the grid

the grid

Sunday 25 October 2020

Last quarter 2020: Week 7: Midterm check-in

Because I doubled up on Week 1's, it's actually our 8th week, which I'm hoping makes sense for a midterm check-in week, because I remain utterly devoid of the elegant literary-artistic-architectural prompts to which DEH has accustomed you. I haven't even caught up on the comments from last week.

I'm afraid that I've also lost track of our guiding metaphor(s). 

But, since it seems to be a museum or something similar, how about this? You're in the middle of a very large museum--think the Louvre or the Met, someplace far too big to absorb in a single visit. You've wandered deep in, through the exhibits of Chinese ink drawings and porcelains. Now you find yourself in a sort of upper atrium, with paths opening in every direction: early American portraits, Dutch masters, Egyptian artifacts, whatever you want. Which way do you go, knowing that you're unlikely to find your way back to this juncture and get the chance to explore the galleries not taken? And how do you feel about committing to one pathway over the others? Will you try to wander back and keep your options open?

That seems like an apt-ish metaphor for the midterm check-in, doesn't it?

So: Report back on last week's goals, but also--if you want--let us know how your session goals are fitting you right now. Is there anything that strikes you as risible? Or even just uninteresting? Remember, there's no shame in abandoning items on the to-do list. Liberate yourself if you need to. Or, if there's something that you can't abandon, this is a chance to remember it and recommit.

And if you don't have session goals listed here, that's okay! Just tell us what's up and how you're doing.

Session goals (apologies if I'm missing anyone):

Daisy:

Session goals:

1) Finish and get rid of the Albatross Paper
2) Learn and do some computer-based analysis with fancy tool for new paper and local grant
3) Get DEI program approved and instituted in my professional society
4) Deliver excellent graduate course for new project students.

Priorities:
1) Health for household – mental and physical.
2) Two research projects: local grant and Albatross. The rest will putter along by themselves mostly so these are the ones that need the most focused attention.
3) Be excellent for my good people and help them as much as I can, be those child or co-authors or grad students or the good colleagues
4) Be good enough for/with everything and everyone else.


Dame Eleanor Hull:

Look after my health first.
Do a decent job teaching, and be kind to students.
Revise essay; try to make progress on book, and do at least a bit of language work every week.
Get boxes out of storage unit.


Elizabeth Anne Mitchell:

spend my research leave at a nearby archive to do a final check of my critical edition against the exemplars;
finish the article that grew from a presentation I gave;
pull together a good literature review of the flavor of digital humanities that interests me;
walk more, eat better, meditate when I wake up at 3am, and write every day;
be more positive about life.


Research:
Incorporate research from hoped-for archival trip into the critical edition.
Finish one article, preferably Illuminated, although Flowers is a close second.
Finish the annotated bibliography on critical editions and digital humanities.

Life:
Achieve 10,000 steps a day.
Achieve 60% better meals.
Improve positivity about life.


heu mihi:

1. Research: draft an article by summer 2021; prepare a grant proposal by mid-summer 2021
1a. (Re)read NunG books 3-5
1b. Research relevant theology on death in the 13th c.
1c. Situate readings of nuns within theological context
2. Draft my part of intro to collection
3. Language: Make some progress. Aim for 3x week, any length of time.
4. Life: Exercise, yoga twice a week (any length of time), sit some amount every week
5. Watch Pride and Prejudice by myself in the newly fixed-up basement.
6. Try to do at least one of each week's Big Tasks on Monday or Tuesday, to keep them all from piling up on the weekend.
7. Relax into what happens. Change or abandon goals as needed.


humming42:

1 write a tiny project piece every week
2 spend time with a creative piece every week
3 write weekly blog posts
4 finish writing that online class
5 keep up with teaching things

 

oceangirl101:

1. Complete book and submit to press!!!! This will entail final writing/ edits on Ch 8, a bit of data crunching for Ch 7, a final read througth and polish of the entire thing, plus copy edits and figures and the bib. I think its doable.
2. Maintain a realistic notion of what is doable this semester in terms of teaching. Be gentle with myself.
3. Exercise 5x a week
4. Eat healthy
5. Advise several students on new projects, get bits and pieces of data/writing needed to collaborators for CNH paper, Canoe paper, and Adze paper
6. Paperwork for aunt to go into state system (I am her POA)
7. Buy porch furniture to make outdoor space comfy
8. Do smell retraining therapy each day in the hopes of getting smell and taste back

 

Susan:

1. Survive the teaching, and maybe figure out how to own it? I'm beginning to figure out how to manage class, and am grateful to the students who will turn on cameras so I get some feedback! Last week I figured out how to pre-assign students to breakout rooms and I wanted to break out the champagne. I have tried to make the assignments for students what they can manage, and to be flexible. It's just hard.
2. Finish chapter 2 of Famous Author, by working at least 15 minutes every week day.
3. Keep making progress on getting rid of stuff/ fixing house.
4. Keep walking or getting exercise. I have just ordered a Very Expensive piece of gym equipment, but everyone I know who has it raves. I hope it gets me through the winter when "It's dark when I wake up and want to go out so I don't go walk". We'll see.
5. Read for pleasure -- a litte?
6. Do something enjoyable weekly with friends. (mostly not face to face...)


Last week's goals:


Daisy:

1) Work on local paper every day this week and actually make progress
2) Continue dealing with Society thing
3) Lecture recordings again (missed a few)
4) Prepare remaining assignments for all classes and post
5) My intentional thing for the week: coffee office hours with a few students who desperately need contact (these walking meetings, one person only, outside, in the wind, with parkas, so definitely safe!)


Dame Eleanor Hull:

*Health: daily cardio and stretching, weights x 3, try to eat carefully and sleep enough.
*Teaching: Grade 2 sets of discussion board posts, 2 sets of papers.
*Research: make plan for addressing revisions; some time on both dead and live languages; some other reading.
*Service: work on exam-related document for dept., prep for Monday meeting.
*Admin: do two online trainings and get them over with.
*Fun stuff: read, bake something, make Halloween cards for great-niblings, set up new Moleskine.
*House/life: sort and file papers.

*Track time, at least roughly.


Elizabeth Anne Mitchell:

Enjoy the second half of the archive trip.
Transcribe notes from this half of the archive trip.
Get passport picture.
Read and annotate one article in the digital humanities bibliography.
Read fun book.
Walk 2x7; meditate 1x7; write 2 hours x 5; something positive 1x7.


heu mihi:

1) Exercise regimen, language x3, sit x3
2) Teaching: Record 3 lectures, transcripts for 2 lectures (4 transcripts total), last 2 PowerPoints.
3) Research: Notes on Vol. 4 of NunG; read the article that's been open in my browser for 10 days
4) Service: Gen Ed review, catch up on editorial work

5) Look at outside source for teaching upcoming new book 


humming 42:

1 work on creative piece
2 write weekly blog post
3 grade every day
4 work on November conference paper
5 revise and resubmit book review


oceangirl101:

1. Work on book edits 2 hrs
2. Work on co-author paper edits 2 hrs
3. Prep for student defense
4. Exercise x 3
5. Vote
6. Stretch/meditate/bath x 2 to try to regulate sleep


Susan:

1. 2 hours on Famous Author
2. Admin: read big proposal
3. Admin: start reading ms. for promotion review
4. Teaching: chart student progress, contact stragglers
5. Add one week ahead in each class, define final infographic project
6. Financial record thing that will be a PITA
7. Keep walking: I feel better
8: Some reading
9. Get to bed early

Sunday 18 October 2020

Last quarter 2020, Week 6: Porcelain

The next room of the museum I'm guiding you through has porcelains. It's a room intended for teaching purposes, with pieces from different countries and periods, large and small, painted, glazed, abstract, representational, useful and purely decorative all combined. There's an 'activities corner' where visitors can make mosaics using shards of broken porcelain, and a lump of clay to squeeze and, maybe, make something, if you feel like it.

If any element of that room speaks to you, tell us what it is, along with your report on progress and list of goals for the coming week; if not, let it go, and just give us the report and list.

 Here's where we were last week:

Daisy

1) Work on local paper every day this week
2) Make reading list for graduate seminar
3) Record the next three weeks of lectures
4) My intentional thing for the week: flu shot… and ice cream!

Dame Eleanor Hull

*Health: daily cardio and stretching, weights x 3, try to eat carefully and sleep enough.
*Teaching: Grade 2 sets of discussion board posts, 3 sets of papers.
*Research: make plan for addressing revisions; some time on both dead and live languages; some other reading.
*Service: work on exam-related document for dept., prep for Monday meeting.
*Admin: do two online trainings and get them over with.
*Fun stuff: read, listen to last in concert series.
*House/life: deposit check, sort and file papers.
*Track time, at least roughly.
 

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Finish transcribing notes from archive trip.
Compile visual aids for presentation.
Order unofficial transcripts.
Schedule flu and pneumonia vaccines.
Get passport picture.
Read and annotate three articles in the digital humanities bibliography.
Read fun book.
Walk 2x7; meditate 1x7; write 2 hours x 5; something positive 1x7.

heu mihi

1) Teaching: Record 2 lectures, edit 4 transcripts, prep next batch of PowerPoints, create and post all remaining paper prompts so that I can stop worrying about forgetting these.
2) Recommendation letter for current student (I have never in my life had to write so many LORs!!), submit letter for two recent grads
3) Research: Read 3 ch/day of NunG vol 4
4) Exercise regimen, language x3, sit x3
5) Do my best to check off all the service tasks, especially recording a cheery message about our major for the Majors Fair
6) Do something fun?

Humming42

1 work on creative piece
2 write weekly blog post
3 finish reading essays for award judging
4 submit conference proposal
5 grade every day
6 work on November conference paper
7 revise and resubmit book review

JaneB (held over)

1) set goals for TLQ
2) use BuJo
3) do some Preptober things
4) be kind. be kind. be kind. (but don't be a doormat).
5) organise supplies I have and try to make rational decision about what to buy.
6) referee an article
7) prepare as much of week 4 as possible
8) draft my text for grant application, comment on two manuscripts one very urgently, and other things I doubtless forgot.

oceangirl101

1. Work on own stuff 2hrs
2. Exercise 3x a week and try to go for short walks/breaks outside
3. Finalize movement into state system for aunt
4. DGS stuff- will be a big week for this and the question of grad admissions for next year
5. Read student diss to prepare for her defense (second student defending!!!)
6. Try to get eating and house (quite disorderly now) under some semblance of control

Susan

1. Famous author: 2 hours
2. MS review for journal
3. Start reading material for promotion review
4. One week ahead on each course
5. Do financial record thing
6. Fill out ballot (this is California. It's long.)
7. Walk x 3, yoga or other x 2
8. Get back into book I'm reading
9. Get to bed by 10

Sunday 11 October 2020

Last Quarter 2020, Week 5: Drawing a Blank

I warned you when I volunteered to co-host that you would have to accept prompt-less weeks. This is one such week, because I've Got Nothing. --Unless, in some weird way, "drawing a blank" happens to inspire you somehow? That would be neat. Or you can come up with your own prompt! What question do you want to answer?

In the meantime, here are last week's goals.

Daisy:

1) Finish and record conference talk
2) Make 3 figures for Albatross
3) Outline steps needed for local paper
4) Take one day in the week for doing only research-related things
5) Address difficult professional society issue
6) My intentional thing for the week: outdoor lunch with sweet colleague I have not seen in ages

Dame Eleanor Hull:

*Health: daily cardio and stretching, weights x 3, try to eat carefully and sleep enough.
*Teaching: Grade 2 sets of discussion board posts, 1 set of papers, a batch of varied stuff from independent studies.
*Research: make plan for addressing revisions; some time on both dead and live languages; some other reading.
*Service: work on exam-related document for dept.
*Admin: do two online trainings and get them over with.
*Fun stuff: read more mid-century women's fiction, gardening, create birthday card for great-nibling.
*House/life: pay bills, deposit check.
*Track time, at least roughly.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell:

Schedule the rest of October, planning backwards.
Write up class interviews.
Read and annotate three articles in the digital humanities bibliography.
Walk 2x7; meditate 1x7; write 2 hours x 5; something positive 1x7.

heu mihi:

1) Teaching: Record 2 lectures, edit 4 transcripts (2 per lecture; lectures are broken into segments, if you care), prep PowerPoint
2) Recommendation letter for former student
3) Personal virtue: All the exercise (run x 5, yoga x 2), language x 3, sit x 3
4) Research: 4ish chapters of NunG per day (to catch up), notes on NunG vol. 3
5) Parenting, fun, life: Something fun with kid, French x 2, finish making my book, read for pleasure (any amount)

humming42:

1 work on creative piece
2 write weekly blog post
3 read 10 essays for award judging
4 write/submit conference proposal
5 grade every day

JaneB:

1) set goals for TLQ
2) use BuJo
3) do some Preptober things
4) be kind. be kind. be kind. (but don't be a doormat).
5) organise supplies I have and try to make rational decision about what to buy.
6) referee an article
7) prepare as much of week 4 as possible
8) draft my text for grant application, comment on two manuscripts one very urgently, and other things I doubtless forgot. SIGH

Susan:

1. Famous author: 2 hours
2. Write LOR for grad student
3. Do article review for journal
4. One more week's modules for undergrad course
5. Read for fun
6. Go for a walk x4
7. Make next batch of pepper jelly
8. Stop using iPad before bed
9 Get decent sleep

Sunday 4 October 2020

Last Quarter 2020, week 4: Outside/inside

In the next room of my museum, we have a replica of the scholar's refuge from the scroll painting. On the outside, it looks rough and temporary, a fisherman's shack quickly put together from timbers shaggy with bark and moss. Inside, however, the wooden panels that form the walls are intricately carved with scenes of the mountain in various seasons, and they glow with oil and polishing. 

"I have a treasure within me," says Jane Eyre. What outside/inside contrast is important to you, this week?

Respond to the prompt if it pleases you, let it go if it doesn’t speak. Let us know how you did last week, and what your plans are for the coming week. If you have a chance, come back and chat in the comments, but if you're too busy, know that we're thinking of you and wishing you well.

The goals you/we were working on:

Daisy
1) Make and record conference talk
2) Make 3 figures for Albatross (this is a stretch goal!)
3) Figure out why my work area smells like cat pee and fix it
4) My intentional thing for the week: go visit co-authors a day’s drive away and meet new grad student and talk about fun research project and graduate seminar   

Dame Eleanor Hull
*Health: daily cardio and stretching, weights x 3, try to eat carefully and sleep enough.
*Teaching: Catch up with grading and planning.
*Research: make plan for addressing revisions; some time on both dead and live languages; maybe some other reading.
*Service: prep for next week's meeting; work on exam-related document for dept.
*Fun stuff: read more mid-century women's fiction, see friends in person/distanced, coloring.
*House/life: sign & mail tax return (you have ONE job!).
*Track time, at least roughly.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Interview fourth prof, and write up the notes.
Prepare for the archive trip.
Write class presentation.
Read and annotate two articles in the digital humanities bibliography.
Walk 2x7; meditate 1x7; write 2 hours x 5; put something positive in the planner 1x7.

heu mihi
1) Teaching: Finish 1 or maybe even 2 batches of papers; record that lingering lecture; record 2 more lectures; next batch of PowerPoints. (Being ambitious might work here?)
2) Personal virtue, sans asterisk: Yoga x 2; walk a bunch; language x 3, sit x 2
3) Research: 3 chapters/day of NunG vol. 4; notes on NunG vol. 3
4) Graduate students: Write the next letter of recommendation
5) Fun: Make a book once the paper arrives
6) Parenting: French x 3, fun thing with kid over the weekend

Humming42
(held over)
1 write a tiny project piece
2 work on creative piece
3 write weekly blog post
4 read 10 essays for award judging
5 work on internal grant application
6 try to be patient and not over-zoomed by excessive meetings this week

JaneB
(held over)
1) set goals for TLQ
2) work on restoring BuJo habit
3) set up new noticeboard for Preptober
4) be kind. be kind. be kind. (but don't be a doormat, that's not kind either to JaneB or to the other person when the doormat reaches the limit and snaps at their ankles or just stalks off and they get all surprised).
5) try to stop obsessing about buying more supplies that I don't have storage space for - Br3xit notwithstanding.
6) referee an article
7) prepare as much of week 3 as possible

oceangirl101
(held over)
1. Work on Ch 1 and Ch 8 at least 3 days
2. Erosion data to colleagues
3. DGS stuff
4. Exercise x 3 at a minimum
5. Try to make healthy food choices
6. One night of non-TV watching
7. start reading student diss

Susan
1. One more module for each class
2. Send out notice on speakers
3. 3x1 hour on Famous Author
4. Do something nice at weekend
5. Keep walking/working out
6. Read for fun
7. Get good sleep