It was fun to read everyone's responses about washi tape - although I feel I should apologise for causing spending! Here are a few of my current favourite tapes - the cat in the hat reminds me so much of the late lamented Fluffball with his derpy little face!
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| And here's the weekly Shoutypants, taking a nap in a very Autumnal palette - he's fond of this footstool even though he has multiple cushy cat beds available. And the boxes are there because I've been needing a new bookcase for... multiple years. MULTIPLE years. And they're boxed to save dust and make them less likely to randomly fall over. |
LAST WEEK'S GOALS:
Daisy
Minimize people-managing issues, or hide
Write something on a paper, any paper
Sample processing fun stuff
Plan out November activities and commitments
Work on co-authored paper
Urgent review as favour to someone I like and want to support
Do something fun
Dame Eleanor Hull
- swim x3, cardio x3, weights x2, yoga x5*
- at least 4 writing sessions
- grade undergrad papers; do some planning for both classes
- more work on sample syllabus for a proposed course
- planning to see if I can possibly take on another writing project next year
- pay bills
- final putting-to-bed of garden
heu mihi
1. Take notes on the three essays that I read; read and take notes on two more
2. Rec for friend
3. Admin: Select summer teachers, start sorting out grad students’ teaching preferences
4. Life things: Make two annoying calls
5. Exercise, sleep, try to find some repose—go for a walk or two
JaneB
SELF-CARE:
a) intentional movement for at least 15 minutes three days
b) making a couple of times a week
c) two gently social things (D&D hopefully)
d) keep up reading for pleasure
e) call dentist - think I'm due my annual check up and they haven't contacted me, so I need to check in.
IMPROVING MY ENVIRONMENT
a) 75%+ of the weekly list of chores
b) make a plan for the shelving in the living room
c) don't make clothes worse
TEACHING AND ADMIN:
a) week 9 materials prepare and start week 10 if possible b) limit teaching and admin to 5 hours at weekend
c) wrap up last graduate student application
d) comment on and return at least one piece of graduate student writing (both MSc by thesis students submitted drafts of stuff last week)
RESEARCH
a) read reply to budget email, take appropriate actions. prepare for next meeting about this project
b) prepare for large project meeting (comment on document)
c) organise and run mock viva for Junior PhD student, debrief
d) work on very long lasting multi-author paper resubmission (which was going nicely until the most annoying author - who led the original project but didn't work on this part - started in on the "have to make it more exciting for REF" line which is going to be a pain).
Julie
1. Submit the book review!
2. Work on one of the chapters.
3. Email other authors in other edited volume to check for overlaps.
4. Start edits to article.
5. Prep for viva next week.
6. House/life admin: renew son's passport, thank you gift, sort out payment for shed, try to find option for piano, get repeat prescription.
7. Self-care: read, sleep, journal, exercise, watch new series about menopausal women who form a rock band (Riot Women on BBC if anyone is interested - only seen first episode, but a lot resonated!)
Susan
1. Keep up with copyedits on Famous Author.
2. Do another session on microfilm, get stuff I might use for the next paper (just to add something new)
3. Deal with Unnecessary Report / formatting, any revisions, etc.
4. Set up spring talks
5. Get back to exercise (none really while traveling)
6. Get back to tapestry
7. Eat well/ sleep well
I like pencils - I mostly use a mechanical pencil at home for drawing and for filling out my small diary, a disposable mechanical pencil for fieldwork/lab work (because I've damaged th bodies with insect repellant and acetone and various other substances over the years, so don't want to use a good one) and whatever I can get my hands on in the office, whatever is lying around (usually a conference freebie of some kind). I also like coloured pencils for multiple uses, and for those I like to use a quality sharpener (the cheap ones always mess up quickly for me, I seem to be hard on them) - currently a T'Gaal which lets you vary the pointiness of the new point on the pencil, which is great for soft-leaded coloured pencils. Mechnical pencils usually come with an eraser, and the ones in the Faber Castell are also refillable and a nice quality - I also have some putty eraser (although they tend to get really nasty quickly, they are great for drawings and figures) and a plain white eraser with a plastic case attached which I use a lot because it doesn't get too grotty. Basically if its stationary I want it!
ReplyDeleteLAST WEEK:
should have been a lighter week but it somehow wasn't. People are frustrating! This coming week is my heaviest teaching week, but in some ways its good that it's here not looming on the horizon!
SELF-CARE:
a) intentional movement for at least 15 minutes three days yes
b) making a couple of times a week yes - some crochet during a meeting, a birthday card for a friend
c) two gently social things (D&D hopefully) yes, texting chat and D&D
d) keep up reading for pleasure yes
e) call dentist yes and made appointment
IMPROVING MY ENVIRONMENT
a) 75%+ of the weekly list of chores hahah no where near
b) make a plan for the shelving in the living room no - those are for the boxes behind Shoutypants in the picture
c) don't make clothes worse yes
TEACHING AND ADMIN:
a) week 9 materials prepare and start week 10 if possible week 9 done, none on week 10
b) limit teaching and admin to 5 hours at weekend yes - although I needed the time I just didn't have the get up and go
c) wrap up last graduate student application yes
d) comment on and return at least one piece of graduate student writing (both MSc by thesis students submitted drafts of stuff last week) no - slogging through a piece for a different student right now (not mine)
RESEARCH
a) read reply to budget email, take appropriate actions. prepare for next meeting about this project yes, no (meeting got postpoed thankfully
b) prepare for large project meeting (comment on document) yes, of course now there's a second draft...
c) organise and run mock viva for Junior PhD student, debrief yes, and they did fine
d) work on very long lasting multi-author paper resubmission (which was going nicely until the most annoying author - who led the original project but didn't work on this part - started in on the "have to make it more exciting for REF" line which is going to be a pain) nearly there, just need to "sex up the abstract" and do a final check of all the little things. NEARLY THERE. Most of the referees comments were about the most annoying author's original attempts to add excitement, which they did NOT like!
COMING WEEK:
DeleteSELF-CARE:
a) intentional movement for at least 15 minutes three days
b) making a couple of times a week
c) two gently social things (D&D hopefully)
d) keep up reading for pleasure
IMPROVING MY ENVIRONMENT
a) 75%+ of the weekly list of chores
b) make a plan for the shelving in the living room
c) don't make clothes worse
TEACHING AND ADMIN:
a) prepare week 10 materials
b) limit teaching and admin to 5 hours at weekend
c) finish current graduate student text and do at least one more piece of graduate student writing (both MSc by thesis students submitted drafts of stuff last week)
RESEARCH
a) prepare for large project meeting (comment on revised document)
b) finish very long lasting multi-author paper resubmission
c) if possible read revised manuscript from last autumn's visiting pot-doc.
That sounds like a good week! Apparently the referees agree with you about the most annoying author, which is always a good sign. I know it's a typo, but I do like the idea of visiting pot-docs.
DeleteAlas, I cannot remember the password for my mail.com account and Goggle wants me to give it a code that it sent to that account. Heaven knows if you'll ever see my avatar again.
People are annoying is a truth universally acknowledged. Or as someone I know said, people will people. I'm sorry.
DeleteI love that the referees agreed with you! Hope you are getting a nice warm glow from that.
DeleteHope the big teaching week goes well!
DeleteSo satisfying when reviewers agree with you, that will be a nice paper to get done and off into the world.
Big teaching week is almost halfway over! And then it's done!!
DeleteI am not really a pencil person. I have several in the pot on my desk for pens and pencils, but since I never draw, I hardly use them. I will sometimes put asterisks in the margins of books with pencil, to highlight striking comments, though I should really use washi tape or sticky tabs if I want to find them again easily. Otherwise, I tend to use pencil only if I'm in an archive or library that has a no pens rule, and then I'll often just resort to typing or taking photos. I find it harder to write neatly in pencil.
ReplyDeleteI feel Shoutypants needs to perch on top of the boxes of books. Then you have the perfect excuse never to deal with them, since you can't possibly dismantle his throne...
Last week:
1. Submit the book review! - FINALLY!
2. Work on one of the chapters. - YES (two short stints, but getting there)
3. Email other authors in other edited volume to check for overlaps. - YES
4. Start edits to article. - YES
5. Prep for viva next week. - MOSTLY
6. House/life admin: renew son's passport, thank you gift, sort out payment for shed, try to find option for piano, get repeat prescription. - YES, YES, YES, MAYBE, WAITING ON SURGERY
7. Self-care: read, sleep, journal, exercise, watch new series about menopausal women who form a rock band (Riot Women on BBC if anyone is interested - only seen first episode, but a lot resonated!) - YES (and went to book club), SOME, SOME, YES (run x 2, pilates x 1), YES (two episodes in, but also had to watch finale of Celebrity Traitors with kids)
Also: booked travel for February half-term, started researching summer travel, moved stuff into new shed, made soup.
This week:
1. PhD viva.
2. Submit proposal for conference next year.
3. Work on article edits - 1 day.
4. Work on chapters - 1 day for each.
5. House/life admin: find plumber for annoying small things that don't seem to be working, send BIL birthday card, chase prescription, book eye test for daughter, book haircut for me.
6. Self-care/fun: find date to meet up with friends, read, journal, sleep, exercise, pub quiz with other friends.
I'm trying to keep all my different writing projects/tasks on the go at the moment so that none fall by the wayside, but not sure if jumping between them is the most productive approach. Experimenting with a day per project this week, will see how that goes.
Waiting on surgery? Oh dear. I hope minor! Soup sounds like a good thing for this time of year, and I like the idea of having a dedicated day for each project. Let us know how it goes! I have been wondering about doing that myself, though ATM my approach is more to write down every stray weird thought and reference in a notes file for each project and hope that will be enough to help me get a decent draft done when I have time/brain enough to sort through the stray weird thoughts.
DeleteWaiting on surgery does not sound great. But soup does. It actually sounds like a good week, aside from the 'waiting on surgery' bit.
DeleteOops, no, not that kind of surgery! In the UK, a doctor's surgery can just be where a general practitioner is based. So physician's office in the US? It's very mundane: I am just waiting for them to call me back about a prescription, and the prescription is for HRT, so not illness. But thanks for everyone's concern!
DeleteGlad surgery is not the North American version!
DeleteYou got lots done, book review included, and a lot of other things. Good luck for you and student with the PhD viva!
Oh, I'm trying to schedule an HRT consultation! My GP just gave me a referral, but the other doctor doesn't have any openings until APRIL. Remind me why our system is better than socialized medicine?
DeleteAnyway, sounds like a good week, and congratulations on finishing the book review!
I've already told you about my coloured pencils for dead languages. Apart from them, I prefer mechanical pencils, fine-point. I use pencil in the big monthly/yearly calendar (because events can change, be canceled, etc) but ink in the small notebook that I use for more fine-grained planning. I have a small German pencil sharpener for the coloured pencils, and prefer white erasers; I have one that is a cat-shape that I've never brought myself to use.
ReplyDeleteHow I did:
- swim x3, cardio x3, weights x2, yoga x5: YES
- at least 4 writing sessions: YES
- grade undergrad papers; do some planning for both classes: NO, A LITTLE
- more work on sample syllabus for a proposed course: NO
- planning to see if I can possibly take on another writing project next year: SOME
- pay bills: YES
- final putting-to-bed of garden: NO, apart from putting away a watering hose. The garden is just going to have to manage itself this year.
ALSO: finished and submitted festschrift abstract; contacted mail.com to see if they can help with my log-in problem; did some work on boxes in the garage (moved some into basement closet, recycled a lot of old journals and conference programs); talked to the grad director about problems with current class; had unexpected and delightful encounter with former grad student.
New goals:
- swim x3, cardio x3, weights x2, yoga x5
- at least 4 writing sessions
- grade undergrad papers; grade last grad quiz, make up next one & grade it; grade at least one in-class assignment from undergrads; do some prep of objects for a special class
- more work on sample syllabus for a proposed course
- more planning of writing projects
- dig compost-heap potatoes
Sounds like a good week, especially the unexpected encounter with the former student!
DeleteGood luck with the pile of grading! It feels like it is that time of year, papers multiplying at every turn...
DeleteWay to go on the writing sessions! I am going to use that as inspiration and count my own this week...
and how could you possibly use the cat shaped eraser...
DeletePencils: in archives now I usually type, so the need for pencils has reduced. I have both old fashioned #2 pencils, and some mechanical pencils, because I end up forgetting pencils and then needing them. Because sometimes it's easier to write some notes than to type them. (Don't ask.) Never use colored pencils. My husband had pencils that got VERY short, and I still have a few.
ReplyDeleteLast week:
1. Keep up with copyedits on Famous Author. YES, have done two batches this week.
2. Do another session on microfilm, get stuff I might use for the next paper (just to add something new) YES. Spent most of Thursday reading microfilm and taking pictures, so i have 800 images!
3. Deal with Unnecessary Report / formatting, any revisions, etc. ALMOST DONE (it's due tomorrow, but needs a last proofreading.)
4. Set up spring talks KIND OF- passed them on to the committee.
5. Get back to exercise (none really while traveling) YES
6. Get back to tapestry A LITTLE
7. Eat well/ sleep well YES/NO (says she who has been up since 3:30 AM today)
Basically, I made it through the week, I got through the microfilms I wanted to do, and I read the stuff I wanted to read, and have some notes for the paper on Friday I have not written. (I have pieces I can use, but . . . ) It's been very much a survival week.
On Tuesday morning I head to a conference across the country (taking advantage of the holiday on Tuesday to fly a day early, and enjoy the semi-foreign city (not English speaking) in a foreign country. THanks to our President, my careful plan to take a civilized flight out (8:15 AM, meaning I could leave the house at 6) didn't work. My flight was cancelled and I've been rebooked on the 6 AM flight I deliberately avoided. Sigh.
Goals for this week:
1. Write paper
2. Enjoy conference
3. Hang out with friends and academic friends
4. Try to get some exercise during conference
5. Deal with any emergency stuff on work
6. Sleep well
7. Be zen about airline travel on 12 hour trips...
Hope the conference is worth the pain of flying at that time!
DeleteEnjoy the conference! Hope it has great sessions and good people.
DeleteGood luck with zen flying, may all the flights go smoothly with no weather or anything else disruptive!
Hope the flight zen kicked in!
DeletePencils… Love coloured ones for sketching out paper figures and colouring maps. I absolutely loathe mechanical pencils, they break, get sat on, get crushed by rocks, and run out of lead… I use regular ones for field book writing, and indiscriminately for notes and everyday stuff.
ReplyDeleteWashi tape update: super fun, new toy, and all over my current notebook! Thanks for the education!
Last week’s goals
Minimize people-managing issues, or hide MOSTLY
Write something on a paper, any paper YES!
Sample processing fun stuff YES AND ONGOING
Plan out November activities and commitments YES (see #Regrets)
Work on co-authored paper (YES, SUBMITTED)
Urgent review as favour to someone I like and want to support NOPE, ended with big technical mess-up that was NOT my fault, so transferred to this week
Do something fun YES!
Last week had a little bit less people-drama, so that was a huge improvement. It was our first week after the time change, which I absolutely detest. Dark, dark, and more dark… Also the week of left-over Halloween chocolate so that helped! And the brand-new co-authored paper got submitted, I’m very happy about that.
This week’s goals
Write something on a paper again
Sample processing
Review
Awful 1.5-day committee meeting in different town
Friend visit in former town after meeting
A submission and chocolate to celebrate sound like a good week! But I hear you on the darkness. I too find that hard to cope with. Good luck squeezing in your writing sessions!
DeleteGreat to hear you are enjoying the washi tape! It really is a fun little treat...
DeleteMechanical pencils all the way! As long as the erasers work, that is. I do have little extra erasers that I can plug in. I use them for annotating books and articles; I don't like writing with them very much.
ReplyDeleteLast week:
1. Take notes on the three essays that I read; read and take notes on two more - DONE!
2. Rec for friend - DONE
3. Admin: Select summer teachers, start sorting out grad students’ teaching preferences - DONE, but not announced, because I hate telling people that they were rejected
4. Life things: Make two annoying calls - DONE (Tuesday was a holiday and I used it to take care of things. Of course, one of them just turned into yet more work....)
5. Exercise, sleep, try to find some repose—go for a walk or two - I don't know that I went on any walks! But I did exercise. Sleep has been unsettled. I'm tired of that.
This week:
Tuesday is a holiday yet again, which is quite nice, since I'm teaching Tuesdays and Thursdays.
1. Decide on and announce spring and summer teaching
2. Read grad student's note and respond to it
3. Three articles/chapters
4. Follow up on conference-related work
5. Cook and deliver meal for sick colleague
6. Get Covid vaccine
7. Exercise etc.
And JaneB, Shoutypants is such a cute little squish! I also love your washi tape--now I want some.
DeleteI got two sorts of washi-cat stickers, a reel of William Morris lilies, and some books-on-shelves that I plan to give to librarian friends. It's all cheering up November (which I can't believe is more than 1/3 through already!).
DeleteYou had a lot of DONE and though I'm sorry to hear about the unsettled sleep, it's great you got the exercise in!