to be forgiving of slip-ups if they feel genuinely cared for, and kindness is a good way of summarising all the things that make them feel like that).

Oceangirl101/Jenny

1) Transform two conference papers into two chapters for edited volumes (due end September), finish Ch 7 of book
2) Writing three times a week, lab work one time a week
3) Do Master Naturalist class (one night every other week and one Saturday a month)
4) Decorate house with things from my parents
5) Exercise x 3 a week

Susan

Academic
1. I will send off what I think are final revisions of Violence (the essay that would not die) this week.
2. I have a short blog post to write that will close a series on a major book in my field.
3. I'm speaking at a session celebrating 50 years of a journal in my field, so I have to read all 50 contributions to the special issue of the journal, and think about what I want to say. I'll call this journal
4. Start revising an essay I wrote a few years ago that needs rethinking. I'll call this "Race"
5. Keep working on Big, the edited volume I'll be involved in.
6. I'm likely to get another essay back from editors, so there will be time for a small amount of work on memorial.
7. Keep up with teaching. Neither of my classes is difficult, but both are semi-new to me, and involve a fair bit of thinking.
Life:
1.Take one day off each week
2. Keep walking - 10,000 steps a day is a goal
3. Start reading instaed of iPad at bedtime.
4. Try for 7 hours of sleep

Goals from last week:

Dame Eleanor

*sleep, stretch, exercise, dentist, haircut.
*write one exam, grade All The Things, post grades.
*make research plan, work on something, dead languages.
*pay bills, reserve car, pack, deal with family.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell (from 2 weeks ago)

Begin carefully organizing the new cubicle with writing space in mind.
Write my three statements for tenure and award meetings.
Edit Prudence 30 minutes a day.
Plan the timing of my research trip.

Heu Mihi

1. Read 30 minutes x3.
2. LANGUAGE x3, damn it.
3. Everything for classes except the final grading.
4. Design syllabus for new spring class.
5. Knit a bunch of the first sock for a Christmas gift.

Humming42/Linda

1 Step up and ask for extensions
2 Grade, grade, grade.
3 Write a bit every day

JaneB (implicit in her report last week)

Working computers

Some sanity among PTB

OceanGirl101/Jenny

1) submit grant
2) page proof edits
3) 2 article reviews
4) comments to two collaborators
5) exercise x 2
6) make some social plans for the next 2 weeks

Susan

Teach last class tomorrow
28 rough drafts back by Friday
Set up grades so final grades easy
Make committees
Use weekend to clear desk

Northern Fall / Southern Spring Week 13

DEH here; pick your tune to which to sing "Let it go, let it go, let it go!" Judging by the number of replies lately, this session has been rough on many people, in various ways. We've had "triage" as a theme for a couple of weeks already, and I think we can still use the reminder to focus on what really needs to happen. What can you let go of, this week? If it's checking in, okay, but we'd love to hear from you and get some ideas!

How are you doing?

DEH
*Sleep, stretching, exercise.
*Grade final set of papers, grade two small assignments, write two exams.
*Two hours research, plus dead languages.
*Assorted Life Stuff including ordering presents.

EAM
Begin carefully organizing the new cubicle with writing space in mind.
Write my three statements for tenure and award meetings.
Edit Prudence 30 minutes a day.
Plan the timing of my research trip.

heu mihi
1. A billion teaching tasks, both big and little. Finish recommendation letter. Sit through undergrad conference thing that is taking up my whole free day. Attend tiresome but short event that I organized. Watch video of TA's guest lecture and write up comments.
2. Finish reviewing final proofs
3. Read/take notes 3 x 30 minutes
4. Draft syllabus for new spring class
5. Language x 3

Humming42 (held over)
1 Submit DQ, for real.
2 Write next book review
3 Submit old Perform abstract for new publication
4 Grade like a madwoman
               
JaneB (held over)
1) maintain habits (8 items)
2) research - flat project, do SOMETHING. MAYBE
3a) External examining - read a large, large pile of final projects and prepare for a trip to Crowded Capital on the 20th... this has to all be done by the 15th because of family stuff...
3b) prep everything for next week.
3c) Sit down and look seriously at what is to come, and possibly throw self on the mercy of timetabling to ask for a change of some sort, or the mercy of my colleagues, or just... I dunno, cut something. I just. Can't.
4) NaNo. Discuss family stuff with sister, try to finalise the plan for parents wedding anniversary weekend.

oceangirl101
1) finish grading semester based homework etc.
2) finish 9 reports for FP government publications
3) write letters of rec for two grad students and a colleague
4) write a small internal grant
5) gym x 2

Susan
1. Make committees and other stuff for org that is TRQ
2. Do expenses from last trip
3. Read 2 journals
4. Comments for students in Course A
5. Grade next set of papers in Course B (due Thursday)
6. Go through charity requests on desk and clear it
7. Get back into exercise
8. Catch up on sleep

Northern Fall/Southern Spring Week 12

Well, JaneB posted last week about why she hadn't posted the week before, but it appears that I was not the only one who flaked on posting last week. Between medical issues for my mother, preparing to host my brother, SIL, and the not quite 6 year old twins, I completely flaked.   I have spent the day slowly recovering from their presence -- which is great, but exhausting; and my mother tells me how my brother annoys her.  It's all tiring and even though I love them all, all together is hard. 

 I'm obsessed with impeachment stuff, and on twitter watching many colleagues in the UK on their picket lines.  It's not only getting towards "the holidays", but also the end of term in the US, with attendant grading.  Lots of institutions with Xmas dos.  This makes JaneB's questions from last week particularly relevant. Since only Dame Eleanor and Humming42 posted last week, I'm going to repeat them:
In this season of crazy demands, what advice do you find useful on how to be kind to ourselves?  How do we frame the necessary triage as realistic, professional and smart?  What gifts do we want to give ourselves this year?
Which little pieces of the seasonal ritual do we genuinely enjoy, benefit from and intend to prioritise in the coming weeks?
(Go back and read what Dame Eleanor and Humming42 wrote, too -- both very thoughtful and provoking, at least for me!)

Dame Eleanor Hull
*submit abstract; 4 hours on R&R.
*grade 1 complete set of papers, start 2nd set.
*daily exercise and stretching.
*work on dead languages.
*sort/file/toss papers; tidy my study.
*enjoy 2 social engagements.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell (from last week)
Start to tie up loose ends, and decide which ones can stay untied in the old job.
Look at five of the suggestions for the special issue.
Finish packing the cubicle.
Look at the second interlibrary loan book.
Plan what I need in the new office space.
Edit Prudence 30 minutes a day.
Find out the brass tacks of the new building--refrigerator? Lounge?
Begin the attack on the yarn stash.

Heu Mihi (from last week) 
1. Survive the following: Tonight's speaker, whom I'm hosting; Husband's 50th birthday party tomorrow; guest author in class on Wednesday; giant birthday party for Husband on Friday. Take care of everything that needs taking care of. Don't freak out about the house being small and full of people and getting messy. DON'T.
2. Language x 3
3. Read 2 chapters/essays on research topic

Humming42 
1 Submit DQ, for real, for real
2 Write next book review
3 Try to finish 1 December article
4 Submit KR abstract

JaneB (from 2 weeks ago) 
1) maintain habits (8 items)
2) research - flat project, do SOMETHING. MAYBE
3a) External examining - read a large, large pile of final projects and prepare for a trip to Crowded Capital on the 20th... this has to all be done by the 15th because of family stuff...
3b) prep everything for next week.
3c) Sit down and look seriously at what is to come, and possibly throw self on the mercy of timetabling to ask for a change of some sort, or the mercy of my colleagues, or just... I dunno, cut something. I just. Can't.
4) NaNo. Discuss family stuff with sister, try to finalise the plan for parents wedding anniversary weekend.

OceanGirl101 (from 2 weeks ago)
1. grade midterm, input all grades etc.
2. prep classes
3. two article reviews
4. read student diss chapter
5. bills
6. exercise x 2

Susan (from last week) 
1. Make committees
2. Get all the assignment prompts and related material for both Course A and Course B
3. Finish grading papers for B
4. Do stuff for committee I chair
5. Start reading student dissertation
6. Read 3 journals
7. Walk
8. Sleep
9. Keep knitting in meetings. I started a scarf at the conference, and have decided it's good for me!

Northern Autumn/Southern Spring Week 11

Hi everyone!  I didn't check in last week for family reasons - my sister and I organised a weekend away for the whole family to celebrate our parents' 60th wedding anniversary.  The important bits - that our parents enjoyed themselves, that everyone had food they could eat, that there were no rows, that the "grand-dog" didn't eat people food, break anything or spontaneously combust from the excitement of a new place and lots of petting hands - all went off fine, which is what really matters!  The rest of last week was a mess - I had a migraine, a late report, a talk to write, an important research related meeting to attend away from campus one day, my car broke down (on the way BACK from the meeting, at least) and needed to be towed and repaired, my work computer broke down (and is not fixed.  Which slowed me down SO MUCH), and Christmas Is Coming regardless of whether I've done anything for it or not.  And don't even mention grading - which thanks to our fancy VLE and my town's not great internet I can't easily do from home any more, and can't do at the office right now thanks to the dead computer, and also the brain computer Does Not Want To.

Naturally I prioritised working on my NaNoWriMo effort, naturally, and have now hit 50k words... bad, messy, zero draft words for the most part, but actual words in a Scrivener document, and I think I've finally solved the "this timeline doesn't quite work" problem at the heart of the novel sequence I mostly work on, so maybe it will FINALLY come together into a first draft (with a lot of moving around of words).

At this point of the year, both academic and calendar, things are reaching a crunch point.  It's time for triage, and some brutal actions - throwing things we said we'd do by the end of semester or by the end of the year overboard, sending those postponment emails, admitting that our to do lists are just too full.  It's also a time when we get a barrage of positive messages - for North Americans, thanksgiving really emphasises that, but for all of us whether we celebrate or not the run up to Christmas is a time of light in the darkness, kindness to stranger and friend, and doing nice things for people we like, love or rely on - so for this week's topic, how about some advice on how to be kind to ourselves too?  How do we frame the necessary triage as realistic, professional and smart?  What gifts do we want to give ourselves this year? (I'd like to give JaneB some guilt-free permission slips for missing deadlines, some extra naps, and a teflon shield for her email to deflect the toxic academic-blaming messages of the central administration.  And some grading-elf-lures).  Which little pieces of the seasonal ritual do we genuinely enjoy, benefit from and intend to prioritise in the coming weeks? (For me, that's having a ring of advent candles, and taking a few minutes to sit in the dark then light them for a few minutes each evening.  It's meditative, it's symbolic... and it may not be very practical with an idiot floofy cat who loves to waft his tail over whatever I'm focusing on that isn't him, but I intend to try).

Goals from last week:
Dame Eleanor Hull
*draft abstract, send to writing group; two more hours on R&R;
*write one quiz, grade it plus a one-sentence assignment;
*daily exercise and stretching (x6);
*keep up with dead languages;
*pay bills; book flight to see my dad.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell
Start to tie up loose ends, and decide which ones can stay untied in the old job.
Look at five of the suggestions for the special issue.
Finish packing the cubicle.
Look at the second interlibrary loan book.
Plan what I need in the new office space.
Edit Prudence 30 minutes a day.
Find out the brass tacks of the new building--refrigerator? Lounge?
Begin the attack on the yarn stash.

Heu Mihi
1. Survive the following: Tonight's speaker, whom I'm hosting; Husband's 50th birthday party tomorrow; guest author in class on Wednesday; giant birthday party for Husband on Friday. Take care of everything that needs taking care of. Don't freak out about the house being small and full of people and getting messy. DON'T.
2. Language x 3
3. Read 2 chapters/essays on research topic

Humming42 
1 Submit DQ, for real.
2 Write next book review
3 Submit old Perform abstract for new publication
4 Grade like a madwoman

JaneB (from previous week) 
1) maintain habits (8 items)
2) research - flat project, do SOMETHING. MAYBE
3a) External examining - read a large, large pile of final projects and prepare for a trip to Crowded Capital on the 20th... this has to all be done by the 15th because of family stuff...
3b) prep everything for next week.
3c) Sit down and look seriously at what is to come, and possibly throw self on the mercy of timetabling to ask for a change of some sort, or the mercy of my colleagues, or just... I dunno, cut something. I just. Can't.
4) NaNo. Discuss family stuff with sister, try to finalise the plan for parents wedding anniversary weekend.

OceanGirl101 (from previous week)
1. grade midterm, input all grades etc.
2. prep classes
3. two article reviews
4. read student diss chapter
5. bills
6. exercise x 2

Susan
1. Make committees
2. Get all the assignment prompts and related material for both Course A and Course B
3. Finish grading papers for B
4. Do stuff for committee I chair
5. Start reading student dissertation
6. Read 3 journals
7. Walk
8. Sleep
9. Keep knitting in meetings. I started a scarf at the conference, and have decided it's good for me!

Northern Autumn/ Southern Spring Week 10

Well, last week past and I didn't even post - my mother was in the hospital for several days, and it threw everything off schedule. (She's OK, and was relatively healthy for being in hospital.  But it was time.)  And it appears that everyone is struggling, because lots of us didn't post.

I want to think more about JaneB's question from last week about how we decide what not to do, and turn it to intellectual focus.   I'm at a conference this weekend, and as is often the case at conferences, I hear papers and think, "Oh, shiny, new, I could do that!"  And the next one  "Oh, I could explore that!"  Having read and participated in conversations on this blog for some years, I know I'm not the only one who gets excited by new ideas and areas of exploration.  How do we choose projects?  When do we say no to projects?  We make choices about research at the beginning (will I take this on?) and then in prioritizing in real time-- what will I work on NOW.  Research projects are rarely squeaky wheels, so maybe thinking about how we both choose and prioritize them can be a transferable skill?

Goals from last week:
Dame Eleanor Hull
*finish long overdue R&R; progress on abstract;
*write two quizzes;
*daily exercise and stretching (x6);
*keep up with dead languages;
*deal with paperwork.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell
Finish packing my cubicle.
Continue editing Prudence 30 minutes a day.
Write a little fiction every day.
Contact my co-editor about next steps.
Contact my advisor.
Go through Interlibrary Loan books.
Knit the tree skirt every day.
Knit socks every day.

Heu Mihi (from previous week)
1. Finish conference paper and print it out; prepare intros/read abstracts for panel I'm chairing
2. Language x 2
3. Clear out email and niggling service-y tasks
4. Find a book or article that I want to read and that's related to my next project

Humming42 (from previous week)
1 Finish and submit DQ
2 Prepare online conference presentation for next week
3 Read next review book

JaneB (from previous week) 
1) maintain habits (8 items)
2) research - flat project, do SOMETHING. MAYBE
3a) External examining - read a large, large pile of final projects and prepare for a trip to Crowded Capital on the 20th... this has to all be done by the 15th because of family stuff...
3b) prep everything for next week.
3c) Sit down and look seriously at what is to come, and possibly throw self on the mercy of timetabling to ask for a change of some sort, or the mercy of my colleagues, or just... I dunno, cut something. I just. Can't.
4) NaNo. Discuss family stuff with sister, try to finalise the plan for parents wedding anniversary weekend.

OceanGirl101
1. grade midterm, input all grades etc.
2. prep classes
3. two article reviews
4. read student diss chapter
5. bills
6. exercise x 2

Susan (from previous week) 
1. Make committees
2. Admin stuff: expense reports, letter, report etc. Maybe clear out email?
3. Re-read Race, think about how to revise
4. Clear desk, which has become a disaster area
5. Keep walking
6. Sleep

Northern Autumn/Southern Spring week 9 (I think)

Hi all,

We are definitely in the season of overwhelm, or what my mother calls the Season Of The Great Too Much (she's usually referring to Christmas shopping and over-consumption in general, but as an academic that also describes my work life at the moment).  Last week Susan asked about handling overwhelm, and I'd like to keep the topic going this week - my question is how do you decide what NOT to do?

I find it very difficult when I'm feeling overwhelmed to decide what is good enough, what can wait until next week, and what I should pick as my top three things for a given day - it's as if all the little voices of the to do list items get so loud I can't think properly or focus on my priorities.  Anyone got any tips or Do Nots?  I know what DOESN'T work is paying attention to the person who is being most demanding that I do THEIR thing, because that trains them that being demanding works (bad move!), because their priorities are very rarely mine, and because being reactive all the time makes me feel more overwhelmed.... 



Dame Eleanor Hull
*daily reading/writing (x5), OR a weekly total of 50 pages read, 1250 words written;
*grade 1500-word essays; check two in-class writing assignments; plan when to give two quizzes;
*daily exercise and stretching (x6);
*keep up with dead languages;
*deal with paperwork.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell
Continue editing 30 minutes a day.
Write a little fiction every day.
Weigh suggestions for special issue.
Do not overwork.
Continue knitting the tree skirt.

HeuMihi
1. Finish conference paper and print it out; prepare intros/read abstracts for panel I'm chairing
2. Language x 2
3. Clear out email and niggling service-y tasks
4. Find a book or article that I want to read and that's related to my next project

Humming42
1 Finish and submit DQ
2 Prepare online conference presentation for next week
3 Read next review book

JaneB
1) maintain habits (8 items)
2) research - flat project, do SOMETHING. MAYBE
3a) External examining - read a large, large pile of final projects and prepare for a trip to Crowded Capital on the 20th... this has to all be done by the 15th because of family stuff...
3b) prep everything for next week.
3c) Sit down and look seriously at what is to come, and possibly throw self on the mercy of timetabling to ask for a change of some sort, or the mercy of my colleagues, or just... I dunno, cut something. I just. Can't.
4) NaNo. Discuss family stuff with sister, try to finalise the plan for parents wedding anniversary weekend.

OceanGirl101 (carried over from last week)
1. Finish ed vol chapter, all text, ref and figures
2. Emails for summer fieldwork
3. Midterm- construct new one, grade etc.
4. Bills and laundry and the such
5. Meet with xarpenter for new bookshelves in office
6. Exercise x 2

Susan
1. Make committees
2. Admin stuff: expense reports, letter, report etc. Maybe clear out email?
3. Re-read Race, think about how to revise
4. Clear desk, which has become a disaster area
5. Keep walking
6. Sleep

Northern Fall/Southern Spring Week 8

First, a belated happy birthday to JaneB!

Last night the clocks changed here, so we've got more light in the mornings, but the evenings will now close in earlier.  The next three months are always the hardest for me, as I just want to hibernate.   

We are half way through the session, and while I won't do a formal mid-session check-in, I invite you to think about your session goals this week: were they reasonable?  Do you need to cut back?   

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, we're deep in the time of grading, and lots of deadlines, committee meetings, conferences, and. . .  It all gets kind of overwhelming.  How do you manage being overwhelmed?  Is there a mantra? Is there something you do for yourself? Or do you just push through?  

Goals from last week:

Dame Eleanor Hull
*daily reading/writing (x5), OR a weekly total of 50 pages read, 1250 words written;
*grade 2 short assignments (summaries; Mab in-class), start grading 1500-word essays; plan when to give two quizzes;
*daily exercise and stretching (x6);
*keep up with dead languages;
*deal with paperwork.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell
Continue editing 30 minutes a day.
Write a few hundred words of fiction every day.
Weigh suggestions for special issue.
Do not overwork.
Start knitting the tree skirt.

HeuMihi
1. Brilliant revision of collection proposal
2. Conference paper/research 30 minutes x 3
3. Language work 30 minutes x 3
4. Calm and rational discussion with chair
5. Sit x 5

Humming42
1 Finish and submit DQ
This needs all of the possible time and attention this week.

JaneB
1) maintain habits (8 items)
2) research - flat project, do SOMETHING (which reminds me, I DID do something on flat project last week... had a long angsty conversation with the project lead about former PDF who appears to have got the hump about something but is also really busy so not replying to messages...)
3) Prepare all teaching materials for next week and if possible make a start on the week after that... but
4) Friday is my birthday. Do not work. Write fiction. Roll around in the writing and the ideas being completely self-indulgent. Also, EAT SUGAR (there is a macademia blondie in the freezer which I may have for BREAKFAST). Hippo bird-day to me!!!

OceanGirl101
1. Finish ed vol chapter, all text, ref and figures
2. Emails for summer fieldwork
3. Midterm- construct new one, grade etc.
4. Bills and laundry and the such
5. Meet with xarpenter for new bookshelves in office
6. Exercise x 2

Susan
1. Do next set of grading proposals and drafts
2. DO Blog post
3. Write up minutes
4. Create committees
5. Breathe
6. Keep up with walking, keep getting good sleep.

Northern Fall/Southern Spring week 7

Next week will be half way through this iteration, which seems ridiculous - the days are long, the weeks are short...

On the subject of time flying past, it's also nearly November, so NaNoWriMo is just around the corner (as is AcWriMo).  That means that I have just got back from meeting an actual stranger in a coffee shop for a pre-NaNoWriMo prep meet-up.  It was scary... but it was fun once I got there, and there might be some potential for actually making a new friend here (she knew loads of details from Terry Pratchett books, and appreciated the way the absurdity accumulates, and is planning a 'magical realism cosy mystery series based around a tea shop in a small coastal town' which sounds like exactly the kind of thing I need to read).  I don't have time for NaNoWriMo, I don't have space in my head for plot and character and stuff, but I need it, so I'm doing it.  However, typing and computer work is bad for my various aches and pains, and doing EXTRA typing after work seems rather 'busman's hobby' ish.  But I LIKE writing and thinking and organising words...

Which leads me to today's topic - I thought it might be interesting to think about how leisure and self-care often overlap with our work lives.  I'm a STEM academic, so at least my fiction and occasional poetry writing isn't directly related to my job - although as it involves sitting at a computer, planning and editing, it's kind of a bit close for comfort.  I also like getting out into nature - but that is really NOT a proper escape either because everything I see is informed by my subject knowledge, I'm often catching myself thinking "ooooh, need a photo of that, it would be perfect for that lecture..." or "...if I ever get to teach x...".  Being an academic, being a bookish, verbal person, and working in the general environment area (where just about ANYTHING in a landscape can be relevant), it's really hard to think of anything I do that DOESN'T relate to work.  Baking?  But I do lab work, the source of ingredients and my dietary choices all have environmental implications, etc. etc...

How does it work for you?  Do you find it easy to separate work activities and leisure activities, or do they tend to bleed into each other?  Any tips on how to improve the separation, or embrace the blend?

Goals for last week

Dame Eleanor Hull

*daily reading/writing (x5), OR a weekly total of 50 pages read, 1250 words written;
*grade 1 set of student papers (F&H) and 2 short assignments (sentences, ICW);
*daily exercise and stretching (x6);
*keep up with dead languages;
*deal with paperwork.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell - carried over

Do the hard phone calls - - asking for permission to take classes, talking to Admissions, the Graduate School, and the department.
Do some prep work for special issue.

Heu Mihi

1. Sit x 5
2. Send out journal acceptances for undergrad thingy
3. Edit abstracts for collection and send to co-editor
4. 3x30 minutes on November conference paper
5. 1x30 minutes on language
6. Have a calm, rational conversation about my service load with my department chair
7. Don't go to bed past 10:30

Humming42/Linda

1 Finish and submit next book review
2 Write lit review and outline for DQ
3 Decide about summer funding proposal
4 Regroup.

JaneB

1) maintain habits (8 items, it's boring to keep listing them)
2) research things this week - stet: finish the FlatProject final step of analysis ready to start writing. Finish refereeing the damn horrible article (ugh). If possible, also drawing up a figure for the grant idea called PCfu (ProblemChild follow up) and send the draft to FormerPDF. Sort out FavouriteIslands samples.
3) prepare all teaching materials for the next week. See if I can get out of the field trip (there are several students not going for variously good and indifferent reasons, so we don't REALLY need everyone, and I'm not needed for any specific reason, so...). Grade the remaining 50 short essays (now very urgent) and 60-odd small pieces.
4) start some plotting for NaNoWriMo. (I don't have time but I need the escapism)
 

Oceangirl101/Jenny

1. finish last ed volume chapter
2. do figures ed vol chapter
3. emails about fieldwork for the summer
4. exercise x 3
5. clean house/laundry/bills things are sort of out of hand
6. Plane tic to memorial service for Mom (seem to be in denial about this and must do)

Susan

1. Finish grading first group of papers (TRQ)
2. Comment on draft paper topics
3. Re-read book and write blog post on big but old book
4. Do one admin report that is overdue
5. Keep walking/ exercising

Northern Fall/Southern Spring, Week 6

Last week JaneB asked us about our quick pick-me-ups, which got me thinking. For me those things are happy accidents, more than things I can do.  So  the things I can do have to do with friends, most of whom live someplace else.  So I thought it would be good for us to talk about and honor our friends -- where we see them, how we stay in touch, what difference they make.  What's their role in your life?  

Goals from last week:
Dame Eleanor Hull:
*daily reading/writing (x5), OR a weekly total of 50 pages read, 1250 words written;
*grade 2 sets of student papers and 2 short assignments; put up 2 new assignments; prep for film-teaching;*daily exercise and stretching (x6);*keep up with dead languages;*pay bills.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell:
Relax and forget all about work.
Enjoy the Wednesday night concert.
Take some knitting, probably wool socks.
Make sure I have several books with me.


Heu Mihi:
1. Finish Silence edits & send them in
2. Sit x 5
3. Read journal submissions and email timeline to other editors
4. Look at what I’m supposed to do for the collection proposal
5. 2 x30 minutes on November conference paper
6. 1 x30 minutes on language

JaneB
1) maintain habits (8 items, it's boring to keep listing them)
2) research things this week: finish the FlatProject final step of analysis ready to start writing. Finish refereeing the damn horrible article (ugh). If possible, also drawing up a figure for the grant idea called PCfu (ProblemChild follow up) and send the draft to FormerPDF. Sort out FavouriteIslands samples.
3) prepare all teaching materials for week, 10 days if possible (because there is a two day field trip at the end of next week so I lose weekend time so I want to be ahead enough I can have at least ONE day off. Plus the FOLLOWING week my little sister is graduating with her undergrad degree - she's only 2 years younger than me & studied part time by distance learning/weekend intensives at a specialist-animal-stuff HE-college affiliated to Northern Uni) so I want to spend some time with her family then. grade one thesis and 63 short essays (now urgent).
4) finish reading last bit of previous years NaNoWriMo, collect relevant bits into a new Scrivener file, and start some plotting. (I don't have time but I need the escapism)

Susan 
1. Enjoy conference
2. Talk to at least 5 new people
3. Grade papers
4. Keep up some kind of exercise while at conference
5. Try to keep some kind of balanced sleep pattern. (Hah, it's almost 11:30.)

Northern Autumn/Southern Spring 2019 week 5

We've been talking about distractions for the last couple of weeks; right now, TRQ is one of the biggest distractions in my life, as we've reached that middle slog of the semester when the end is a long way off but the novelty and energy of the fresh start has worn off, the first years are settling in enough to notice that they are tired and homesick, and the days are getting short enough that I'm getting up in the dark and driving to work facing into the sunrise and getting half-blinded at points when the sun is actually out.  Which is pretty, but feels Too Darn Early!  So this week let's talk about renewal - where do you turn for quick shots of energy and enthusiasm and kindness when you've reached the heavy point of the semester and you need to work on TRQ to have a chance of staying afloat in all the little crannies of time you optimistically intend for TLQ (that one is probably just me...)?  When you struggle to keep all your self-care habits, do you prioritise sleep, or dive into fiction, or bake an enormous batch of goodies?  What's the current One Thing that can help get you through a tough week with a good attitude?  or have you suggestions of things to try?

For example - I've recently been unreasonably cheered by finding an orange-spice version of vegan/refined-sugar-free/fairtraded chocolate goop that makes bearable hot chocolate out of sensible, healthy oat milk, and indulged myself by spending this afternoon lying on the bed with a pile of All The Pillows and a cat on my legs, re-reading a Very Frivolous Book, which has given me the will to push through all the hard bits of next week's teaching prep.

Last week's goals

Dame Eleanor Hull

*daily reading/writing (x5), OR a weekly total of 50 pages read, 1250 words written;
*grade 1 set of student papers, put up a batch of new assignments, prep for film-teaching;
*daily exercise and stretching (x6);
*keep up with dead languages;
*make at least one more medical appointment.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell - carried over

Write and send call for special issue.
Walk at least 2.5 miles x 5.
Take homemade lunch x 5.
Edit one page of Illuminated x 5.
Finish outlining the lit review of Aurelius.
Pull/shred fifteen files.
Destress, breathe, meditate x 7

Heu Mihi

1. Finish proofs and index
2. Sit x 5
3. Email piano teachers; respond to people who wrote back
4. Read journal submissions
5. Look at what I’m supposed to do for the collection proposal

Humming42/Linda

1 Finish and submit next book review
2 Submit conference paper reviews
3 Work on summer funding proposal
4 Write every day

JaneB

1) maintain habits (bed before midnight, 45s to get small regular movement in at work, keeping a food/mood diary, not eating refined sugar, leaving work before 6, doing something non-work every workday evening) and add a little more exercise once this week. Also scoop the kitty tray more regularly!
2) research things this week: finish the FlatProject final step of analysis ready to start writing. Referee an article (ugh). If possible, also drawing up a figure for the grant idea called PCfu (ProblemChild follow up) and send the draft to FormerPDF. Sort out FavouriteIslands samples.
3) prepare all teaching materials for following week. grade one thesis and 63 short essays (sigh).
4) finish reading through last year's NaNoWriMo effort, read selected bits of previous years, and build up my Preptober list..

Oceangirl101/Jenny

1. work on usewebs papers
2. exercise- walk daily
3. finalize figures for chapter for ed vol #1

Susan

1. Letter of reference (due Thursday, so TRQ, but it's a significant letter so will take time)
2. Write up Trial assignment, get all related references
3. Draft comment for conference (which is next week, so...)
4. All the administrative stuff
5. Walk regularly
6. Get sleep schedule back, go to bed early and get enough sleep.

Managing Distractions

(Sorry for being late!) 

Last week we all shared the excitement that students bring to campus along with the classes and meetings that serve as distractions. I’ve been thinking a lot about another set of distractions: political ones. These issues are acute in both the US and the UK right now, but this is a special case of political drama. I had friends who, after 9/11, read newspapers 24/7; others who were obsessive during different presidential campaigns. (I’ve observed similar obsessiveness in twitter friends from multiple countries, so it’s not just a US thing.)  If you think globally, there issues like global warming, the resurgence of nationalist populism in recent years, war, migration, etc.  How do you manage these distractions? Are there times when they take over? Do you just hide?  Maybe our different strategies will help all of us!

Goals from last week:

Dame Eleanor Hull

*daily reading/writing (x5), OR a weekly total of 50 pages read, 1250 words written;
*grade 1 set of student papers, put up a batch of new assignments, assign and grade a batch of in-class writing;
*daily exercise and stretching (x6);
*keep up with dead languages;
*make at least one more medical appointment.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell

Write and send call for special issue.
Walk at least 2.5 miles x 5.
Take homemade lunch x 5.
Edit one page of Illuminated x 5.
Finish outlining the lit review of Aurelius.
Pull/shred fifteen files.
Destress, breathe, meditate x 7

Heu Mihi

1. 60 pages of proofs (to p. 195)
2. Sit x 5
3. Read one grad student's chapter
4. All prep for Mon & Tues done by the time I go home on Friday
5. Sort clothes for donation
6. Keep the grading moving along, without letting Feelings About Grading get in the way
7. Write and send a batch of non-work-related emails

Humming42/Linda

1 Finish and submit next book review
2 Finish and submit 2 article reviews
3 Work on conference paper
4 Write every day
5 Breathe, breathe, breathe

JaneB

1)     maintain habits (bed before midnight, 45s to get small regular movement in at work, keeping a food/mood diary, not eating refined sugar, leaving work before 6, doing something non-work every workday evening) and add a little more exercise once this week

2)     research things this week: finish the FlatProject final step of analysis ready to start writing. If possible, also drawing up a figure for the grant idea called PCfu (ProblemChild follow up) and send the draft to FormerPDF. Sort out FavouriteIslands samples.

3)     prepare all teaching materials for following week.

4)     read through last year's NaNoWriMo effort, look into Preptober schemes people use for NaNo.

Oceangirl101/Jenny

1. Start writing second ed vol chapter
2. Prep to be away next week- grading, readings posted to BB etc.
3. Air ticket to Mom's memorial service
4. Exercise x 3
5. Figures to drafter for two ed vol chapters

Susan

1. finish reading dissertation
2. Grade papers (TRQ now, must be done by Thursday)
3. Read at least one set of essays for conference
4. Get the walking going again
5. Return to healthy sleep patterns