Northern Fall/Southern Spring week 7

Next week will be half way through this iteration, which seems ridiculous - the days are long, the weeks are short...

On the subject of time flying past, it's also nearly November, so NaNoWriMo is just around the corner (as is AcWriMo).  That means that I have just got back from meeting an actual stranger in a coffee shop for a pre-NaNoWriMo prep meet-up.  It was scary... but it was fun once I got there, and there might be some potential for actually making a new friend here (she knew loads of details from Terry Pratchett books, and appreciated the way the absurdity accumulates, and is planning a 'magical realism cosy mystery series based around a tea shop in a small coastal town' which sounds like exactly the kind of thing I need to read).  I don't have time for NaNoWriMo, I don't have space in my head for plot and character and stuff, but I need it, so I'm doing it.  However, typing and computer work is bad for my various aches and pains, and doing EXTRA typing after work seems rather 'busman's hobby' ish.  But I LIKE writing and thinking and organising words...

Which leads me to today's topic - I thought it might be interesting to think about how leisure and self-care often overlap with our work lives.  I'm a STEM academic, so at least my fiction and occasional poetry writing isn't directly related to my job - although as it involves sitting at a computer, planning and editing, it's kind of a bit close for comfort.  I also like getting out into nature - but that is really NOT a proper escape either because everything I see is informed by my subject knowledge, I'm often catching myself thinking "ooooh, need a photo of that, it would be perfect for that lecture..." or "...if I ever get to teach x...".  Being an academic, being a bookish, verbal person, and working in the general environment area (where just about ANYTHING in a landscape can be relevant), it's really hard to think of anything I do that DOESN'T relate to work.  Baking?  But I do lab work, the source of ingredients and my dietary choices all have environmental implications, etc. etc...

How does it work for you?  Do you find it easy to separate work activities and leisure activities, or do they tend to bleed into each other?  Any tips on how to improve the separation, or embrace the blend?

Goals for last week

Dame Eleanor Hull

*daily reading/writing (x5), OR a weekly total of 50 pages read, 1250 words written;
*grade 1 set of student papers (F&H) and 2 short assignments (sentences, ICW);
*daily exercise and stretching (x6);
*keep up with dead languages;
*deal with paperwork.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell - carried over

Do the hard phone calls - - asking for permission to take classes, talking to Admissions, the Graduate School, and the department.
Do some prep work for special issue.

Heu Mihi

1. Sit x 5
2. Send out journal acceptances for undergrad thingy
3. Edit abstracts for collection and send to co-editor
4. 3x30 minutes on November conference paper
5. 1x30 minutes on language
6. Have a calm, rational conversation about my service load with my department chair
7. Don't go to bed past 10:30

Humming42/Linda

1 Finish and submit next book review
2 Write lit review and outline for DQ
3 Decide about summer funding proposal
4 Regroup.

JaneB

1) maintain habits (8 items, it's boring to keep listing them)
2) research things this week - stet: finish the FlatProject final step of analysis ready to start writing. Finish refereeing the damn horrible article (ugh). If possible, also drawing up a figure for the grant idea called PCfu (ProblemChild follow up) and send the draft to FormerPDF. Sort out FavouriteIslands samples.
3) prepare all teaching materials for the next week. See if I can get out of the field trip (there are several students not going for variously good and indifferent reasons, so we don't REALLY need everyone, and I'm not needed for any specific reason, so...). Grade the remaining 50 short essays (now very urgent) and 60-odd small pieces.
4) start some plotting for NaNoWriMo. (I don't have time but I need the escapism)
 

Oceangirl101/Jenny

1. finish last ed volume chapter
2. do figures ed vol chapter
3. emails about fieldwork for the summer
4. exercise x 3
5. clean house/laundry/bills things are sort of out of hand
6. Plane tic to memorial service for Mom (seem to be in denial about this and must do)

Susan

1. Finish grading first group of papers (TRQ)
2. Comment on draft paper topics
3. Re-read book and write blog post on big but old book
4. Do one admin report that is overdue
5. Keep walking/ exercising

Northern Fall/Southern Spring, Week 6

Last week JaneB asked us about our quick pick-me-ups, which got me thinking. For me those things are happy accidents, more than things I can do.  So  the things I can do have to do with friends, most of whom live someplace else.  So I thought it would be good for us to talk about and honor our friends -- where we see them, how we stay in touch, what difference they make.  What's their role in your life?  

Goals from last week:
Dame Eleanor Hull:
*daily reading/writing (x5), OR a weekly total of 50 pages read, 1250 words written;
*grade 2 sets of student papers and 2 short assignments; put up 2 new assignments; prep for film-teaching;*daily exercise and stretching (x6);*keep up with dead languages;*pay bills.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell:
Relax and forget all about work.
Enjoy the Wednesday night concert.
Take some knitting, probably wool socks.
Make sure I have several books with me.


Heu Mihi:
1. Finish Silence edits & send them in
2. Sit x 5
3. Read journal submissions and email timeline to other editors
4. Look at what I’m supposed to do for the collection proposal
5. 2 x30 minutes on November conference paper
6. 1 x30 minutes on language

JaneB
1) maintain habits (8 items, it's boring to keep listing them)
2) research things this week: finish the FlatProject final step of analysis ready to start writing. Finish refereeing the damn horrible article (ugh). If possible, also drawing up a figure for the grant idea called PCfu (ProblemChild follow up) and send the draft to FormerPDF. Sort out FavouriteIslands samples.
3) prepare all teaching materials for week, 10 days if possible (because there is a two day field trip at the end of next week so I lose weekend time so I want to be ahead enough I can have at least ONE day off. Plus the FOLLOWING week my little sister is graduating with her undergrad degree - she's only 2 years younger than me & studied part time by distance learning/weekend intensives at a specialist-animal-stuff HE-college affiliated to Northern Uni) so I want to spend some time with her family then. grade one thesis and 63 short essays (now urgent).
4) finish reading last bit of previous years NaNoWriMo, collect relevant bits into a new Scrivener file, and start some plotting. (I don't have time but I need the escapism)

Susan 
1. Enjoy conference
2. Talk to at least 5 new people
3. Grade papers
4. Keep up some kind of exercise while at conference
5. Try to keep some kind of balanced sleep pattern. (Hah, it's almost 11:30.)

Northern Autumn/Southern Spring 2019 week 5

We've been talking about distractions for the last couple of weeks; right now, TRQ is one of the biggest distractions in my life, as we've reached that middle slog of the semester when the end is a long way off but the novelty and energy of the fresh start has worn off, the first years are settling in enough to notice that they are tired and homesick, and the days are getting short enough that I'm getting up in the dark and driving to work facing into the sunrise and getting half-blinded at points when the sun is actually out.  Which is pretty, but feels Too Darn Early!  So this week let's talk about renewal - where do you turn for quick shots of energy and enthusiasm and kindness when you've reached the heavy point of the semester and you need to work on TRQ to have a chance of staying afloat in all the little crannies of time you optimistically intend for TLQ (that one is probably just me...)?  When you struggle to keep all your self-care habits, do you prioritise sleep, or dive into fiction, or bake an enormous batch of goodies?  What's the current One Thing that can help get you through a tough week with a good attitude?  or have you suggestions of things to try?

For example - I've recently been unreasonably cheered by finding an orange-spice version of vegan/refined-sugar-free/fairtraded chocolate goop that makes bearable hot chocolate out of sensible, healthy oat milk, and indulged myself by spending this afternoon lying on the bed with a pile of All The Pillows and a cat on my legs, re-reading a Very Frivolous Book, which has given me the will to push through all the hard bits of next week's teaching prep.

Last week's goals

Dame Eleanor Hull

*daily reading/writing (x5), OR a weekly total of 50 pages read, 1250 words written;
*grade 1 set of student papers, put up a batch of new assignments, prep for film-teaching;
*daily exercise and stretching (x6);
*keep up with dead languages;
*make at least one more medical appointment.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell - carried over

Write and send call for special issue.
Walk at least 2.5 miles x 5.
Take homemade lunch x 5.
Edit one page of Illuminated x 5.
Finish outlining the lit review of Aurelius.
Pull/shred fifteen files.
Destress, breathe, meditate x 7

Heu Mihi

1. Finish proofs and index
2. Sit x 5
3. Email piano teachers; respond to people who wrote back
4. Read journal submissions
5. Look at what I’m supposed to do for the collection proposal

Humming42/Linda

1 Finish and submit next book review
2 Submit conference paper reviews
3 Work on summer funding proposal
4 Write every day

JaneB

1) maintain habits (bed before midnight, 45s to get small regular movement in at work, keeping a food/mood diary, not eating refined sugar, leaving work before 6, doing something non-work every workday evening) and add a little more exercise once this week. Also scoop the kitty tray more regularly!
2) research things this week: finish the FlatProject final step of analysis ready to start writing. Referee an article (ugh). If possible, also drawing up a figure for the grant idea called PCfu (ProblemChild follow up) and send the draft to FormerPDF. Sort out FavouriteIslands samples.
3) prepare all teaching materials for following week. grade one thesis and 63 short essays (sigh).
4) finish reading through last year's NaNoWriMo effort, read selected bits of previous years, and build up my Preptober list..

Oceangirl101/Jenny

1. work on usewebs papers
2. exercise- walk daily
3. finalize figures for chapter for ed vol #1

Susan

1. Letter of reference (due Thursday, so TRQ, but it's a significant letter so will take time)
2. Write up Trial assignment, get all related references
3. Draft comment for conference (which is next week, so...)
4. All the administrative stuff
5. Walk regularly
6. Get sleep schedule back, go to bed early and get enough sleep.

Managing Distractions

(Sorry for being late!) 

Last week we all shared the excitement that students bring to campus along with the classes and meetings that serve as distractions. I’ve been thinking a lot about another set of distractions: political ones. These issues are acute in both the US and the UK right now, but this is a special case of political drama. I had friends who, after 9/11, read newspapers 24/7; others who were obsessive during different presidential campaigns. (I’ve observed similar obsessiveness in twitter friends from multiple countries, so it’s not just a US thing.)  If you think globally, there issues like global warming, the resurgence of nationalist populism in recent years, war, migration, etc.  How do you manage these distractions? Are there times when they take over? Do you just hide?  Maybe our different strategies will help all of us!

Goals from last week:

Dame Eleanor Hull

*daily reading/writing (x5), OR a weekly total of 50 pages read, 1250 words written;
*grade 1 set of student papers, put up a batch of new assignments, assign and grade a batch of in-class writing;
*daily exercise and stretching (x6);
*keep up with dead languages;
*make at least one more medical appointment.

Elizabeth Ann Mitchell

Write and send call for special issue.
Walk at least 2.5 miles x 5.
Take homemade lunch x 5.
Edit one page of Illuminated x 5.
Finish outlining the lit review of Aurelius.
Pull/shred fifteen files.
Destress, breathe, meditate x 7

Heu Mihi

1. 60 pages of proofs (to p. 195)
2. Sit x 5
3. Read one grad student's chapter
4. All prep for Mon & Tues done by the time I go home on Friday
5. Sort clothes for donation
6. Keep the grading moving along, without letting Feelings About Grading get in the way
7. Write and send a batch of non-work-related emails

Humming42/Linda

1 Finish and submit next book review
2 Finish and submit 2 article reviews
3 Work on conference paper
4 Write every day
5 Breathe, breathe, breathe

JaneB

1)     maintain habits (bed before midnight, 45s to get small regular movement in at work, keeping a food/mood diary, not eating refined sugar, leaving work before 6, doing something non-work every workday evening) and add a little more exercise once this week

2)     research things this week: finish the FlatProject final step of analysis ready to start writing. If possible, also drawing up a figure for the grant idea called PCfu (ProblemChild follow up) and send the draft to FormerPDF. Sort out FavouriteIslands samples.

3)     prepare all teaching materials for following week.

4)     read through last year's NaNoWriMo effort, look into Preptober schemes people use for NaNo.

Oceangirl101/Jenny

1. Start writing second ed vol chapter
2. Prep to be away next week- grading, readings posted to BB etc.
3. Air ticket to Mom's memorial service
4. Exercise x 3
5. Figures to drafter for two ed vol chapters

Susan

1. finish reading dissertation
2. Grade papers (TRQ now, must be done by Thursday)
3. Read at least one set of essays for conference
4. Get the walking going again
5. Return to healthy sleep patterns