the grid

the grid

Saturday 22 September 2018

September-December Week 3

For the topic this week, I'm going aside from the gardening metaphor, because I'm curious about many of your names. I know how JaneB came about, and I seem to remember that Good Enough Woman deliberately adopted her name as a sort of mantra, to avoid falling into the SuperWoman trap. I wanted to honor a little-known medieval woman writer (and now I'm a bit embarrassed about having given myself an aristocratic title). But what about some of the rest of you? I always imagine Humming42 as a hummingbird, quick and bright, but she could have been thinking of something else entirely. So: how/why did you pick your name? Or, if you needed or wanted to change names, who would you be now? 

Also, we seem to be a small group so far this session. If anyone else would like to join, please introduce yourself in the comments this week!

Daisy
1) Plan paper structure – held over from last week
2) Contact graduated student and make paper plans
3) Start data analysis for co-authored study
4) One hour every day on current projects to keep them moving

Dame Eleanor Hull
1) Health: keep working on getting enough sleep; walk or cardio daily; weights at least twice; at least one yoga class and some home stretching; keep up the good work on food.
2) Research: send in answers to queries re MMP; work on last set of revisions; work on two translation-related tasks; keep up with languages.
3) Teaching: finish a set of grading; do another set; write another assignment and/or delay it.
4) Life Stuff: one social thing and send that blasted form that I still haven’t done.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
1) Petition for sabbatical extension.
2) Self-care.
3) Write at least 4 hours for 4 days.

Good Enough Woman

1) Finish article edits
2) Write 500 words of fiction
3) Read 1-2 chapters of SF criticism
4) Take guitars in for a tune up
5) Clear a few things from the garage

heu mihi
1. Service misc: UWC task, WtW editing, WtW emails
2. Sit x 6
3. Write x 5
4. Language x 5
5. Stay 1 week ahead of seminar

Humming42
1 Write 1000 words on Sweet
2 Write 3 modules for online course
3 Set up reading group
4 Edit submitted book review

JaneB
1) reformat LikesMathsPaper1 for second journal, resubmit
2) comments on ProblemChild1
3) clear off my desk at work.
4) type up the patterns for the first two squares of the blanket. Either work on the next design, or start on a re-knit of the one I just did (every time I make a new pattern, I need to knit it twice, it seems...).
5) no refined sugar, make sure I drink enough fluids, and take a minute's standing break every 45-60 minutes of desk time
6) call the cat sanctuary and arrange to meet the scared cat again now he's had time to settle in
7) put clutter in hall and sitting room into boxes and hoover, in case a cat gets delivered, and make a New Kitty Shopping List
8) coffee shop with pen, notebook and fancy coffee!

oceangirl101
1. Get all paperwork for leave done
2. Get all course readings up to BB and notes to whomever my replacement will be
3. Make plans to leave for AZ end of week, find help to tend to house while I am away
4. Meet with undergrads working in my lab, meet with graduate students
5. Exercise 3x
6. Organize books/papers to bring with me to AZ for bookwork

Waffles
1. Analyses for conference abstract (this is kind of annoying bc it is a new doctoral student’s project, but they don’t have any ideas, haven’t looked at the data/survey, can’t analyze data yet, and can’t seem to take the lead on any aspects of the project - I think we should stop and wait till they are ready, but my mentor is pushing it which means I am doing all the work. Not fun)
2. Work on aim 1 discussion then send to co-author
3. Work on creating a job letter for at least one of the places to which I am applying for jobs
4. Maybe work on research statement?
5. Work on revising K aims and send to co-mentors
6. Launch my study!

43 comments:

  1. Last week:
    1. Analyses for conference abstract - DONE
    2. Work on aim 1 discussion then send to co-author - NOT DONE
    3. Work on creating a job letter for at least one of the places to which I am applying for jobs - DONE
    4. Maybe work on research statement? - STARTED
    5. Work on revising K aims and send to co-mentors - DONE
    6. Launch my study! - DONE

    I didn’t get any time to work from home this week, and I had been counting on that to get my discussion done. Hopefully this week I’ll get some time - but it’s doubtful since i have to be on campus 4 days.

    This week:
    1. Two reviews I am tardy on
    2. Mentee’s methods and results
    3. Finish presentation for tuesday
    4. Finish analyses and results for asthma paper
    5. Submit asthma review
    6. Work on aim 1 discussion then send to co-author

    Waffles

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You just keep powering through stuff! Good luck with this week's list. Extra campus days always throw me off; it's not just the time there, but the transport and prep.

      Delete
    2. Looks like you had a productive week, Waffles!

      Delete
  2. I wish I had picked a better, more pseudonymous name! (I don't think ScienceDragon is taken, for example...). At the time I began tentatively commenting on blogs, there were two active Janes, See Jane Compute and See Jane in the Academy, who I followed and enjoyed reading. Jane is actually part of my real name, as is the initial B, and JaneB was a quick and easy semi-pseudonymous way to comment. It now feels far too close to identifiable for some kinds of commenting and writing, but I can't really bring myself to care ENOUGH to go to all the trouble of changing it. Although if there really isn't a ScienceDragon I am somewhat tempted (homage to the Soup Dragon, of course - and I do like making soup, and fantasy systems which include dragons...).

    THE WEEK THAT WAS was horrible. I only worked 60 hours, because I couldn't do any more physically and mentally, and there was crying and shouting at things and bad eating and many other things. (almost all in private. I did amuse an anonymous someone by imploring the photocopier to get its act together very loudly and dramatically one early evening ("you tell 'im!" and laughter, followed by "think I'll go to the untraumatised one upstairs" floated through the window (which is frosted so i can't see through it but was ajar))). New computer system not really working, timetable, people, general crappiness. At least other people are also struggling so it's not JUST me, although it's kind of scary to have really competent people be in the same state as me!

    goals from last week:
    1) reformat LikesMathsPaper1 for second journal, resubmit YES. I hate online submission systems, but it's done
    2) comments on ProblemChild1 nope
    3) clear off my desk at work.nope. Added to the towers instead
    4) type up the patterns for the first two squares of the blanket. Either work on the next design, or start on a re-knit of the one I just did (every time I make a new pattern, I need to knit it twice, it seems...) nope.
    5) no refined sugar, make sure I drink enough fluids, and take a minute's standing break every 45-60 minutes of desk time no, but was restrained (especially when there were two whole industrial sized trays of chocolate brownie left over from a student lunch and the organiser was trying to get everyone to take a plateful back to their office or home for their family. I had ONE. I was virtuous...). Fluids - better than I have been. Movement - not bad in the mornings but tends to flag in the afternoon. And Friday I had a bad sciatica attack so was hobbling ridiculously...
    6) call the cat sanctuary and arrange to meet the scared cat again now he's had time to settle in did that today. He's coming home here next weekend :D. He's big (last week's tiny bundle of fur appearance means I definitely made the right call not to let them haul him out, he must have been REALLY scared), a domestic long hair, black starting to go rusty (he's 8) - a great fluffy lump of a scaredy cat).
    7) put clutter in hall and sitting room into boxes and hoover, in case a cat gets delivered, and make a New Kitty Shopping List nope. As a cat is being delivered next weekend, that's this week's priority!
    8) coffee shop with pen, notebook and fancy coffee! NOPE

    (P.S. Blogger did the overlength thing again here...)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THE COMING WEEK:
      Will also be pretty manic, but then I have a lighter one so there is an air chimney glimmer ahead in the tunnel... and I did some food prep today so there are healthy things to grab out of the fridge in the morning or evening (hard boiled eggs, slabs of veggie-packed spanish omelette, some jars of chopped fruit, toasted oats, a few chopped nuts and yoghurt ready mixed) and bananas, tomatoes and vegan sugar-free dried fruit and nut bars on the counter. And enough laundry that I have work outfits for the whole week even if I drip food/tea on myself every day...

      1) put clutter in hall and sitting room into boxes and hoover, finish last of the deFurballing of the house, and make a New Kitty Shopping List and shopping trip.
      2) collate, tabulate and send data for VeryLargeReviewPaper (a new invitation, and an easy cast-of-hundreds publication, led by a well known person, and it's very little effort for me)
      3) clear off my desk at work (because I will feel more in control if I do this)
      4) type up the patterns for the first two squares of the blanket. Either work on the next design, or start on a re-knit of the one I just did (every time I make a new pattern, I need to knit it twice, it seems...).
      5) no refined sugar, make sure I drink enough fluids, and take a minute's standing break every 45-60 minutes of desk time
      6) coffee shop with pen, notebook and fancy coffee! (because this just sounds nice)

      Oh, and I have one MAJOR achievement to report - I worked out a Bra Hack which means that I no longer have to constantly go fishing for sliding bra straps. I am very pleased with myself! Now just need to make a more permanent version of it...

      Delete
    2. I'm sorry that you're having a rough term already.... I wish that I had some ingenious suggestion to take care of it--.... Bra hacks can certainly help, though! Would love to hear yours (for the rare occasions in which I'm not just wearing a cotton-y stretchy bralette thingy because I simply can't handle proper bras anymore).

      Delete
    3. Congrats on the bra hack. I WISH you'd chosen "Science Dragon"! What a name!

      Delete
  3. Happy to be joining the group again! After a long and ridiculous series of weeks during which I did not have internet at home, I am finally able to access this site again!

    My name comes from my long-term research interests into botany, plants, and (recently) critical plant theory. I also have a number of botany-themed tattoos, so it seems to suit me well.

    Goals for this week:
    1) get used to my new students this block and try to manage my stress levels in teaching a totally new class
    2) balance teaching (aka current job) with applications for next year's job...TT positions seem to continually elude me.
    3) work at least 2X on current book chapter.
    4) work at least 4X on FL work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now there's an interesting approach for an alias: what do your tattoos say about you? Or, if un-inked, the tattoos you'd get if you were going to, or maybe your jewelry or other body adornment!

      Delete
    2. Could I ask you for a suggestion for an intro to critical plant studies, please? I'm working on this image in a Shakespeare play...

      Delete
    3. "Botany-themed tattoos" are, I bet, beautiful tattoos.

      Delete
  4. Hi Everyone, Sorry to have missed last week. I did, indeed, go try to see the northern lights, and stayed up from 10-2am trying to do that, before going to bed in a hotel. And then I felt like crap the next day, and had a long drive, which I split by stopping at a park and sleeping in my car for about an hour. That did help a lot.

    My name. Well, it's sort of a joke, Bard Maniac. I really, really love studying and teaching Shakespeare, but I don't much like bardolotry, the idea that there's something almost worshipful in approaching Shakespeare. And so Bardiac is sort of my anti-bardolotry approach. But I'm not sure that most people get it. I still do like it, mostly, though.

    This week: work on revision, work on revision, work on revision, get it DONE!

    Have a great week, folks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interesting---I got it, but not that it was ironic. I thought it was because you loved the dude so much (but maybe I was getting some overlap from Fie, since both of you lamented not being able to teach him as much as you would like).

      Delete
    2. Cheering on your revision! Go, go, go!

      Delete
  5. Heu Mihi essentially means "woe is me!," and I found it delightful when I learned it in Latin class. It seemed to go well with my semi-ironic melodramatic approach to self-reflection--o, alas, my life is so hard. Well, I did start my blog in the year that I was on the job market, so maybe there was something not-so-ironic about it at the time.

    Last week: Did pretty well.
    1. Service misc: UWC task (DONE), WtW editing (DONE), WtW emails (DONE)
    2. Sit x 6 - x 5
    3. Write x 5 - Yes
    4. Language x 5 - Yes
    5. Stay 1 week ahead of seminar - Yes, pretty much

    This week (consolidating my daily stuff for simplicity):
    1. Write x 5, language x 5, sit x 5, exercise x 5
    2. Revise Wonder per writing group’s comments
    3. Read/skim allegory book
    4. Finish knitting purple sweater
    5. Schedule one social thing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was a very successful week worth of "done" things :)Yay!

      Delete
    2. Daisy's right! That was a super week!

      Delete
    3. Nice! Sounds like a relatively woe-free week. :)

      Delete
  6. My pseudonym came from a mis-remembering of my real name by a distantly related kid. It is nowhere close to my actual name except for the first letter. Then later a friend of mine wrote a novel and named her heroine Daisy, she never knew about my random choice of online name and keeping it amused both of us.

    My week was extremely busy, I had a huge personal event that has taken months of preparation (so looking forward to sleeping again at night) and the student registration chaos continued unabated. The zombie paper I submitted also came back for minor formatting issues because I called the appendix a “table” instead of the random category they had for actual appendices so it ended up looking like it was 4 times the allowed page limit… But it is in review now so will be making the next zombie appearance some weeks from now I hope.

    Last week’s goals:
    1)Plan paper structure – held over from last week DONE
    2)Contact graduated student and make paper plans DONE
    3)Start data analysis for co-authored study STARTED (but only if we use “started” to mean “opened the files and felt queasy and closed them again”)
    4)One hour every day on current projects to keep them moving NOT EVEN CLOSE

    This week’s goals:
    1)One completed section of New Paper
    2)One completed data set for co-authored study, plus associated figures
    3)Lingering service tasks for national organization for upcoming meeting

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't imagine an hour a day on all current projects, even if teaching and service weren't in the picture. Would scaling that back be helpful?

      Delete
    2. I was kind of hoping for an hour a day in total (which failed too!), not even for each project,that would definitely be impossible... I'm realizing that I'm better at doing the one project thing per day,so for this week I will be picking one project every day, doing something that is urgent in that hour...

      Delete
    3. I hope that getting over the hurdle of the huge personal event has, indeed, allowed you to get more sleep and that you have a smooth (enough) re-entry back into your daily tasks.

      Delete
  7. Topic: My name is a permutation of my real name. I came up with it originally as the name I wish my parents had given me, and it is serving me well as a pen name until I retire and can take it as my legal name. Elizabeth is my legal middle name; Anne is a variant of my legal first name; and Mitchell is my maiden name.

    Last week’s goals:
    Petition for sabbatical extension. Done. I wrote my dean, who will pursue it.
    Self-care. Pretty good job--I’ve been sleeping for ages.
    Write at least 4 hours for 4 days. Not quite. Only three, but that’s something.

    Analysis: This is such a weird syndrome/disease. There are days I feel almost normal--slightly tired and achy, but no big deal. Then there are the other days, where I feel like an extra from a horror film. I can’t figure out why the pain is so inconsistent. I had to come to campus today for a faculty senate council meeting, and of course it was one of the other days. No one had any idea I was ill, but man, that meeting was difficult. I had not slept for more than a couple of hours a night since the stents were placed on the 12th, but I slept for most of the weekend in three- to four-hour stints. I feel more rested than I have for ages, which is good.

    Next week’s goals:
    Get through lithotripsy and recovery.
    Pull together realistic plans for the last month of the sabbatical.
    Write for 2 hours for 4 days.

    I hope that I can get some work done on the good days. I hope everyone has a great rest of the week. Excelsior!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your name always makes me think of the children's book Understood Betsy, since Elizabeth Anne is the real/full name of the heroine (can't recall her surname).

      I think any ailment with pain as a significant component has ebbs and flows that are hard to predict. There are so many things that affect our bodies---rest, nutrition, emotional stress, stages of healing that take different amounts of energy---and things that we can take in stride when in good condition can absolutely flatten us when we're under par. I'm glad to hear that you got to spend the weekend sleeping.

      Delete
    2. Elizabeth Anne has no surname in Understood Betsy, although her Vermont farm cousins are the Putneys. I love that book, but I must admit I don't feel like a Betsy--maybe a Beth? lol

      I tend to forget that being sick is tiring. It also takes a toll on the brain. In fact, I put the wrong goals for this week *facepalm*.

      This week's goals:
      Organize home office.
      Set up new laptop.
      Write 2 hours for 3 days.

      Delete
    3. It's so interesting that you plan to take you pen name as your legal name. It's like creating your own super-identity, and it appeals to me.

      I hope you get more rest and that organizing your office is, at times, kind of pleasant.

      Delete
  8. Humming42 combines two things: the hum, which is a means of describing the collective unconscious, and 42, which is Douglas Adams’ answer to life, the universe, and everything. I am taken with the idea of being like a hummingbird, too, and will integrate that into my sense of how this pseudonym represents me.

    It was another week of spinning all the wheels to get the normal stuff done and not having time or energy for TLQ. Since Sweet is now TRQ, I have a single goal for this week.

    Last week
    1 Write 1000 words on Sweet: no
    2 Write 3 modules for online course: no
    3 Set up reading group: no
    4 Edit submitted book review: no

    This week
    1 Finish and submit Sweet

    Wishing you the joys of the change of seasons.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good luck with your One Job!

      If anyone feels like listing the joys of fall and winter, I'd love to hear them. Shorter days depress me; it's not bad yet, but I do notice the lessening of the light, and I'm trying to re-focus on things I do like (such as my brown suede boots). My husband actually likes cold weather for its own sake, which I do not, so he's not a lot of help.

      Delete
    2. I will offer two joys I look forward to: wrapping a blanket around my shoulders when I curl up on the couch to read, and the soothing comfort of holding a cup of hot coffee when my hand are cold. The shorter days bother me too. I've been thinking about shopping for some kind of artful desk lamp that can console me when I need more light.

      Delete
    3. I love the name! I would have gotten the 42 reference, but not the other one.

      Delete
    4. When we created our new science fiction class, we made sure to put 42 in the course number. :)

      Delete
  9. DEH is correct. I took on the GoodEnoughWoman blog name ten years ago when I didn't feel like I was doing anything very well, and I felt faced with the whole SuperMommy phenomenon (my kids were three and five at the time). I was mothering, working as a tenured faculty member, doing some key service at the college, and starting a PhD program. Things were rough.

    It's timely that DEH asks this question because I've been thinking of changing the name. These days, I don't feel great at anything, but I do feel "good enough." I think the name has served its purpose, but it might be time for something new.

    Last week: Not so good.
    1) Finish article edits. DONE
    2) Write 500 words of fiction. NOT DONE.
    3) Read 1-2 chapters of SF criticism. NOT DONE.
    4) Take guitars in for a tune up. NOT DONE.
    5) Clear a few things from the garage. NOT DONE.

    Wow, major fail. The weekend ended up being busier than I thought it would be, and I didn't have any "extra" time. I'm torn between feeling bad about my failures one the one hand, and, on the other hand, taking this as a reminder of why I'm in this group. I really do blow off TLQ for the more urgent TRQ demands of life (especially those that come from other people).

    I did go for a long walk with the dog though.

    This coming weekend, I'm attending a writing conference that is held locally. I'll be going to workshops, but I'm also a liaison for the teens who are going from my daughter's school, so I'll be herding 13-year-old girls a bit, too. It will be fun, but I won't have much down time. I've also noticed that from now forward in the semester, there will be SO MUCH GRADING.

    This week's goals:
    1. Finish book for book club.
    2. Write 500 words of fiction.
    3. Order "recent studies" article from ILL.
    4. Move or toss ONE THING from my pile in the garage.
    5. Start documents for funding request.
    6. Grade two batches of short research papers (about 55 total). This will be difficult, but I have more coming in next week, so it would be great if I can get through them by next Tuesday.
    7. Think of a new blog name?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh and #8. Do final copy edits for the article! They sent me back the piece for one last pass before publication. :)

      Delete
    2. Good Enough Grader? That's a joke, but with that many papers, it sure sounds like time to focus on one or two issues and let the rest go! The writing conference sounds fun. Good luck with herding the 13-year-olds!

      Delete
    3. I'm in my campus office right now while the teenagers are learning how to write movie scripts. I'm going to try to grade a couple of papers (of course) before I go down to gather them up.

      Maybe I need to focus on just two non-grading things each week? I probably do that already, which is why exercise goes straight out the window.

      Delete
  10. I feel like I'm drowning in TRQ. It did not help that I had jury duty last week. We're on a one-day one-trial system, so I was just there for one day (dismissed from one possible trial), and did get some grading done while in the jurors' room, but still, that was four days of being away from home for 13 hours instead of three, and that takes its toll. I spent the weekend on Life Stuff and restorative activities, came home early on Monday (I get to skip a committee for a month or so because of my own application for promotion), and now sorta kinda feel like I can face this week.

    How I did:
    1) Health: keep working on getting enough sleep; walk or cardio daily; weights at least twice; at least one yoga class and some home stretching; keep up the good work on food. RESULTS: really not enough sleep; pretty good on at least walking though I need more cardio; yes on weights; yes on one yoga class, not too good on stretching at home; okay on food but I think I've found another thing okay in small amounts but not in larger serves.
    2) Research: send in answers to queries re MMP; work on last set of revisions; work on two translation-related tasks; keep up with languages. RESULTS: Yes, no, one, skimping.
    3) Teaching: finish a set of grading; do another set; write another assignment and/or delay it. RESULTS: Yes, no, yes as of yesterday.
    4) Life Stuff: one social thing and send that blasted form that I still haven’t done. RESULTS: Yes, and no.

    Goals for this week:
    1) Health: keep working on getting enough sleep; walk or cardio daily; weights at least twice; two yoga classes and some home stretching; keep up the good work on food.

    2) Research: work on last set of revisions; work on two translation-related tasks; keep up with languages.

    3) Teaching: finish a set of grading; post more assignments and stuff to the CMS.

    4) Life Stuff: plan a social thing; send that blasted form; do some garden tidying.

    I feel like there's something important that I'm forgetting, but maybe that's all the other little stuff breathing down my neck (write a job description for a search committee, submit spring course descriptions, put away laundry, yadda yadda).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Given the TRQ craziness, you've accomplished some goals, and I'd call that a win.
      Your list of little things makes me wish I could share an administrative assistant with a couple of colleagues for all that stuff.

      Delete
    2. I agree with EAM. Although your results were mixed, you seem to be batting about .500, and that's pretty good considering the TRQ pressure. I hope having some time at home this weekend refreshes you.

      And send that blasted form!!

      Delete
  11. I am having problems posting, tried once and lost it, will try again. My name comes from my work in the islands and the fact that I spend 2/3 of the year teaching. To try to be semi-anonymous I did not want to divulge my research specialty.

    Last week:
    1. Get all paperwork for leave done YES
    2. Get all course readings up to BB and notes to whomever my replacement will be YES
    3. Make plans to leave for AZ end of week, find help to tend to house while I am away YES
    4. Meet with undergrads working in my lab, meet with graduate students YES
    5. Exercise 3x NO 2x
    6. Organize books/papers to bring with me to AZ for bookwork YES

    Last week was enormously hard getting ready to take family leave, but I managed to get everything done. I left for my Mom's on Sunday. Much of this week will be spent figuring out how to best help/support my Mom and work out a schedule with her caregivers for what I should do versus what they should do. My exercise program is slipping and I really need to stay on top of that for my stress level/sanity. Things with the rest of my family are not so good, so it's going to be a rough road going forward. But I am so relieved to be able to spend time with my Mom.

    This week:

    1. Triage medical visits to the house for my Mom and other things
    2. Figure out good care giving schedule with other two caregivers
    3. Read Chapter of PhD student dissertation draft and comment
    4. Write student letter of recs
    5. Exercise x 3
    6. Outline Ch 6 if there is time



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was an excellent week! Even on exercise, two out of three is doing very well, especially in the circumstances. All the family Stuff crawls out of the woodwork just when there's the least energy for dealing with the crazy, so good luck hanging on to your own sanity. Very best wishes!

      Delete
    2. Kudos on such great progress, especially when I'm sure your heart and mind are, at times, elsewhere. It looks like you are aiming for a good balance this week with your mom as the focus. Exercise will probably be extra important this week. Do take a bit of time for self-care so that you can be a good care-giver.

      Delete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete