2026 Session Three, Week Six

(Sorry I'm later than usual getting this up! The day got away from me.)

Here we are in week 6, and the scheduled topic is "Meet Someone Who Is An Irritation Or A Problem." ILR, some of us may be spoiled for choice! In the inherited-house world, feel free to give your real-life irritants warts and other afflictions, or invent a problem that is an improvement over your RL ones. If you cannot face having irritants in this world, then meet a more eccentric neighbo(u)r than has so far crossed your path.

Last week's goals are posted below; let us know how you did, and what your new goals are for the coming week.

Daisy (held over)

Read and edit last week’s AND this week’s new paper draft
Edit student abstracts
Survive meeting trip
Finish hideous report
Mark all the things
Set up sample processing
Finish data compilation so that someone else can take over

Dame Eleanor Hull

- work on both M and S projects this week
- 2 "write first" mornings, 3 "exercise first" mornings
- grade papers for both classes
- finishing touches to syllabuses, load more stuff to the ViLE
- make 1 phone call to schedule a shot
- process application, do one annual training
- get back to latest round of editing tasks, FFS
- spend an hour tidying my study (or somewhere!)

Heu mihi

1. A poster for the coffee hour (complicated because it's for three departments and like 12 language programs)
2. Draft external review strategy
3. Contact dean about check-in
4. Begin writing external review for department that I visited
5. Write 3000 words
6. Exercise
7. SIT TWICE

JaneB

SELF CARE
3x20 minutes of movement
reading, 1-2 creative things in addition to Inktober doodling, 1-2 social things (online D&D, anything larger feels Too Much)
LIFE ADMIN
Look at possible sofas
Don’t get lots more stuff
Do something with financial papers project (many things need attention or filing or just to not be ignored)
TEACHING/WORK ADMIN
Sort out slides for fourth week lectures
Attempt to get responses from all my project students
Meet with recently graduated PhD student about papers
Survive this week's classes
Do "risk assessment" for all modules offered by School (depressing!) and contribute to strategic planning
RESEARCH
Process more model outputs
Make list of all the other ‘ongoing stuff’
Do one hour on Systematic Review
Arrange meeting for paper I'm helping redraft
Complete and submit ethics application for pedagogic research project

Julie

1. Teaching: give introductory sessions, start writing new lecture.
2. Admin: read papers for department meeting, go to meeting, stay calm in face of more proposed ill-thought-through changes, send reminder emails to new first years.
3. Research and writing: start on conference paper, revise introduction for a French special issue that we have been given two weeks to produce.
4. House/life admin: sort out the damn finances, go to farm shop, make dentist appointment.
5. Self-care/fun: read, journal, run, video call with friends, book festival event.

Susan

1. Finish minor edits on index to large collaboration
2. Unpack enough books so that I can walk through the office without tripping
3. Fix mat for under desk
4. Shop for sofas
5. Schedule handyman for multiple minor tasks
6. Keep up with exercise
7. Have fun on my trip

2026 Session Three, Week Five

We have an interesting batch of neighbours and other helpful folk, including one cat, to become helpful cheering-up characters as our house sagas move forward. This week it's time to tackle some project around the house you have inherited. Make it something small-to-medium, that you can complete successfully. Tell us what it is, how it goes, and how triumphant you feel when it's done! Possibly your helper character assists, or takes you for a drink when it's over.

Also check in on last week's goals, listed below, and set some goals for the coming week. 

Daisy

Read and edit last week’s AND this week’s new paper draft
Edit student abstracts
Survive meeting trip
Finish hideous report
Mark all the things
Set up sample processing
Finish data compilation so that someone else can take over

Dame Eleanor Hull

- work on both M and S projects this week
- 2 "write first" mornings, 3 "exercise first" mornings
- grade grad quizzes, prep for both classes
- finishing touches to syllabuses, load more stuff to the ViLE
- make 1 phone call to schedule a shot
- assorted stupid work admin things and an application to process
- get back to latest round of editing tasks, FFS
- spend an hour tidying my study (or somewhere!)
- find a good time for language work or resign myself to last-minute prep!

Heu mihi

1. Resume exercise
2. Write 2500 words
3. Sit twice
4. Begin narrowing external review focus
5. Start organizing department-wide event (just a coffee hour, nothing too crazy)

JaneB

SELF CARE
3x20 minutes of movement
reading, 1-2 creative things, 1-2 social things
LIFE ADMIN
Schedule electrician visit
Look at possible sofas
Don’t get lots more stuff
Get through Shoutypants's tooth cleaning and need to get medication into him after the event
TEACHING/WORK ADMIN
Sort out slides for third week lectures
Sort out all the lab handouts and email technical support team for third week
Finish thing about deadlines
Attempt to get responses from all my project students
RESEARCH
Process more model outputs
Make list of all the other ‘ongoing stuff’
Finish outline of paper I said I'd help redraft and circulate to co-authors
Submit abstract for conference

Julie

Finish two remaining module handbooks and ViLE sites by tomorrow's new deadline, try not to lose patience with colleagues who have still not filled in their bits.
Big Article - try to fit in one more day.
Meet with new first-year academic advisees, take biscuits.
Prep intro teaching sessions for next week.
House/life admin: more financial stuff, get haircut.
Self-care/fun: run x 4, read, journal, see one set of friends Friday night, host cookbook dinner Saturday night

Susan (held over)

DRAFT THE DAMN PAPER.
PACK
Organize life

2026 Session Three, Week Four

Here we are, staring October in the face! Although there still are three more days to tackle September goals, I fear I'll be rolling over a lot of mine into Exploding Head Month. Perhaps appropriately, this week's theme event is Meeting Someone Who Can Help (or at least cheer you on). This might be a neighbor, a handyperson, someone in the village who knows everyone, a friend you long ago lost touch with who turns up in the area, a friendly barista, or even an animal companion. This person will probably turn into a regularly recurring character, so choose someone you will enjoy having around and referring back to in future weeks!

And, of course, let us know how you did with your last goals, then set some new ones.

Daisy

Read and edit student paper draft
Prep for upcoming meeting
Book flights for interesting trip in October
Something fun with friends
Write report thing for previous report, to clarify report…
Exercise!!!!!!!

Dame Eleanor Hull

- work on both M and S projects this week
- 2 "write first" mornings, 3 "exercise first" mornings
- grade grad quizzes, prep for both classes
- prep for guest lecture
- finishing touches to syllabuses, load more stuff to the ViLE
- make 1 phone call to schedule a shot
- assorted stupid work admin things including minimum necessary prep for committee meetings (3 this week!) and an application to process
- get back to latest round of editing tasks
- spend an hour tidying my study (or somewhere!)
- find a good time for language work

Heu mihi

Catch up on writing: Aim for 3,380 words (an oddly precise number, but I have my reasons).
2. Draft narrower focus for external review; continue seeking possible reviewers.
3. Journal: Process article revision (very late on this one)
4. Resume exercise by end of week, but be sensible and don't start too soon
5. Sit twice

JaneB

SELF CARE
3x20 minutes of movement
reading, 1-2 creative things, 1-2 social things
LIFE ADMIN
Get electrician quote for a couple of jobs
Look at possible sofas
Don’t get lots more stuff
TEACHING/WORK ADMIN
Sort out slides for second week lectures
Sort out class bookings for student in wheelchair
Do thing about deadlines
Finish typing in my objectives
RESEARCH
Process more model outputs ready for meeting next week
make list of all the other ‘ongoing stuff’
look at paper I said I'd help redraft
Draft abstract for conference and send to former grad student

Julie

1. Big Article - realistically can only do one day, sadly.
2. Teaching prep - finish ViLE sites and module handbooks (deadline next Monday). meet with tutors on big module.
3. Resend abstract and text descriptions of images for another article that the online platform has lost.
4. House/life admin: financial stuff, book hairdresser's appointment.
5. Self-care/fun: run x 3, walk, journal, read.

Susan (held over)

DRAFT THE DAMN PAPER.
PACK
Organize life

2026 Session Three, Week Three

It's such fun hearing about your houses! I seem to be the only one who got a house in a city, and sea views are definitely popular. This week, after the first flush of delight passes, we're going to notice the houses' problems: structural, locational, cosmetic? Is there something nasty in the woodshed that needs to be cleaned out or knocked down, a problem with the foundation or the roof, a bypass under construction nearby? Is the house much too small, large, or badly laid out? Or is it a fairly solid house whose previous owners had . . . idiosyncratic . . . notions of decor? Or maybe they were hoarders . . . . Anyway, tell us about the problems you'll have to find a way to deal with. They will not be insurmountable, but they do contribute to people in your life urging you to just sell and move on.

Goals from last week:

Daisy

Prepare research talk for visit to former home town
Read and edit student paper draft
Read and edit more student chapters
Do admin for upcoming meeting
Book flights for interesting trip in October

Dame Eleanor Hull

- work on both M and S projects this week
- 2 "write first" mornings, 3 "exercise first" mornings
- grade grad quizzes, prep for both classes
- finishing touches to syllabuses, load more stuff to the ViLE
- make 3 phone calls to schedule or re-schedule things
- assorted stupid work admin things
- get back to latest round of editing tasks
- spend an hour tidying my study (or somewhere!)
- get-together with niece & great-nibs
- find a good time for language work

Heu mihi

1. Work: Start identifying external reviewers; come up with a plan to make a plan for the external review; attend numerous meetings; run first full faculty meeting.
2. Write 3000 words.
3. Exercise at least 4 times, sit at least twice.

JaneB

SELF CARE
3x20 minutes of movement
reading, 1-2 creative things, 1-2 social things
LIFE ADMIN
List for declutterer
Get electrician quote for a couple of jobs
Take cat to vet (nothing serious, I believe)
Don’t get lots more stuff
TEACHING/WORK ADMIN
Sort out slides for first lectures
Sort out checking process for ViLE sites and assessments
Get details of new system and start to set up my objectives if I can work out how
RESEARCH
Process more model output and set next model running for modelling based project
make list of all the other ‘ongoing stuff’
Continue to try and make a reasonable fist of a lot of ethics paperwork 

Julie

1. Big Article: another two days of writing, finish difficult section.
2. Teaching prep: organise meeting with tutors on big module, finalise readings for another seminar, work on ViLE; set readings for other guest seminar; work out what needs to be done for other two modules.
3. House/life admin: survey and quote for solar panels (unlikely to happen, but am seeing if it would be worth it), tidy spare room, tidy daughter's room, update electoral register, prep for friends visiting at weekend.
4. Self-care/fun: run x3, walk other days, read, watch last episode of TV series, journal, try another new recipe.

Susan

DRAFT THE DAMN PAPER.
PACK
Organize life

2026 Session Three, Week Two

About your house: this is a descriptive week. What is the house like? How big (or small), built when, in a single style or with additions from different periods? What do you like about it? Why do you want to keep it, rather than selling, as many of your friends/ advisors are urging you to do? (We'll get to its drawbacks next week.) 

About your goals: How did you do last week? What do you plan to do in the coming week?

Daisy

Take day off!
Finalize syllabus and teach first classes
Read and edit student chapters
Read and edit student’s paper draft
Sort out teaching assistants
Sort out my schedule

Dame Eleanor Hull

- final revisions to W
- comment one set of grad assignments & devise a quiz
- prep discussion questions for other class
- re-do a travel voucher for the second time*
- swim twice, cardio/weights twice
- try to be more efficient in the mornings

heu mihi

1. Meet with a couple of folks about the committee.
2. Write 2500 words.
3. Exercise 4+ times, sit 1+ times

JaneB

SELF CARE
3x20 minutes of movement
reading, 1-2 creative things, 1-2 social things
LIFE ADMIN
List for declutterer
Don’t get lots more stuff
TEACHING/WORK ADMIN
Sort out ViLE sites and assessments for first semester classes
Do all the follow-ups to the resit programme results
Get details of new system and start to set up my objectives if I can work out how
RESEARCH
Process model output and set next model running for modelling based project
make list of all the other ‘ongoing stuff’

Julie

1. Work on Big Article: aim for two days.
2. Teaching prep: contact all the tutors (mostly grad students) on big new module, finalise readings for at least one seminar, submit plan and readings for one of my two guest seminars, make lists of what needs to be done for everything.
3. Life admin/house: chase plumber to fix shower, get daughter ready for university, transfer some money to savings account, organise study.
4. Kids: book restaurant for daughter's last evening, help son with Latin revision and watch Vuelta highlights with him, take him to his annual running club event.
5. Self-care/fun: run x 4, finish reading novel, friends for dinner tomorrow, journal, try new recipe.

Susan

Research:
Review earlier papers I've written that I can use towards what I do this fall
Figure out how tantalizing bits of information might fit into them, enrich them, expand questions etc.
Read through 4 reels of microfilm.

Other: try to walk every day

2026 Session Three, Week One

Welcome to September! This week we'll set session goals. What do you hope to achieve by mid-December, a bit over three months from now? 

You can also set an intention for the session, if that's something you find helpful.

Goals for the week ahead are also welcome, but if you want to sit with your session goals this week and think about how to make them actionable in weekly increments, that's fine too.

And the creative part: You receive a fat envelope by registered mail, full of assorted documents and a cover letter from a lawyer informing you that you have inherited a house! This is quite unexpected, and indeed, overwhelming! You'll need awhile to absorb the implications. For now, just tell us a couple of things: (1) where is the house, and (2) who left it to you? 

Some things you might consider: did you know the person well, a little, not at all? Are they related to you, or to someone else in your family (yes, the trope of leaving something to the daughter/ granddaughter/ niece of the beloved)? Have you ever been to the house, or the region where it is, and if so, when, and in what circumstances? What appeals to you about the region (or neighborhood, if you prefer a house that's closer to where you are now)?

2026 Session Three, week Zero

We have one more session in the calendar year, and I'm going to run it almost up to Christmas: week 0 (introductions) this week, fifteen weeks of goal-setting, and a final week (20 December) in which to report in and PARTY. Here's the boilerplate about goal-setting: Goals can be in any aspect of life, although the key focus is often writing tasks that are personally and professionally important but that never quite tip over into important AND urgent. Urgent things sometimes find their way in here too; that is completely okay, and process goals are also most welcome. 

Anyone is welcome to join! Bring a friend! We aim to be supportive of and generous to all participants, whether they're every-week types or just drop in from time to time. We welcome totally new folks or people who have been here in the past but had to drop out for awhile. Consider this your engraved invitation.

This session has a theme, which in itself takes some introduction (hence Week Zero, introductions!). You can treat it either as a purely creative-writing exercise, or allegorize it so that each week's topic relates to something in your work life. It's possible that the weekly topics will change in response to our participants' comments, but here's the starting point and the topics I have planned from here:

You (your real self, or a fictionalized version of you [younger self? older self?], or a purely made-up character if you like) have unexpectedly inherited a house. It has some problems, but is in a desirable (to you) location. The sensible thing to do would be to sell it and invest the proceeds, but for Reasons you are going to keep the house and live in it yourself. Over the next 16 weeks, we'll discover your Reasons for keeping the house; we'll explore its problems and your approach to fixing or living with them; we'll meet people and maybe critters who can help (or hinder) with renovations; there will be discoveries, good and bad, within the house, and connections to people or problems from the past. We'll try to get to a place where the whole situation is at least partially resolved just in time for a Christmas party in your new space.

This week, just introduce yourselves; session goals are fine if you're ready but they could also wait for next week. I'm going to list the weekly topics both so I can look them up easily and so that you know what's coming and can think about ways you might steer your story. If you really hate a given week's topic (or the whole thing :(  ) just do the goal-setting and ignore the house-story! The story could be treated as a romance, or as a start-a-new-life tale, or one of those novels set in a village where nothing much ever happens but it's nice to visit with the characters. Despite snags along the way, there will be a happy ending!

0  Introductions; perhaps session goals
1  Where is your house? Who left it to you? Set session goals
2  What sort of house (size, vintage, style)? Reasons to keep it?
3  The biggest house problem(s)
4  Meet someone who can help you with the house, or at least cheer you on as you work on it
5  Tackle a small house problem with a happy outcome
6  Meet someone who is an irritation or a problem
7  An unexpected discovery in the house leads to confronting a Complication From Your Past
8  Tackle a problem . . . unforeseen complications result! Midterm check-in
9  A cheering interlude with your new friend/helper from week 4
10 Surprise inspection or visit: what happens?
11 Make a plan to deal with the results of the inspection or visit (maybe revise session goals again)
12 Animal event: do you adopt a pet? Suffer an infestation?
13 Outdoor work: another problem? Or something nice like planting bulbs?
14 Your new helper/friend encounters either the irritation (week 6) or the Complication From Your Past (week 7) and helps you to resolve the situation or just not care about it any more
15 A significant house problem is resolved (even if some other stuff hangs on)
16 Party in your improved house! Who do you invite, what do you serve, what do your guests admire about the place?