2026 Session Three, week 8: mid-term check-in!

Since it's a long session this time, we're just now at the halfway point. W/r/t your own term, YMMV. For USians, Thanksgiving throws things off with a break late in the semester. At LRU, this always makes things awkward, with everyone including faculty pretty much braindead and longing for it all to be over after T'day. Anyway, I have about 4 weeks left in which to do actual teaching before holiday-brain kicks in for all my students.

The theme this week is Tackle A Problem: Unforeseen Complications Result. In other words, it gets worse before it gets better. What will you tackle in your house, and what could possibly go wrong? (At least two of you can blame it on Frank! We may all have our own Franks after this week.)

I expect your comments will be three-or four-parters: response to the theme (if you feel like it); checking on your session goals (if you can bear it); and then reporting on last week's goals and setting new ones for the coming week. Session goals appear first (names in colour); last week's goals appear second (names bolded but not coloured).

Midterm check-in on session goals:

JaneB

SELF CARE:
* keeping up an intentional movement habit
* saying "let me think about it" whenever I want to say yes. Even for good things.
* doing non-work things every week - reading, 1-2 creative things, 1-2 social things which can be online/a call
LIFE ADMIN/ENVIRONMENT
* financial stuff - end session with a clear path to a decision about the next few years
* finish the Living Room Project, maybe start the Flooring Project
TEACHING/WORK ADMIN:
* be two weeks ahead of ViLE/teaching prep for as long as possible, and never less than one week.
* have the basics in place (e.g. ViLE, weekly outline) for next semester by the end of this session
* as part of new admin role, have the same sort of level of understanding of all the programmes in the School as I currently have for my home cluster
* get through all the new appraisal system nonsense (I now have more "devolved responsibilities", and the new online system is annoying, slow, and not really compatible with an academic's work - one size fits no-one in administrative software form).
RESEARCH:
* complete all the modelling and have a first draft for the modelling based project
* get the darn collaborative paper revised again and resubmitted (and I really hope accepted!)
* be realistic about what I can contribute to the policy reviews and to the big annoying project
* progress at least two other research related projects (I'll make a list for myself this week of where everything I have now is at for checking at the end of the session).

Julie

1. Research
i) Big Article: finish draft (carried over from last session), get feedback, hopefully submit to journal.
ii) Paper for conference end of October: haven't started yet.
iii) Revisions/proof checking of other article and chapter as and when needed.
iv) Research leave report (due start of term)
2. Teaching
i) Big new first-year team-taught module, for which I am convenor: organise ViLE site, herd other tutors, finalise readings for my seminars, write two lectures this term.
ii) Small first-year module (one seminar group): teaching this after several years' break. Revise old version to fit new format, update readings, maybe rethink assessment.
iii) Second-year module: organise ViLE site, update reading list, remind myself of content.
iv) Plan seminars and submit reading suggestions for two other modules, for which I am giving one seminar on each next term.
v) Meet with dissertation students (nine so far and counting), read proposals, check in regularly.
3. Admin/citizenship
i) Mentoring for three colleagues, one new.
4. Life admin/house
i) Ongoing financial stuff
ii) Finish organising study (I just got a new height-adjustable desk, finally, and ergonomic chair): frame and hang pictures, organise papers.
iii) Ditto spare room: finish decluttering, get new chair.
iv) Clear more stuff from garage
5. Kids
i) Get daughter to university, adjust to not having her at home.
ii) Be present for son, who has an intense year with important exams at the end.
6. Self-care/fun
i) Read
ii) Journal
iii) Exercise: keep up running (maybe join a club), try to find weights or pilates class that works with schedule.
iv) TV: finish the Vuelta, watch new episodes of a couple of favourite series once released (works well with ironing/sorting laundry)
v) Really try to get to bed at reasonable times.
vi) More creative stuff: cook new recipes, bake, carry on with painting by numbers, cross-stitch.

Susan

Research:
1. Write papers, push ahead with reading microfilms I scanned last spring.
2. Try to figure out where this project goes -- a short book, a long article, or??? I have lots of tidbits, but I'm not sure I have anything coherent, and I'm sure in some of my papers I'll talk about that. Because the tidbits are about important things, and are also (to me) interesting.
LIFE:
I return to my new condo in two weeks after over two months away.
1. Finish unpacking
2. Figure out what I shouldn't have kept and figure out how to get rid of it
3. Make the place my home, a place I can easily live and host friends and family
4. Start building community in my new place, figuring out my new networks
OTHER:
Get back into regular exercise

Heu mihi

in addition to staying afloat:
1. Work: Create a committee to brainstorm ways of keeping our department alive (I'm calling it Departmental Revitalization) and have something to show for it at the end of the semester.
2. Writing: Complete draft of messy novel, which means writing about 30,000 words (I just rounded the corner on 50k). That's roughly 2500-3000 words/week.
3. Survival and self-care: Exercise 4-5 times a week; sit more than 0 times; read and knit for fun
4. Submit TLQ responses on Monday at least 75% of the time!

Dame Eleanor Hull

Research:
- final revisions on W and get it gone
- draft of festschrift essay
- draft of handbook chapter
Teaching:
- stay on top of frequent small assignments for grad class
- devise reasonable final exam for that class
- have fun with other class
- read dissertators' chapters promptly
- write syllabuses for potential future classes
Admin:
- keep up with committee work but keep it in its place
Life Stuff:
- do something with friends/family at least once a month
- make my study habitable
- make some measurable progress on cleaning the garage
- hire other people to do at least 2 house-related projects

Daisy

One first-author journal paper
Two student journal papers
Three exercise sessions per week
Something fun every week
Teach well
Be a decent Head

LAST WEEK'S GOALS:

JaneB

SELF CARE
3x20 minutes of movement
reading, 1-2 creative things, 1 social thing online
LIFE ADMIN
Look at possible sofas
Don’t get lots more stuff
Start Christmas Lists
TEACHING/WORK ADMIN
Finish all slides for fifth week lectures, sort out sixth week materials
Survive this week's classes
Do "cold spot analysis", sigh.
Nag people to reply to review emails
work out how to make software let me do reviews
RESEARCH
Process more model outputs
Make list of all the other ‘ongoing stuff’
Systematic Review meeting
Resubmit re-re-rewrite of the group paper I got cross about in late September
Do comments on version two of paper for not-my-grad-student

Julie

1. Prep for three lots of seminars.
2. Finish writing lecture
3. Finish writing presentation for workshop and deliver it.
4. Meet with one mentee, go to long and pointless meeting.
5. Final check of article proofs
6. House/life admin: son's doctor's appointment, maybe ring dentist, sister's birthday.
7. Self-care/fun: ha ha ha. Enjoy time with daughter who is home for a few days at the weekend.

Susan

1. Finish the paper!
2. Unpack 4 more boxes in my office so that I can close the closet.
3. Exercise?
4. Enjoy time with colleagues, and enjoy new conference group

Heu mihi

1. Write 3000 words
2. Exercise
3. Sit twice
4. Ad hoc committee work
5. Nominate friend for an award
6. Take a weekend day off

Dame Eleanor Hull

- work on both M and S projects this week
- 2 "write first" mornings, 3 "exercise first" mornings
- assorted grading & teaching prep
- do one annual training
- get back to latest round of editing tasks
- clear at least one surface in my study
- work both W and F afternoons to clear the weekend for a road trip/party

Daisy

Read and edit student paper
Read and edit student chapters
Marking
Data prep for coauthors
Sample processing
Exercise 3 times

2026 Session Three, Week Seven

(One more week till midterm check-in on session goals, if you want to think about that. If you'd rather pretend time isn't going this quickly--sorry I said anything, as you were, carry on!)

Week seven is time to make an Unexpected Discovery in your house which will lead to Confronting a Complication From Your Past. Tell us about your discovery, how you made it, and how it connects to some Past Thing or Person. Whatever it is, confronting the thing will improve the situation and lead to a happier life for all concerned!

How did you do with last week's goals? What are your plans for the coming week?

Daisy

Enjoy travels with sheep and shows!

Dame Eleanor Hull

- work on both M and S projects this week
- 2 "write first" mornings, 3 "exercise first" mornings
- grade one set of papers
- finishing touches to syllabuses, load more stuff to the ViLE
- make 1 phone call to schedule a shot
- do one annual training
- get back to latest round of editing tasks
- remove clothes from Chair of Doom
- work on Wednesday afternoon & do something fun on Friday after 3

Heu mihi

1. Exercise
2. Write 3000 words
3. Sit twice
4. Get external review as done as I know how (I have two co-authors, so I'm not alone on this)
5. Revise self-study document
6. Just...a whole lot of administrative stuff that I don't want to detail.

JaneB

SELF CARE
3x20 minutes of movement
reading, 1-2 creative things in addition to Inktober doodling, 1 social thing (online D&D - one game is taking a pause because two regular players are in a Christmas musical performance and rehersals are stepping up, but the other is still active)
LIFE ADMIN
Look at possible sofas
Don’t get lots more stuff
TEACHING/WORK ADMIN
Sort out slides for fourth and fifth week lectures
Survive this week's classes
Do "cold spot analysis", sigh.
Nag people to reply to review emails.
RESEARCH
Process more model outputs
Make list of all the other ‘ongoing stuff’
Finish step one part one for Systematic Review
Work on re-re-rewrite of the group paper I got cross about in late September and left aside to calm down
Attend meeting for paper I'm helping redraft

Julie

1. Prep two different lots of seminars.
2. Carry on writing new lecture.
3. Paper for workshop: at least one full day.
4. Email catch-up.
5. House/life admin: get flu jab, go to medical screening, request a prescription, make dentist's appointment, ring plumber, take contact lenses for recycling.
6. Self-care/fun: run x 3, read, journal, lunch with two friends on non-working day.

Susan

House
Do 5 boxes a day for three days
Take things down to storage unit, figure out what I really need to keep
Shop for new TV since the sound on mine has gone
Clear one box labeled "Miscellaneous office", most of which is probably trash

Work:
Finish reading book MS, draft my part of tenure case analysis on the research (which is excellent, so a pleasure in all sorts of ways)
Get draft of paper to be given at conference next weekend
Start on short paper for the conference the following weekend
Send email to colleague who is here at My Favorite Library and plan to get together

Life
Keep up with exercise - pick up on walking
Go to first choir rehearsal
Organize getting together with friends

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