Midyear Session 2025 Week 11

Abstraction is not my greatest ability, but let's give metaphor a shot this week: do you have a "recipe" for any part of your work? A standard approach to writing an article, designing a syllabus, or planning a lecture (pick one or more, as you like)? Do you need to proceed step-by-step or can you dump all the ingredients in the same bowl and stir like mad? What "ingredients" do you need to have on hand in order to produce an article, a syllabus, a lecture? What do you vary according to the season?

And how did you do with last week's goals?

Daisy

- Accounting from trips

- Giant meetings with many committees

- Write web articles, now just annoying

- Majorly overdue review

Dame Eleanor Hull

- try to figure out some sort of "syllabus" for the rest of summer (interim due dates, etc)

- one campus day, meet with grad, spend 30 minutes tidying my office, scan essay and return book (yes, again, different book)

- swim x 2, yoga x5, cardio x 3, do PT exercises 2x/day

- identify and contact reviewers for edited volume

- take notes on articles read 3 weeks ago

- create syllabus for one to-be-proposed course

- organize the guest room closet and shelves

- think about fall courses

- make some measurable progress on 2 research projects (M and W)

heu mihi

1. Finish uncle's memoirs

2. Housework projects (clean garage and/or wash windows)

3. Finish reading research-ish book

4. Yoga retreat this weekend! Drinks with friends on Wednesday!

5. Clean up email somewhat

JaneB

1) building better habits: one creative thing with the hands, keep reading for pleasure, start a new yarn project, journal, play D&D

2) environment: do week's chores. Sort out post pile of doom

3) blocks: two teaching blocks - one sorting out the laptop, second looking at the module I am now fed up about

4) writing: do some more work on the collaborative paper with a deadline, two re-reviews for journals (sigh).

5) grad students: Only ONE meeting this week, in the diary at least. And maybe no paperwork? MAYBE?

Julie

1. Write as much of chapter as possible, ideally close to full draft.

2. Send PhD student comments.

3. Read a chapter for a colleague.

4. More bits of boring work admin.

5. House/life admin: holiday prep, nephew's birthday, reply to some emails.

6. Self-care/fun stuff: lunch with friend, find holiday reading, exercise, journal, keep going with sleep, watch more T de F.

Susan

1. Finish reading dissertation, prepare for defense tomorrow late afternoon (time zones from BST to PDT mean an 8 hour range...)

2. Try to get to the library for a few hours of microfilm tomorrow

3. Order documents for Scottish research (which has now expanded to another library to help a friend in the US).

4. Keep up with administrative stuff, keep planning events for start of semester. (This will be mostly early morning/ evening stuff)

5. Have fun! Enjoy walking, even if it does rain.

Midyear Session 2025 Week 10

Shifting away from the kitchen this week (maybe), if you had the perfect conditions to throw any sort of party you wanted, what would it be? Tea for two, garden party, casual barbecue, formal sit-down dinner? Assume that the good fairies will come and clean up both before and after (and the bad fairies will zap any annoying neighbours who might complain about noise). Fairies will also polish the silver or stock up on paper napkins, roll the lawn or possibly even add that extension you've been considering . . . all you need to do is decide on the type of event. Feel free to consider menu and guests, if you want to!

Consider it practice for our end-of-session celebration. ;-)

And how did you do last week?

Daisy

Two office days for all the office things….
Three days in the field, plus weekend, plus first three days of next week…
Edit giant curriculum document first draft
Write web articles, short but annoying task
Grant report
Keep on top of student tasks

Dame Eleanor Hull

- try to figure out some sort of "syllabus" for the rest of summer (interim due dates, etc)
- one campus day, meet with grad, spend 30 minutes tidying my office, scan essay and return book
- swim x 3, yoga x5, cardio x 4
- identify and contact reviewers for edited volume
- take notes on articles read 2 weeks ago
- create syllabus for one to-be-proposed course
- organize the guest room closet and shelves
- think about fall courses
- make some measurable progress on 2 research projects (M and W)
- get fasting blood draw

heu mihi

1. FINISH ARTICLE REVISION (we're talking like ONE footnote here, people)
2. Next 50 pages of Italian novel
3. Make significant progress on one home/life project--probably uncle's memoirs
4. Clean some parts of the house
5. Try to keep my shit together as the fall schedule keeps hitting hiccups (mixed metaphor[s], that's fine)

JaneB

1) building better habits: one creative thing with the hands, keep reading for pleasure, start a new yarn project, journal

2) Environment: do week's chores. Sort out post pile of doom

3) blocks: two teaching blocks - one sorting out the laptop, second looking at the module I am now fed up about so I can a) regain my equilibrium and b) get going EARLY on "non-nagging nagging" the others as we are supposed to be completely changing the assessment to make it more AI-resistant which requires coordination and planning, and I want to do my share of the work before the semester starts (and now know the others won't want to, so I need to start NOW).

4) writing: do some more work on the collaborative paper with a deadline, go to a meeting about same.

5) grad students: do substantial paperwork for two students, send a couple of emails for third. Only ONE meeting this week, in the diary at least!

Julie

1. Carry on writing chapter.
2. PhD student's chapter and possibly more.
3. Add some references to my reading list.
4. Read article for a post-doc.
5. Do some boring work admin.
6. House/life admin: prep for holiday, nephew's birthday, sort out home insurance renewal.
7. Self-care/fun stuff: read, exercise, keep trying on sleep, watch Tour de France.

Susan

Read full dissertation when it arrives
ACTUALLY READ SOME MICROFILM
Plan for research trip in Scotland
Organize meeting with some people I saw at the workshop
Do fun stuff at the weekend, visit My Favorite Museum
See friends
Keep walking (this in preparation for a walking holiday that's coming up)

Midyear Session 2025 Week 9

Happy Bastille Day! 

Let's talk about what happens when something goes wrong while you're cooking: maybe the recipe is wonky, or you forgot to add an ingredient, or your stove isn't hot enough, or (much too common) you don't know what the problem is but the dish is . . . not as hoped. What do you do?

• try to adjust on the fly (say, add another potato to absorb salt)
• throw it out and start over
• re-purpose it (as in turning dry cake into trifle)
• doctor it by adding new materials (custard sauce, or vinaigrette, depending on the type of dish)
• take some other action

And how did you do with last week's goals? Is this recipe working? If not . . . what approach will you take this week?

Daisy

Five days in the field
Write giant curriculum document first draft
Write web articles, short but annoying task
Update organization page, send planning emails

Dame Eleanor Hull

- make weekly schedule for the rest of summer
- two campus days, meet with two grads, spend 30 minutes tidying my office, visit potential "field trip" sites
- swim x 2, yoga x5, cardio x 4
- identify and contact reviewers for edited volume (v much past due: what's more TRQ than TRQ??)
- take notes on articles read last week
- create syllabus for one to-be-proposed course
- organize the guest room closet and shelves
- get a massage or facial or something self-indulgent
- think about fall courses 

heu mihi

1. Complete and send in book review
2. Complete revision of article (that will finish up all of my required academic/research-related work for the summer!)
3. Next 50 pages of Italian novel
4. Read dissertation
5. Update graduate handbook on website; reply to student
6. Make progress on one home/life goal 

JaneB

1) building better habits: one creative thing with the hands, keep reading for pleasure, start a new yarn project, journal
2) Environment: do week's chores, start decluttering study etc. room
3) blocks: one teaching block
4) writing: do some work on the collaborative paper with a deadline
5) grad students: catch up on feedback to PhD students; meet with all students.

Julie

1. Inspired by JaneB, write July plan for three weeks that are left before holiday.
2. Outline the chapter!
3. Read chapter for PhD student.
4. House/life admin: SIL's birthday, update calendar, chase patio furniture, contact shed man, tidy desk, book hairdresser
5. Self-care: exercise, reading, try again on sleep, journal, enjoy hosting dinner for friends.

Susan

1. Read microfilm
2. Read essay for journal, expedited emergency read
3. Plan later summer trip to archive
4. Follow up on Famous Author
5. Enjoy various social things
6. Walk to work every day, home at least once.
7. Finish the novel I'm reading.

Midyear Session 2025 week 8

Topic of the week: favorite, or most-used, kitchen tool or gadget? Is it new/fancy, or an old friend that might have seen better days?

And to extend the topic into metaphor, what new or old gadget or routine helps you with writing or getting things done? Is there something you need to pull out of the cupboard and put to use? Something beat-up that you could replace with a newer, shinier version, such as a new ritual writing mug or notebook?

And how did you do last week, or during the last couple of weeks? We hope those missing in action (CC, Daisy) are doing all right, and send our good wishes your way!

Latest weekly goals set:

Dame Eleanor Hull

- make weekly schedule for the rest of summer
- campus day tomorrow, meet with two grads, spend 30 minutes tidying my office
- swim x 3, yoga x5, get up early enough to walk on days gym is closed, or else climb stairs somewhere with a/c
- send e-mails related to last week's conference
- identify and contact reviewers for edited volume (v much past due: what's more TRQ than TRQ??)
- read and note three articles or chapters
- create syllabus for one to-be-proposed course
- fireworks! Dinner with friends! 3 x 20 minutes in the garden!
- organize the guest room closet and shelves

heu mihi (held over)

1. Finish book to review
2. At least 50 pp. of Italian novel
3. Keep my inbox(es) fairly clear
4. Finish green sweater that I don't really like

JaneB

1) building better habits: one creative thing with the hands, keep reading for pleasure, start a new yarn project, take some time to think and journal about what "better habits" really are, get a bit ahead on D&D preparation
2) Environment: get caught up on chores, start decluttering study etc. room
3) blocks: make some lists and set up a July Plan
4) writing: no goals
5) grad students: no goals

Julie

1. Claim expenses
2. Check revisions to a PhD thesis and sign off.
3. Report on chapter for review.
4. Outline one of the chapters I have to write.
5. House stuff: catch up, book a hotel room for a regatta trip in two weeks time, do some research for summer travel.
6. Read, get back to exercise, finish TV series before I see any more spoilers.

Susan (held over)

1. Make sure power point is set up for talk
2. Read paper one more time. Do I dare read off my i Pad?
3. Spend some time with microfilm
4. Read essay for young scholar
5. Enjoy the workshop
6. Get ready for vacation