the grid

the grid

Sunday 21 July 2019

Summer-north, winter-south, week 9: ride within yourself

Greetings, all! It's DEH again, the medievalist-cycling fanatic (I guess pilgrimages were the medieval version of the Tour de France), still thinking of everything in terms of cycling metaphors. The language used by professional cyclists and their commentators is, um, idiosyncratic at times: "going backwards" means people are passing you even as you keep riding forwards; to say a descent is "technical" translates to "terrifyingly twisty"; and does anyone remember the race in which Bob Roll suddenly blurted out “diamond star halo" when waxing enthusiastic? Did I hallucinate that? (Edited to add: no, it was in the 2012 Paris-Nice.)

Anyway! "Ride within yourself" is something like "keep your eyes on your own page." Do what you can do; don't exhaust yourself trying to keep up with someone who just blew past you. Just keep riding at a steady pace, recuperate as best you can, conserve your strength, limit your losses. Don't make it worse. Sometimes people who have to "ride within themselves" for awhile on a steep ascent make it back and are able to attack. Sometimes they still lose time, just not as much as if they really blew themselves up.

If you're riding back into form, terrific! But even someone who's making it into form may have a day when you need to conserve strength. Make sure you look after yourself this week. Our session still has a few more weeks to go, so plan how you're going to survive to ride into your own metaphorical Paris at the end. Just get there. Even the "lanterne rouge" (slowest time on the race) is someone who finished. DFL>DNF>DNS.

Let us know how you're doing, what you're planning for next week, and what sort of support we can provide you as we all progress toward the final stage!

Dame Eleanor Hull
1, gym/walk/swim x6, stretch x6, usual low-FODMAP cooking.
2, pay bills, make an appointment for maintenance.
3, conference paper draft for writing group; touch R&R so I remember what I'm doing with it.
4, further translation editing.
5, continue planning courses, ~ 2 hours.
6, drill grammar or vocabulary x 3 in one language.
7, assemble paperwork for passport appointment.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
One hour x 6 on Prudence apparatus.
One hour x 5 hours on file cabinet.
Three hours on the writing course.
Meditate x 5.

Good Enough Woman
1) Write 5x
2) Exercise 5x (and get at least 5000 steps most days)
3) Take daughter to waterpark on Tuesday
4) Enjoy anniversary celebration. Try to relax and not worry about what's happening with kids, chores, academic tasks, etc.
5) Check in with son to see if he wants to go on any special outings
6) Find one good plant-based meal to try
7) Get 201B and 201C syllabus work mostly done. Write two sets of study questions for new texts.

heu mihi
1. 5-10 hours on edits for monograph
2. 2-4 hours on Wonder
3. Read 30 pages of Proust (finish Sodome et Gomorrhe)
4. Read another monograph
5. Read grad student's chapter
6. Do all the beach prep (which is considerable, as I like to prepare for trips as I might prepare for death)
7. Exercise x5, language x5, sit x??

Humming42
1 Write and submit review due this week
2 Keep up with grading and comments
3 Write something every day

Karen?

KJHaxton?

JaneB

1a: 5-10 minute exercise routines, track noodling and sleep (as a step towards changing the habit), journal daily
1b: pick up the spaces that have been decluttered, make another appointment (for early August).
1c: park the square I was working on and start a new version. Touch one other crafty project
2a: Complete application for Pointless But Gratifying, complete as much data analysis and write as much of the conference talk for Fragment as possible, get the conference poster sent off for printing, write up a first draft of FavouriteIslandsGrantIdea, process FlatProject results when they come off my computer, help out with data analysis for another paper to be presented at the conference (writing days)
2b: continue making teaching related lists
2c: Find samples for FavouriteIslands analysis and pass any that need it on to technician. Clear off my lab corner so I can start analysis on the ones I didn't finish last summer.
3: extras: half an hour of office decluttering, start organising things for the conference trip

oceangirl101
1) go through 2 weeks of mail/email, bills etc.
2) get AC fixed
3) exercise 3x
4) fun 2x
5) outline last bits of Ch 3
6) write 2000 words
7) choose books for fall

Susan (held over)
1. Finish edits on text of Memorial. (I got comments from the editor, which were "BE BOLD", so . . .)
2. Start working on footnotes for Memorial (There are a lot of placeholder ones)
3. Keep walking
4. Enjoy London
5. Keep reading for fun

Waffles
1. Make progress on R&R
2. Answer questions on qual manuscript (hopefully after my questions about authorship are cleared up)
3. Figure out what needs to be done for victimization paper
4. Make a plan for SOQIR papers
5. Make a plan for a relationships and health paper
6. Figure out where to send desk rejected no-longer-JAMA peds paper. :(
7. Set meeting with coauthors to talk about other rejected paper

16 comments:

  1. Ugh. Having trouble keeping my eyes on my own page - too many others having successes and I'm feeling highly incompetent at the moment. And achy. And I have to travel to a conference on Wednesday, which is forecast to be the hottest day of the year so far and about 10 degrees hotter than this week has been so it will be a shock to the system. And for multiple reasons I'm travelling via four trains and a ferry and possibly a bus (although I will probably take a taxi if that's an option at the end of that trek). Which is GOOD, because airports are stressful, but LESS GOOD because airports and planes are generally air conditioned and British regional railways, especially here in the benighted north, are rarely anything other than stifling. Grumble!

    goals last week:
    1a: 5-10 minute exercise routines, track noodling and sleep (as a step towards changing the habit), journal daily a couple times, not very well, yes
    1b: pick up the spaces that have been decluttered, make another appointment (for early August). appointment made
    1c: park the square I was working on and start a new version. Touch one other crafty project yes, yes, no
    2a: Complete application for Pointless But Gratifying, complete as much data analysis and write as much of the conference talk for Fragment as possible, get the conference poster sent off for printing, write up a first draft of FavouriteIslandsGrantIdea, process FlatProject results when they come off my computer, help out with data analysis for another paper to be presented at the conference (writing days) Yes -submitted, yes - just waiting for FormerPDFs part, yes, partly, no (there was a lot of starting over involved and I got fed up), yes
    2b: continue making teaching related lists not really
    2c: Find samples for FavouriteIslands analysis and pass any that need it on to technician. Clear off my lab corner so I can start analysis on the ones I didn't finish last summer. nope and nope
    3: extras: half an hour of office decluttering, start organising things for the conference trip nope and yes

    The next couple of weeks will be taken up with conference preparation (and anxiety), conference attendance and then a bit of recovery, I hope. So I'm not going to set goals beyond making sure I prioritise self-care over what I "ought" to do or owe the faculty for part-paying-for the trip.

    In fact, I WILL set goals for the conference - every day, attend one session's worth of talks, read one poster, talk to one person about science who isn't involved in FlatProject (so that can be a current collaborator or a science friend or a new person), and drink at least 2l of water! And that is ENOUGH.

    I really, really do not want to go to this conference, for all sorts of reasons, but I can do it and it will be fine. I hope!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good luck! I hope it goes better than expected, and that you feel well at the end of it because of your attention to self-care.

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    2. I second Dame Eleanor's emphasis on self-care. Given your first paragraph, I really want to emphasize your not feeling you "ought" to do anything or that you "owe" the faculty anything. I have just battled through trying to gain approval from others in order to address the bad feelings when others get rewarded for things and I do not. One lesson from that is that my sense of accomplishment has to be founded on my own internal moral compass. I suspect your moral compass is better than the faculty you feel you owe.

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  2. I'm doing pretty ok. I took Friday-Sunday off, which was lovely. I've had three rejections (2 manuscripts and one grant) in the past few weeks, plus the likely unfundable score of my NIH K, and then the frantic race to resubmit it. I think I was exhausted and overwhelmed and feeling a bit low.

    I went to a reading of a friend's play on Saturday (in the midst of a heat wave) - which was really great and so exciting to see a play in the early stages of production. I'm excited to see what happens from here.

    Goals for last week:
    1. Make progress on R&R: PROGRESS MADE!
    2. Answer questions on qual manuscript (hopefully after my questions about authorship are cleared up): TOOK CARE OF MY PART OF THE MANUSCRIPT, AUTHORSHIP QUESTIONS STILL UP IN THE AIR!
    3. Figure out what needs to be done for victimization paper: DONE! WE HAVE AN AGREED UPON PLAN!
    4. Make a plan for SOQIR papers: NOT DONE!
    5. Make a plan for a relationships and health paper: NOT DONE!
    6. Figure out where to send desk rejected no-longer-JAMA peds paper. RESUBMITTED!!!
    7. Set meeting with coauthors to talk about other rejected paper (got good feedback at least): MEETING SET AND MEETING HAD! IT WAS LOVELY!

    This week:
    1. Diss paper R&R
    2. Revise and re-submit to a different journal rejected F32 paper
    3. Start reshaping victimization paper #1
    4. Get some articles for victimization paper #3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Time off is important, and so are creative re-charging activities like theater! Most excellent! And you got right back on the bike after the rejected-paper crash and kept going!

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    2. Why do rejections for me also seem to come in bunches? Good for you for turning revisions/grant submissions around in short time. It can be deflating but I find picking myself up and just getting back to it really helps get over that feeling.

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    3. I am inspired by your climbing back on the bike immediately. Your action and oceangirl's advice are great inspiration.

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  3. What marvelous analogies you offer us through your Tour fandom! It’s so good to be reminded to just keep my own pace, steady on. Last week was peculiar in terms of writing. I’ve always had this struggle about whether my writing goals should be based on time or word count--a conversation that goes on many places, including here at TLQ--and the struggle has been about finding something I can actually stick to and accomplish. I didn’t think that the ambiguous “write something” would be a good goal, but so far it is working. I don’t have a real reflection since I’m only eight days in so far, but maybe next week...

    Last week:
    1 Write and submit review due this week: yes
    2 Keep up with grading and comments: kind of, no grades due yet
    3 Write something every day: yes

    This week:
    1 Write and submit a book review
    2 Keep up with grading and comments
    3 Write and submit panel abstract
    4 Write something every day

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For quite awhile, I had a daily writing habit of at least a sentence, and often more. Then I fell off the wagon and it has been very hard to get back to that, partly because the translation work often involves tasks other than writing. Anyway, I fully support "write something" as a goal.

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    2. I had a daily writing habit for a while, too. I also tried the hint of stopping in mid-thought so that the "wheels would be greased," as one suggestion put it. I believe JaneB calls that "parking on the slope," but she can correct me if I have it wrong.
      "Write something" is a great way to get back on the bicycle. I found it too easy to dwell on not making the word count goal, or not writing the whole time or other ways to berate myself, whereas I can almost always write something!

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  4. Oof, here it is Wednesday already! There's a ride-within-yourself moment all right: just do what you (I) can, catch up as best you (I) can, keep pedaling toward the finish and hope to make it before the time cut.

    How I did:
    1, gym/walk/swim x6, stretch x6, usual low-FODMAP cooking. YES.
    2, pay bills, make an appointment for maintenance. YES, NO.
    3, conference paper draft for writing group; touch R&R so I remember what I'm doing with it. YES, NO.
    4, further translation editing. YES.
    5, continue planning courses, ~ 2 hours. YES,
    6, drill grammar or vocabulary x 3 in one language. YES.
    7, assemble paperwork for passport appointment. YES. New passport scheduled to arrive this week.

    New goals:
    1, gym/walk/swim x6, stretch x6, usual low-FODMAP cooking.
    2, gardening, make an appointment for maintenance.
    3, complete conference paper draft; touch R&R so I remember what I'm doing with it.
    4, translation proofing.
    5, continue planning courses, ~ 2 hours.
    6, drill grammar or vocabulary x 4 in one language.

    Advance warning: I will be traveling a lot in August, and although I should have internet access I will also have a lot going on that may preclude putting up posts or checking in,at least around the 10th and 17th.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Despite your first paragraph, you got a lot accomplished, Dame Eleanor. The fussy bits of course planning and the drudgery of paying bills and assembling paperwork are especially noteworthy, because they are not the fun parts of TLQ.

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  5. Sorry, its Friday, better late than never I guess. I am falling into the 'summer is almost over hole' which rather than wanting to be outside doing summery things, makes me want to chain myself to my computer, ugh. Positively I think of the week as getting into a good groove with writing/editing/exercising that I can sustain over the semester. Negatively I think that I isolated a bit and spent lots of time at the computer in my pjs.
    Last week
    1) go through 2 weeks of mail/email, bills etc. Yes
    2) get AC fixed Yes, thank god
    3) exercise 3x Yes
    4) fun 2x Yes
    5) outline last bits of Ch 3 No
    6) write 2000 words Yes
    7) choose books for fall NO
    This week:
    1) finish Ch 3 writing, start edits
    2) choose books for fall, course planning
    3) read two diss chapters for students
    4) do some organization work to prepare for postdoc starting in the fall
    5) meet with illustrator on figures for book
    6) exercise x 4
    7) fun x 2

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The tension between getting work done and enjoying the outdoors is hard to balance. The joke where I live is there are two seasons: winter and the 4th of July, so it is very hard to look through the study window at the beautiful weather.
      Congrats on the 2000 words!

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  6. Topic: I am often guilty of comparing myself to others, usually in terms of accomplishments, but sometimes in terms of the ease with which some people seem to get what they want. I am suffering with the latter envy these last two weeks, so the topic is quite timely. Without giving revelatory details, I have contemplated academic politics quite a lot these last two weeks, and why those who have more political skill than knowledge or expertise get rewarded. It is a question for the ages. The thing that bothers me the most is that these insidious people and their disruptive thoughts live rent-free in my brain, as the Philosopher points out, taking brain cells and time that I could use on more productive pursuits.

    Last week’s goals:
    One hour x 6 on Prudence apparatus. No
    One hour x 5 hours on file cabinet. No
    Three hours on the writing course. No
    Meditate x 5. No

    Analysis: I got nothing done these past two weeks. I was trying desperately to jump high enough to appease those asking me to jump in the first place. The only good thing to come out of my failure is that I am done jumping. Well, also that anger while cleaning helps makes a kitchen and bathroom really shine. It was a good lesson in knowing who I am, and what I will sacrifice to fit into a group I really don’t want to join.

    Next few days’ goals:
    One hour x 6 on Prudence apparatus.
    One hour x 5 hours on file cabinet.
    Three hours on the writing course.
    Meditate x 5.

    Here’s to self-knowledge and riding within oneself. Float like mist, everyone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sorry you had such a crappy couple of weeks, but I hope your anger turns to useful energy. Thank you for your thoughtful and encouraging responses to other people! It's always good to 'see' you here.

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