the grid

the grid

Monday 19 August 2019

Summer-north, Winter-south week 13: The End

The time has come for us to part--or so says Mr. Phillips, the schoolmaster, on the last day of his tenure at the village school of Avonlea in Anne of Green Gables, which I'm currently rereading with my son. None of the students likes Mr. Phillips (except, of course, Prissy Andrews), and yet all the girls weep into their handkerchiefs through his parting speech and all the way home. Some sessions feel a little bit like that, don't they?

**Picking up from where I left off several hours ago: Huge apologies, again. I got caught up in Family Stuff today and am only now grabbing 5 minutes to finish this before it's off to Bedtime Rigamarole. (I've been helping Bonaventure do a major overhaul of his bedroom--not something to discourage, let me tell you.)**

So, anyway, this is it: Time to reflect on the session as well as last week. And please let us know if you're willing to host the Intersession (about 4 weeks) or Sept-Dec (12-13 weeks)!

Last week's goals:

Dame Eleanor Hull:
Final check of syllaboi and send them to be copied.
Some Blackboard set-up for both classes.
Post-conference e-mails.
Mow lawn, pay bills, other household whatnot.
Pack and organize for next trip.
Regular exercise, stretching, safe food, adequate down time.
Stretch goal: if I can do most of the other stuff today, lock myself in my study tomorrow and finish off the f^(&!%g R&R that is still hanging albatross-like round my neck.


heu mihi:
1. Reread Wonder?
2. Work on conference paper?
3. Prep week 2 of classes
4. Sit x? Language x?
5. Anniversary book


humming42:
1 Write and submit one book review
2 Keep up with grading and comments
3 Write something every day
4 Finish reading a review book
5 Submit Square abstract


oceangirl101:
1) meet with postdoc
2) research/data crunching, writing on Ch 6
3) travel plans for fall
4) meet with postdoc
5) get MRI


Susan:
1. Syllabus #1: Get sections outlined
2. Violence: Start quick revision 
3. Keep walking
4. See people


Session goals:

Dame Eleanor Hull:
1, underpinning all the rest, maintain healthy exercise and eating routines.
2, live with uncertainty and work the process w/r/t house.
3, finish 3-year-old R&R.
4, conference paper/part of book chapter.
5, plan all 4 classes for next year.
6, regular reading/study of foreign languages.


Elizabeth Anne Mitchell:

  • Organizing Goals:
    • Create and execute a clear organization to the scholarly apparatus for Prudence.
    • Slash and burn through three lateral file drawers
  • Writing Goals:
    • Edit three pages a day of Prudence. 
  • Health Goals:
    • Get through surgery and recovery.
    • Continue to walk, dance and move.
    • Continue to eat better than I did a year ago.
  • Creativity goals:
    • Write at least fifteen minutes a day on a creative project--novella, novel, or story bible.
    • Knit for at least a half-hour daily.

Good Enough Woman:
1) 5 hours of exercise per week
2) 5x meditation per week
3) 5 hours of writing per week
4) 5 hours of prep work per week
5) 5 hours of house chores per week (organizing, gardening, etc.)
6) 5 new family-friendly plant-based meals to add to the repertoire

heu mihi:
1. Read 20 books (mix of work and leisure)
2. Meet deadlines: (a) submit Death essay by June 15; (b) draft/write/submit up to four conference abstracts (due June 3, Sept. 15(?), Sept. 15(?), and Oct. 1); (c) submit proposal for edited collection by Sept. 1; review copy-edited book MS (June/July-ish--depends on when it comes in)
3. Revise Wonder essay and figure out where to send it next
4. Revise novel draft from NaNo 18
5. Yard work for 3 hours/week
6. Run 6 miles one time
7. Language study (30 minutes, 5 times a week)
8. Sit (in meditation) some amount

humming42:
1 submit Perform abstract
2 write Perform as if I will present in Fall
3 write and submit Slow
4 develop full outline for Tiny Project
5 organize and outline for December essay

JaneB:
1a - self-care. water (lots), food (eat well), sleep (get into better habits), calm (cultivate it), less noodling (more deliberate choices)
1b - creating domestic order (a sub-class of self-care, but one with particular needs right now). continue to make progress with decluttering, with particular goals of having a kitchen I want to use and to have gotten a series of small handy-person-needed tasks done.
1c) making things. I want to get on with the research-related squares which have been quite neglected, finish never-ending project (which is in cotton yarn so pretty summer-handwork-friendly) and a pair of socks. Work on my NaNoWriMo novel from last year, and if I find the right mental space write some poetry.
2a - research writing. Get ProblemChild2 dispatched if possible to its first choice journal. Fragment (a new project F paper) - this will be a conference presentation in July and should become a complete paper manuscript by the end of the session. And get FlatProjectFirst into a fairly complete draft (assuming the problem I spotted last week is just a quirk and not an oh bug*ger we need to redo everything). Also write equivalent of one research grant application.
2b: teaching prep (to make space for more calm in semester). Key areas are "new" modules (complete rewrites of the GiantFirstYearModules, which I rather resent right now) and setting up a new teacher bag and teaching prep system (I like making systems).
2c: research data and admin things (I need to do some sample analysis on samples from FavouriteIslands, work out some storage solutions for twenty-mumble years of samples which are bursting out of their boxes and implement them, and refresh our collection of teaching/outreach visual materials for my core area, so it comes under research as it will be fun...).

karen:
- have a creative work complete to the point of showing to collaborator
- have a complete first draft of conference paper
- complete WIL project to the point of having report/actions written up
- complete coursework masters internal review to the point of having draft proposal ready for senior leadership group
- do a park run

KJHaxton:
1. to build in writing time into my schedule. Aim: 1 hour per day.
2. to research-analyse-write deliberately and to a plan. Aim: make a plan for each project
3. to work modestly on teaching prep to make space during semester time for items 1 and 2 on this list. Aim: 1 half day per week
4. to work modestly on admin tasks to make progress, but on a schedule that suits me, not the latest 'emergency'. 

oceangirl101:
- complete 2.5 chapters of book (or more)
- work on resilence and time paper with colleagues
- widen/strengthen group of local friends/support network
- self care: eat well, garden, exercise 4x a wk

Susan:
1. Finish Violence
2. Review collaboration paper (almost done)
3. Finish memorial
4. Prepare two semi-new courses
5. House stuff: roof, new floor for bedroom, new ceiling fans? Decluttering
6. Keep (return to) walking
7. Read for fun as well as work

18 comments:

  1. I'd be happy to moderate for the intersession.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Again, All! I'd like to rejoin, for the coming session, please.

    Thanks, Bardiac

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'd work with someone on the Sept/Dec session.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OK, let's do it together! Is 14-15 Sept to 14-15 Dec good for you?

      Delete
    2. Yes, that should work!

      Delete
  4. The end, eh?
    So: Last week (really cheating because I posted on Friday!)
    1. Syllabus #1: Get sections outlined -- yes, it's coming together. Should finish a good draft tomorrow
    2. Violence: Start quick revision: Done -- I have recast it, and I think it works? Hoping that two solid mornings of work will take care of it.

    3. Keep walking -- Lazy weekend, but yes.
    4. See people -- yes: last week was VERY social.

    The syllabi have to be pretty much done by the end of this week, so there's that. Meetings have started, though classes don't start till next week.

    I'm most pleased about Violence -- it's gone through so many iterations, that the version I sent in June had lost a clear direction. I like the direction I've taken, and I think the argument works, so - Phew!

    I had a sociable week, and then went to My Favorite Library for a few days work, and a visit with my niece and nephew (and their parents, but the 5 year olds are fun). So the weekend was good.

    Session Goals:
    1. Finish Violence Well, done once, and almost done twice!
    2. Review collaboration paper (almost done) DONE
    3. Finish memorial DONE
    4. Prepare two semi-new courses SORT OF
    5. House stuff: roof, new floor for bedroom, new ceiling fans? Decluttering SO-SO - Some decluttering, deposit on new roof. It's a start.
    6. Keep (return to) walking Yes, actually did pretty well on this.
    7. Read for fun as well as work YES, did this.

    The key was that my goals were modest. I needed time to decompress, and I did that. I'm clearing the decks for my new projects. (I will not agree to any more collections of essays. I will not agree to any more collections of essays...) I've got in the walking habit, and I think my schedule will be ok this fall. We'll see!

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  5. I found some parts of this session difficult, goal-wise. I think it's just harder to do the Daily Stuff when we're all in the house together, and definitely hard to block out the multiple hours per day that I'd need to really get them all done when my child is home with me. So this has been a learning experience in that respect. I've also come to the realization that I don't *have* to meet all of my loftiest productivity goals, since I've now published (or had accepted) enough to go up for the last promotion of my career.

    How I did:

    Last week's goals:
    1. Reread Wonder? - NO
    2. Work on conference paper? - SOME
    3. Prep week 2 of classes - Looked at last year's notes for one class; came up with an idea for the other, read half a book
    4. Sit x? Language x? - NOPE: x0, x0
    5. Anniversary book - DONE

    Session goals:
    1. Read 20 books (mix of work and leisure) - 14, which is OK. Plus some articles and bits of things.
    2. Meet deadlines: (a) submit Death essay by June 15; (b) draft/write/submit conference abstracts (due June 3 -YES, accepted; Sept. 15 -YES, and Oct. 1-DRAFTED, although I now have a second Oct. 1 abstract deadline); (c) submit proposal for edited collection by Sept. 1 - ON TRACK FOR MID-/LATE SEPT; review copy-edited book MS - DONE
    3. Revise Wonder essay and figure out where to send it next - MOSTLY, I think. It’s not done, but I have a tentative plan.
    4. Revise novel draft from NaNo 18 - NO. Decided that this was not a goal for the summer.
    5. Yard work for 3 hours/week - MANY WEEKS, not all. The yard is improving.
    6. Run 6 miles one time - NO; lost interest, as I said at mid-term check-in, and decided that this was no longer a summer goal. I have no intention of starting up long-distance running; the 4-mile “race” that I participate in every September is enough for me!
    7. Language study (30 minutes, 5 times a week) - Through July, yes.
    8. Sit (in meditation) some amount - “Some amount”? Sure. Regularly? No. As I’ve said, though, it’s just too hard to do this kind of thing when we’re all in the house together.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This session was hard because I had reasonable expectations but forgot to allow for the continual escalation of institutional demands, which this year have really badly wrecked summer research time. Oh, and I was sick for June, just a cold, but they do flatten me. I set minimal goals late last week, because I spent most of the time visiting family. The traffic was really bad on the way back and now my knees hate me (also, back at work yesterday and today, and oh my back resents me, my work set-up, and being at work! It's only when I get a break that I realise how painful work can be...).

    goals for the session:
    1a - self-care. water (lots), food (eat well), sleep (get into better habits), calm (cultivate it), less noodling (more deliberate choices)
    mixed, but having the goal made me keep starting over and that is good. Water is generally good (I DON'T want another kidney stone), food is variable (I gained weight in June from eating too much carbs and being lazy, it's all off now but partly due to having an "I'm scared of most food" phase whilst conferencing which is scary in multiple ways, and I'm having a new set of digestive misbehaviours at the moment which bother me (yes, I made a GP appointment). Sleep has been erratic (my system wants to sleep out of sync with "the norm"), and I've noodled so much my phone battery is giving up! But, well...

    1b - creating domestic order. continue to make progress with decluttering, with particular goals of having a kitchen I want to use and to have gotten a series of small handy-person-needed tasks done.
    my kitchen is super organised and looks good, it's really great. I hope it will help me be better about self care going into the new academic year. Have NOT got the small handy-person chores done. Maybe intersession?

    1c) making things. I want to get on with the research-related squares which have been quite neglected, finish never-ending project (which is in cotton yarn so pretty summer-handwork-friendly) and a pair of socks. Work on my NaNoWriMo novel from last year, and if I find the right mental space write some poetry.
    I made another square for research project - last week, at the parents - and did a few rows on neverendingproject (I am in the last third of the body of this now...). No sock knitting, no writing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 2a - research writing. Get ProblemChild2 dispatched if possible to its first choice journal. Fragment (a new project F paper) - this will be a conference presentation in July and should become a complete paper manuscript by the end of the session. And get FlatProjectFirst into a fairly complete draft (assuming the problem I spotted last week is just a quirk and not an oh bug*ger we need to redo everything). Also write equivalent of one research grant application.
      ProblemChild1 is out with co-authors, but it's VERY close to submission. Fragment was a good conference presentation and is progressing towards a paper. FlatProjectFirst DID have problems, and we found more. Two conference presentations have been put together, one problem was fixed, the second requires more modelling which I have just started today. I've done bits on multiple ideas, so, sort of. Not great. OH, but, the "not useful" application I was working on? Was for recognition as a Senior Fellow in the UK's higher ed teaching academy, which is an optional accreditation system for HE teachers - you have to do a teaching certificate (or teach for three years and do loads of paperwork) to be a Fellow, and I've been one ever since the system starts, but you can also put together a portfolio for higher level accreditation, and I heard last week that I've been successful!
      Yes, it IS gratifying... and pointless. No-one else really cares & it won't help me get a promotion or anything, but...


      2b: teaching prep (to make space for more calm in semester). Key areas are "new" modules (complete rewrites of the GiantFirstYearModules, which I rather resent right now) and setting up a new teacher bag and teaching prep system (I like making systems).
      No prep done. Like NONE. Probably the worst summer ever in terms of prep done by this point. Have bought a new bag, and some new files, and a new teaching notebook...

      2c: research data and admin things (I need to do some sample analysis on samples from FavouriteIslands, work out some storage solutions for twenty-mumble years of samples which are bursting out of their boxes and implement them, and refresh our collection of teaching/outreach visual materials for my core area, so it comes under research as it will be fun...) nope, none of this. Not a whisper. Aargh!

      Delete
  7. Thank you to heu mihi and Dame Eleanor for hosting the summer session. It’s always good to check in and get an idea of what it is I’m really doing on any given day...for the upcoming long session I think it will benefit me to post my session goals somewhere so I will see them often and remember what I set out to do. I do have a handful of long term projects that are due September-December, so I expect I’ll be more attentive to what needs to be done as finishing becomes more urgent.

    How I did:
    Session goals
    1 submit Perform abstract: yes
    2 write Perform as if I will present in Fall: no
    3 write and submit Slow: no
    4 develop full outline for Tiny Project: no
    5 organize and outline for December essay: no

    Last week:
    1 Write and submit one book review: yes
    2 Keep up with grading and comments: no, but it’s done now
    3 Write something every day: missed one
    4 Finish reading a review book: still reading
    5 Submit Square abstract: yes

    See you soon in the tiny intersession!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Topic: Although I would have liked to have done more, I ended up dealing with unforeseen situations that derailed me. Even so, I am ending on a positive note. Although I didn't make much progress on Prudence, I may have found it a new home.
    Although I have had to declare my medieval studies candidacy defunct, because they were making noises about my having to retake some courses, in residency (12 hours drive away), I found a program here that will allow me to finish. I'm waiting to hear what courses will transfer, but I'm hopeful.
    Although I did not weed the lateral file, I will be moving my office again, for the second time in 15 months, so there's the perfect opportunity to move that goal to the intersession, and get it done.
    Although I am being forced out of my current position, I suggested to the Dean a position I would enjoy and that would use my expertise. The Dean seemed somewhat supportive of the move, so I am cautiously optimistic.
    And although my surgery was more complicated than expected, and I was out of work longer than I expected, I feel much better than I have for a year or so.
    All in all, not the summer I planned, but not a bad summer at all.

    Session goals:
    Organizing Goals:
    Create and execute a clear organization to the scholarly apparatus for Prudence. Created but not executed
    Slash and burn through three lateral file drawers No.

    Writing Goals:
    Edit three pages a day of Prudence. No.

    Health Goals:
    Get through surgery and recovery. Yes.
    Continue to walk, dance and move.Yes.
    Continue to eat better than I did a year ago. Yes.

    Creativity goals:
    Write at least fifteen minutes a day on a creative project--novella, novel, or story bible. No.
    Knit for at least a half-hour daily. Yes.

    Analysis: This summer was a high stress time, which took its toll on my sleep, my research, and my health, which then takes its own toll on all of the above in an endless cycle.

    I'm looking forward to expanding my positive outlook in the intersession. Float like mist, everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  9. My apologies. Rereading my comment this morning showed how far from floating like mist in a positive way I am. I'll work on that!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello! I am back from excellent travels. All my pre-trip angst was just travel anxiety; none of it came to pass. I wish I could just skip the stage in which I worry and go straight to enjoying myself.

    How I did:
    Final check of syllaboi and send them to be copied. NO: we don't get paper copies this year (boo), so I put off the check for today.
    Some Blackboard set-up for both classes. MINIMAL.
    Post-conference e-mails. YES.
    Mow lawn, pay bills, other household whatnot. YES (now mostly to be done again after second trip!)
    Pack and organize for next trip. YES.
    Regular exercise, stretching, safe food, adequate down time. YES: a little food trouble, but also some experimenting that went right (for a welcome change!); could have done with more down time but it really was great to see everyone.
    Stretch goal: if I can do most of the other stuff today, lock myself in my study tomorrow and finish off the f^(&!%g R&R that is still hanging albatross-like round my neck. NO. (I knew it was a stretch.)

    Session goals report:
    1, underpinning all the rest, maintain healthy exercise and eating routines. YES.
    2, live with uncertainty and work the process w/r/t house. YES (good thing I put it this way: still no movement here).
    3, finish 3-year-old R&R. NO.
    4, conference paper/part of book chapter. YES (and good feedback from people who know!).
    5, plan all 4 classes for next year. HALF.
    6, regular reading/study of foreign languages. SOME: less than I hoped/intended, but I'm pleased that I kept up with at least a bit of drill, a little reading, some conversation.

    It was great "seeing" all of you here! Best wishes to all for the end of August/start of September. Move like water, float like mist, be the stone, as appropriate!

    ReplyDelete