the grid

the grid

Sunday 11 April 2021

2021 Session 1, Week 14: Nurturing and feeding joy

Good day to all our valued crew members and guests. Just a few announcements today because keeping track of more than a few plans right now is one bridge too far…

Demotivators have been sighted in some parts of the crew decks. Apparently they are entering their breeding season (damned if I know how they figured it out in their climate controlled, simulated-hibernation cargo bay). They feed on fresh green sprouts of optimism and anticipation, so please be extra careful to nurture those little sprouts and keep the force-fields around them strong! You can pick up your personal spray kit to immobilize any stray Demotivators for pick-up and repatriation to the hibernation deck. Just pile them in a corner and put a blanket over them for easy storage!

Captain Vorpatril will be hosting a travelogue style slide show this evening in the forward lounge area. Some of his earlier missions have recently been declassified so he will share some of his adventures from exciting missions. He may or may not have mentioned teaching us one or more of the traditional Barrayaran celebration (aka betting on silly challenges) games from his youth… I suspect we could use some levity?

We’re doing a poll for crew and guests this week for a discussion panel later in the week! Please tell us a few things in your check-in if you feel so inclined:

A. Which of your goal tasks or ”other” tasks is the hardest one right now?

B. What is draining you of energy and joy?

C. What is feeding your energy and joy and making you happy?

D. How can you make more space for C in order to make A and B a little easier?

 

GOALS from last week:

Captain Daisy

1) Finish the computer modelling thing for local project
2) Finish the report for local project
3) Ridiculous number of committee meetings
4) Final marking and grades for undergrad class if everything gets handed in, maybe
5) Something fun maybe?

 Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Walk 2x5.
Read 1 hour x 5 on early printers. Break out another new notebook!
Combine three different filing systems into one and shred duplicates.
Get second dose of vaccine.
Draft a daily schedule.

 First Mate T’Melnor
Something toward book-in-progress.
Dead languages 4x each.
Grade discussion boards.
Very very gentle stretching, try a short walk or two.
Finish organizing tax documents.
Research new washer & dryer.
Read something scholarly.
Pay bills.
Write letters.
Dentist appointment, and shot #2.

 heu mihi

1) Write 3 hours
2) Get some Kalamazoo stuff organized (register, contact panelists)
3) Write exam questions for grad student
4) Copy-edit journal article
5) Run, yoga (try for twice), sit, language

 Humming42

1 Submit Because
2 Submit Young Ones
3 Write and submit review of already-read book
4 Write and submit T-House abstract
5 Try to focus on teaching-related responsibilities too

 Susan

1. 2 x 2 hours on famous author
2. 2 journals
3. Get materials for next week up tomorrow so Friday is free for writing
4. Do first read of papers that are due Friday night
5. Do either shoes or blouses in great closet clear out.
6. Fertilize roses, camellias, and gardenias
7. Pull more weeds
8. Read for fun (be willing to abandon current book if it remains as bro-ish as I think its getting)
9. Exercise and food
10. Friends in various ways
11. Stay calm, be kind

 

19 comments:

  1. Captain, my Captain, I'm sorry to hear that the Demotivators are loose again. The only ones on my deck are government-issued, to do with tax-related paperwork. Well, we also had the distraction of Sir John’s mother falling and breaking her hip, but it could be worse: she fell outside the hospital, after a doctor’s visit, so was found & treated immediately. She’s now in rehab, where visits are discouraged, so probably not much to do there, for awhile anyway.

    Apart from tax miseries, I’m excited about approaching the end of this trip, even though (or maybe because) I am still on light duty, and I hope that shore leave will help me heal from this pesky upper-back/right-side muscle pull (or tear, whatever). This week, it’s been annoyingly achy rather than debilitatingly painful, so that’s an improvement. The garden is a delight, although I wish I could do some vigorous work in it. At present, I need to limit stooping, pulling, carrying, digging, etc. I very much look forward to having fewer online meetings.

    A few more rounds of grading, barely more than a handful of class meetings, and then port will be in sight!

    How I Did:
    Something toward book-in-progress. YES: I’ve been drafting descriptions of what should be in each chapter.
    Dead languages 4x each. ONE x4, 1 x 1.
    Grade discussion boards. YES (and now there’s a net set, of course).
    Very very gentle stretching, try a short walk or two. YES, rather skimpy as to stretching; walking is best done at the end of the day, followed by hot water and bed.
    Finish organizing tax documents. MOSTLY? Still trying to figure out what we need w/r/t selling the old house.
    Research new washer & dryer. IN PROGRESS.
    Read something scholarly. SKIMMED.
    Pay bills. YES
    Write letters. YES (about half the letters to be written . . . )
    Dentist appointment, and shot #2. YES! I have a new crown and in about 10 days I’ll be as immunized as possible. No side effects to speak of; my arm wasn’t even as sore as the first time.

    New goals:
    Research x 6: 4 x book, 2 x revisions.
    Dead language prep for group; anything on #2 is gravy.
    Grade grad papers and discussion boards, start undergrad papers.
    Prep for committee meeting.
    Write letters.
    Visit stores to look at actual washers & dryers.
    Continue gentle activity while healing from injury.
    Do some mending.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THe second pfizer shot for me was similar -- not as sore as the first one, and just a bit tired. Congrats on forthcoming immunity!

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    2. Thank you! I'm not even sure what to do with it---maybe have someone else cut my hair, for a change.

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  2. My hardest tasks right now is the people-managing ones, some for a hiring committee and some for my professional association because both of those come with a side of whiny inner toddler that says “but I don’t wanna”. We’re all tired and fried and I’m trying very hard to keep everyone on the rails while being diplomatic and simultaneously stopping garbage in its tracks. A fine line… And worrying about students… That’s hard because I can do so little about that.

    Things that make me happy are the little bits of anticipation and optimism! Have to be slightly careful with that to keep it short-term, if I try to anticipate too far ahead I get hit with general overwhelm again and that is counterproductive. I’m also happy that I’m just about at the end of my self-imposed mandatory month of strength training before trying to start running again. I have high hopes, and since the training app has been so much fun I’ll be keeping it and doing it regularly. I’m still surprised that I like it so much! And the increasing amount of sun and daylight and the approach of patio season even though it is progressing at “sloth on valium” speed.

    Last week’s goals
    1) Finish the computer modelling thing for local project SO CLOSE
    2) Finish the report for local project SO CLOSE
    3) Ridiculous number of committee meetings ONGOING
    4) Final marking and grades for undergrad class if everything gets handed in, maybe ONGOING
    5) Something fun maybe? NOTHING I CAN REMEMBER SO CLEARLY NOT FUN ENOUGH

    That was a stupid week, meetings just went all day long for multiple days. This week is a bit of a breather, then it starts up again for 2 weeks... So I really want to get a good handle on my other local project before things go nuts again. My marking has been disappointing, not enough stuff handed in to finish. I’m not even pretending we’re keeping the original deadlines, but did let everyone know that the last day before grade submission will be a hard deadline. Of course that means I will get everything on that day, but the alternative of only telling the students who asked would make the others struggle for no reason and at this point it is just not necessary.

    This week’s goals:
    1) Keep all the committee discussions on the rails and focused and kind
    2) Submit local project report
    3) Do modelling and results for other local project
    4) Final marking and grades for undergrad class if everything gets handed in
    5) Final marking and discussions for grad class
    6) Something fun dammit! Extra points if with kid!

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    Replies
    1. You need more fun, so you can remember it! It's good that the exercise app is still fun, but something more truly amusing would be good!

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  3. Poll response:
    A. Which of your goal tasks or ”other” tasks is the hardest one right now?
    -It's actually the smallest: Language study. (The language is Latin. I'm tired of the pointless obfuscation!) It's silly that I'm finding this so hard. I like learning Latin. I like working on it. But every day it's this *thing* that I'm supposed to do, and, even though I only spend like 15 minutes on it, it doesn't have a designated time.

    B. What is draining you of energy and joy?
    Endless emails and office-hours visits from a few really high maintenance students.

    C. What is feeding your energy and joy and making you happy?
    Nice weather. My son being back in school. The prospect of my dad and step-mom visiting next week!

    D. How can you make more space for C in order to make A and B a little easier?
    Good question! I didn't see this coming! I already do Latin outside when it's warm enough...that helps.... I think that I need to find a new schedule rhythm now that Kiddo is out of the house--of course, next week is his spring break, so that'll have to wait!

    Last week:
    1) Write 3 hours - Yes
    2) Get some Kalamazoo stuff organized (register, contact panelists) - Yes
    3) Write exam questions for grad student - Yes
    4) Copy-edit journal article - Yes
    5) Run, yoga (try for twice), sit, language - x5, x2, x5, x5 EXCELLENT

    This week:
    1) Write 3 hours
    2) Run, yoga, sit, Latin
    3) Decide whether I'm going to buy this painting I've been wanting, sorta
    4) Major email catch-up, which includes reading some papers
    5) Buy plants!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Can you do Latin first, as a warm-up activity for the day's work? Doing it outside sounds nice; maybe I'll try that for Greek, which I keep not getting to.

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    2. Not a bad idea. I do better with things that I can do early in the day. By late afternoon...well....

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    3. Oh, me too! In the late afternoon I can only do totally rote things, like setting up grading rubrics or filling in forms.

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  4. It's been another couple of weeks flying by here, and Easter break then school holidays is totally throwing off any sense of rhythm I have, along with the increasingly panic-inducing closeness of the deadline to have the campervan prepped and ready to leave for the big holiday. Still, some progress is getting made and I'm trying to push back against the Demotivators, which in my quarters have been wearing their Overwhelm carapaces.

    Thanks Captain for a great set of prompts!

    A. Which of your goal tasks or ”other” tasks is the hardest one right now? The bane of my life LMS, particularly the demad that we produce video content even for face to face classes. I detest being photographed/videoed at the best of times, and this is not it.

    B. What is draining you of energy and joy? Feeling like my workplace is becoming less kind, more distrustful and more toxic, and not having a position from which I can push back beyond being the kind of academic I want to see.

    C. What is feeding your energy and joy and making you happy? Honestly, fantasizing about being out of here - I have a rotating set of mental images of various beaches, hot springs, and scenic bushwalks to fall back on.

    D. How can you make more space for C in order to make A and B a little easier? I think I just need to break down tasks to do enough, and take the time to be present with the people I want to make time for before I go.

    Goals:
    in the last couple of weeks I've finished off two of the major tasks for this session (a postgrad submission for examination, Honours change paperwork, and made major progress on clearing out of my office but just need to take boxes home). This week the focus is on getting on top of teaching including planning for next semester.

    This week:
    -send around syllabi for sem 2 and draft teaching plan
    -catch up on student feedback and be prepped for next week's crits
    -be one week ahead in LMS content

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    Replies
    1. I cannot understand the fad for video! I complained to my department administrators when they kept sending video links instead of a memo that I can read faster & with better comprehension than watching a video, and broke them of that habit. Do the people making these requirements really spend their days watching videos? Can they not read? (Clearly you've hit one of my hot buttons.) Congratulations on clearing off two major tasks! Yay!

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  5. Oh, dear, demotivators. . . mine come from cats who think that I should get up at 4:30 AM. Two mornings in a row. I am SO TIRED!

    Poll questions:
    A. What's hardest right now? Keeping up with everyone who wants me to do something, as multiple tasks converge

    B. Draining: Email. And ***** strategic planning. Who thought strategic planning during a pandemic was a good idea?

    C. Seeing people who are vaccinated. Last week I had a 2 hour lunch with a friend who had just passed the 2 week mark, and she had not spent time with anyone other than her mother & husband for over a year. Her father died, too. So much joy. I had drinks with other friends on Sunday. And today I could visit my mother for the first time in over a year in her room. There is hope. A flicker...

    D. Keep planning events with people.

    How I did last week:
    1. 2 x 2 hours on famous author 1 1/2, BUT
    2. 2 journals 1/2
    3. Get materials for next week up tomorrow so Friday is free for writing NO THURSDAY DISAPPEARED
    4. Do first read of papers that are due Friday night NO
    5. Do either shoes or blouses in great closet clear out. SHOES DONE
    6. Fertilize roses, camellias, and gardenias OTHER STUFF BUT NOT THAT
    7. Pull more weeds A FEW
    8. Read for fun (be willing to abandon current book if it remains as bro-ish as I think its getting) NO
    9. Exercise and food YES
    10. Friends in various ways YES!
    11. Stay calm, be kind I think so

    Other things I did: make an asparagus and goat cheese tart (local asparagus), buy the first strawberries of the season, organized spices so I can see what I have, got rid of a few books that had survived in my house because I don't know why, and gone to the dentist.

    I think what surprised me was the day that disappeared with meetings and people. Which really threw me off, because in my head it was mostly a working day. But the hour or so I had was just for email. Otherwise, I'm trying to keep up with everything and as always at the end of the year, everything converges. I mean, our new chancellor *had* to have a strategic plan at the end of his first year, and other planning was not paused, even though we've been told that there is a hiring freeze for the next year or two. SUCH a waste of time. And the announcement that we are in person in the fall, but we need to be able to teach some part of our class remotely, and maybe not all students will be in the room and some will be on zoom, and I'm just: HUH???? (Cue massive frustration). THank goodness for the fancy exercise app and machine.

    Goals:
    1. Get to be early enough to not be wrecked by Ginger George's 4 AM wake up call.
    2. 2 x 2 hours on Famous Author
    3. Read 3 more chapters in book for review
    4. Grade papers
    5. Write citations for lifetime awards for professional association
    6. Go to sessions for remote conference
    7. See someone for fun
    8. Do stuff in garden
    9. Sit outside with a drink at least one evening. Roses are in bloom, as are orange and lemon trees. It smells heavenly.
    10. Float like mist and ignore the stupid


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    Replies
    1. Oh, and tomorrow the bathroom remodel begins, so. . . (I didn't mention the 2 hours I spent at the big box hardware store to order the vanity and top. . .)

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    2. I hope the bathroom remodel goes smoothly! I hate those long trips to choose and order things . . . am trying to make up my mind about a washer today, ugh.

      Bad cats! Does it help to play with them before bed so they're a little more tired? Or move their dinner later?

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    3. I wish I knew. Some days they sleep later than others (got to 5:15 today, so . . .)

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  6. A. Which of your goal tasks or ”other” tasks is the hardest one right now? The hardest goal for me right now is sticking to a schedule. I just have not been “present” this week. I think a lot of it is due to burnout; however, I also have the bad habit of letting my schedule get deferred by everyone else’s. Rarely does anyone ask me to do so, but I still struggle with honoring the times I have set for myself.
    B. What is draining you of energy and joy? The twin causes are isolation from most people and overexposure to a small number of people. I have little time alone, which I need; I also miss my colleagues and friends.
    C. What is feeding your energy and joy and making you happy? Trees blooming, a moderating in the daytime temperatures, and the potential to go out and about more.
    D. How can you make more space for C in order to make A and B a little easier? I am going to try to assert myself more (yesterday was my birthday, so I figure it is a good time to turn a new leaf). I can shift my online schedule easily when there are no meetings, so I need to work on my writing and other TLQ tasks when I can work alone. I think that will allow me to exercise when others are working, for example.
    Demotivators have indeed descended with a vengeance; however, with all of your help, I hope to be able to minimize their impact. I realize I have to remain vigilant against the darn things.

    Last week's goals:
    Walk 1 x 5. 4 times, so a start.
    Read 1 hour x 5 on early printers. Break out another new notebook! Only 3 hours, but yes to the new notebook. I also cleaned and filled my most complicated fountain pen--an homage to the Bibliotheque Nationale--that was a Christmas gift from the Philosopher.
    Combine three different filing systems into one and shred duplicates. Yes. This was a larger process than I realized, but I got through it and am far better off with it done.
    Get second dose of vaccine. Yes. I had more side effects than the Philosopher, so it was a lost weekend, but I’m still ecstatic that I got it.
    Draft a daily schedule. Started, but not finished. I really need to work on this, because I work better with a routine.

    Next week's goals:
    Walk 2x5.
    Read 1 hour x 5 on early printers.
    Edit translatio sections 1 x 5.
    Draft a daily schedule.

    I hope everyone has a good rest of the week. Float like mist, everyone.

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    Replies
    1. How's the sleep? Awhile back, you were suffering from severe insomnia. That affects both motivation and ability to stick to a schedule. Congrats on the big filing-consolidation win, on getting your second dose, and on prepping your special fountain pen for use! I hope using it inspires you.

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    2. Ah, I think you're onto something, Dame Eleanor. The insomnia has returned with a vengeance. Add to that, I've been added to a massive project at work, and ... there we are. I've started meditating at night, which helps a bit, but as you know, the slightest slippage in sleep starts the rock rolling downhill.

      The good thing is that the pretty notebook and pen are sitting on top of the articles I need to read. I can almost hear their siren song, so maybe this weekend I'll pick them up.

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