Summer Session, Week 10: No Prompts Today

Hello everyone,

I was on vacation last week and didn't even look at this blog--a semi-conscious choice, in that I decided not to set goals, but still intended to see what you all were up to! As it happened, though, I hardly used my computer at all, which was a good thing.

Today, though, we had to put down our 21-and-a-third-year-old cat, Solange (= her real name). She was fine when we got back yesterday and through breakfast today, but then developed some very sudden problems; the emergency vet found a mass in her bladder, and that was that. It's been long in the coming, so it's something of a relief to just have it over with, but sad all the same.

So I'm not going to think of a prompt of any sort here, but rather just post everyone's goals from last week. And then I'll go back and catch up on what you wrote then.

Daisy:

1) Road trip for work to go see co-authors and some field sites, yay!!!
2) Finish last bits of photography and send away samples for next step
3) Read a bunch of papers to model local project write-up on and make plan for structure of paper
4) Meetings with lab people at co-author university
5) Conference planning meetings at co-author university

Dame Eleanor Hull:

Latin, Greek, Domestic/write, T-reading, Other Reading, all x4.
Work on daily plans for fall class.
File papers, tidy study.
Exercise early, eat carefully, go to bed by 11.
Do one thing that will Stay Done.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell: No new goals

heu mihi (did nothing last week; these are from the week before):

1. Finish revising and submit "Death"

2. Yoga x2, run x5 if possible; one run over 3 miles

3. Finish academic book I'm reading (about 130 pages)

4. Read two dissertation chapters (I doubt I'll get to this)

5. Finish drafting tenure letter

6. Sit some amount, Latin some amount

7. Make pesto, havarti spread, tapenade, granola for trip; bottle beer (for after trip--it needs another month to age)

8. Write 20 letters encouraging voters in Virginia to apply for absentee ballots

9. Meet with new Undergrad Studies Director and begin transition OUT of that role!

karen:

 put together publication entry
- check call for papers
- draft a one pager on SoTL research, and make a preliminary reading list
- weed the medieval garden and improve the soil
- order seeds and set up seed starting equipment

Susan:

1. Get to at least 2500 words on this chapter (which is no longer chapter 3 but I don't know what it is)
2. Outline next two sections of self-study, and figure out what we need, maybe talk to colleague to figure out focus
3. Watch training session to prepare for grievance hearing when I get home. (It started at 11 PM my time, so I didn't go in person)
3. Go on vacation!!!

Summer Session, Week 9: The Bookstore

 I’m still mostly staying at home post-vaccine, which means all of my book browsing is digital. I follow a handful of bookstores on social media and attend virtuale events, including my favorite, BookPeople in Austin, where I went to college and lived for many years after. This prompt works whether you’ve recently been in bookstores or are pining for them. Questions from which to choose, should you wish: What’s the first section you go to when you walk into the bookstore? In what section are you likely to spend the most time? If your favorite bookstore has a cafe, do you have a favorite thing to order there?

I hope July is treating you well and you are finding peace in the day. Last week’s goals follow.

Daisy

1) URGENT! Take photographs for local project, arrange analytical work, write up everything that is done already

2) Do image sorting and write-up on those for paper rewrite

3) Sort and label field photos for student

4) Continue manuscript revisions

5) Data processing for somebody else’s problem paper

6) Start doing creative thing for sabbatical

Dame Eleanor Hull

Enjoy conference.

Keep up with Tour.

Exercise daily, eat carefully, go to bed by 11.

Some Life Stuff, like sending birthday card to great-nephew.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Do time study for three days.

Finish clearing off the home desk.

Write at least 300 words x 4.

Read and take notes for three articles.

Pack for the road trip.

heu mihi

1. Finish revising and submit "Death"

2. Yoga x2, run x5 if possible; one run over 3 miles

3. Finish academic book I'm reading (about 130 pages)

4. Read two dissertation chapters (I doubt I'll get to this)

5. Finish drafting tenure letter

6. Sit some amount, Latin some amount

7. Make pesto, havarti spread, tapenade, granola for trip; bottle beer (for after trip--it needs another month to age)

8. Write 20 letters encouraging voters in Virginia to apply for absentee ballots

9. Meet with new Undergrad Studies Director and begin transition OUT of that role!

humming42

1 Catch up on summer grading

2 Submit latest version of book chapter abstract

3 Two creative submissions

4 Make time for online course revision

Susan

1. Really get into chapter 3

2. Do something fun at the weekend

3. Something re course

4. Something on self-study (enough to ask the person who can get data to get it)

5. Get to bed at regular time, since going to bed late is what wrecks my sleep.

Summer Session, Week 8: What Else?

For this week's pseudo-prompt, I want to pick up on the "other" category that many of us have been adding to our check-ins: the other things that we're doing, outside of our TLQ lists. I find that an excessive focus on my weekly list (of which I'm quite guilty) can skew my sense of what's important. In a way, that's good: it means that I might prioritize my writing over crafting an agenda for a committee meeting. On the other hand, that agenda does need to get written, and it's worth acknowledging that labor.

Those of us who are on a break between semesters right now are also doing a lot of stuff that's much more interesting and pleasurable than agenda-writing: reading for fun, taking trips, spending time with friends. And whatever our work life looks like right now, we could all stand to prioritize what makes us happy as well as what makes us feel "productive."

So feel free to add (or continue adding) your "other" to your check-in. I'm looking forward to reading about all the cool stuff you've been doing! And also about all of the annoying Headaches of Mundane Living that you've been dealing with, since those form part of the "other" as well! (On the docket for me this week, for example: an orthodontist appointment, weeding the flower garden AGAIN [why don't the weeds stay weeded??], figuring out a cat-sitter, etc....)

Last week:

Daisy

1) URGENT! Send out letters for association stuff – three different sets now!
2) Take photographs for local project, arrange analytical work, write up everything that is done already
3) Send field reports to student
4) Read through and list comments on review manuscript and start fixing them
5) Think about creative thing for sabbatical

Dame Eleanor Hull

Latin, Greek, Domestic, T-reading, Other Reading, Write, all x4.
Work on daily plans for fall class.
File papers, move the rest of the books.
Find new doctor.
Exercise early, eat carefully, go to bed by 11.
Plan/take a day with visiting friend from college.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Finish the search for t&p reviewers.
Put in ILL requests for the three articles we don’t own.
Finish clearing off the home desk.
Prepare for a return road trip to the Midwest.

heu mihi

1. Yoga x2, run more than 3 miles once
2. Sit some amount, Latin some amount
3. Begin review of candidate's tenure docs
4. Journal catch-up
5. Read 100 pages for work

humming42

1 Overdue poetry review
2 Road review
3 Submit revision for online course
4 Work on two other book reviews

Susan

- Use books in library
- Figure out plans for rest of trip
- Make progress on writing (not sure what that looks like, so this is vague)
- Get two more weeks of class planned.
- Do one more section of self-study
- Do fun stuff
- Get on regular sleep cycle (really wrecked by not being able to go out or get exercise)

Summer session, Week 7: halftime break/midterm

I counted the weeks forward and backward because I didn’t want to believe we’re halfway through this session and therefore also halfway through summer. But so it is. Coincidentally, July 2 is the midpoint of the calendar year, so there’s that halfway as well. 

I’ve attached session goals below last week’s goals below. If desired, feel welcome to check in at the halfway point, see where you are, if your plans have changed (as so frequently happens), and if you want to modify your plans for the remainder of the session. 

Last week

Daisy

1) Finish up last bits of current field work, plan next batch

2) Make a real plan for July, including papers, field stuff, student stuff, and fun stuff

3) Send out letters for association stuff – three different sets now!

4) Celebrate end of school year with kid

5) Mark the start of my sabbatical with something fun!

Dame Eleanor Hull

Latin, Greek, Domestic, T-reading, Other Reading, all x4.

Work on daily plans for fall class.

File papers, move the rest of the books.

Find new doctor.

Exercise early, eat carefully, go to bed by 10.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Request meeting with co-editor.

Follow two tracked citations to two articles on Prudence, making notes, and tracking citations further.

Pull together everything needed for the return to campus. Digitize everything that I can; duplicate supplies and task lists.

Organize home desk 1 hour x 4.

Organize desk in campus office on Friday.

Good Enough Woman (carried over):

1. Clean out the medicine cabinet.

2. Clean out dresser drawers.

3. 2 20-minute creative writing brainstorming sessions.

4. Float like mist through daughter's movie night with her squad. (We are boarding the dog for the evening, which will help tremendously. We boarded him for the first time on Wed for my son's graduation, which meant my folks could come for dinner without us worrying about him knocking one of them over).

5. Eat some of the greens my friend brought from her garden.

heu mihi

1. Run x4 (once over 3 miles), yoga x2

2. Quick draft of last 2 lectures

3. Get through 2 journal articles and process them

4. 200 pages of work-related reading

5. "Finish" revising Death

6. Sit some amount, Latin some amount

7. Brew beer

humming42

1 Overdue poetry review

2 Road review

3 Submit revision for online course

4 Work on two other book reviews

Susan: (carried over)

1. Read last book for prize

2. 1 x 2 hours on Famous Author

3. 2 hours planning research

4. Finish packing

5. Write checks in advance

6. Church stuff

7. Write instructions for my sister etc.

8. Have fun with friends, sister

9. Eat, sleep, exercise

Session goals

Daisy

1) For research I have four papers in various stages, I would like to finish and submit at least three of them.

a) The Albatross - it has been far too long, but this one is the furthest from being finished so it is by far the scariest. It is also the most difficult of the lot, so will take serious effort.

b) Problematic local project - was submitted and pulled back last session, did more analysis, and the answer is exactly the same as before but with better documentation. The good part is that the paper is 90% written, so once the new analyses are complete it should be an easy win.

c) Fun new local project with new co-author - this one is a completely new one for me, and the co-author really needs it to be done so it will be a great chance to "do something nice to help an ECR" type submission. This one needs quite a bit of analytical work but will be the foundation of some future things so absolutely worth doing.

d) Cool very old thing - paper is written but has revisions to do and first author switched to a new job and will never have time for this. I am taking over the revise/resubmit job to get it going again.

2) For habits and health I want to:

a) keep exercising without injuries

b) add some consistent creative activities that will keep through the coming sabbatical year

3) Field Work - the best part of the year! If we're allowed... who knows when...

4) Vacation! As in take one and enjoy it!

Dame Eleanor Hull

*paint a couple of rooms, maybe even three;

*unpack a lot of boxes;

*revise Albatross & send out;

*achieve one polished chapter and the introduction for Book in Progress;

*work on other chapters as inspired;

*prep all four syllabuses that I'll need for next year;

*find new doctor;

*garden as needed/desired.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Mantra: Evaluate

Research: Finish a polished draft of Illuminated.

Begin the process of turning Prudence from a dissertation into a book.

Outline the last of the three translators to finish up Translators.

Contact Co-editor.

Health:

Make medical appointments, especially with those doctors with whom contact was lost during 2020.

Walk in the stacks 3 times daily as well as the early morning and evenings during the hot days.

Be more mindful about eating.

Meditate at least three times a day.

The way I interpret my mantra is "do not agree, without extremely careful thought, to do anything that will impact my research time."

By the end of the summer, I want to have a finished draft of Illuminated, and a rough draft of the early translators article. Finally, I have to reconnect with my co-editor, because we need to start pulling things together.

Good Enough Woman

Academic and Academic-Adjacent:

-Draft the Rambling essay

-Draft the Vampire paper

Creative work:

-Plan and begin DIY MFA

-Outline novel

-write 5,000 words of novel

-write at least one short story

Health:

-More veggies (2-3 servings per day)

-Exercise Daily (walking, stretching, dancing, swimming are all options)

-Try to fix feet (plantar fasciitis)

-Go to the dentist

House:

-Do 3-5 maintenance or decluttering tasks per week

-maintain sanity and marriage equilibrium during some home improvements (new flooring, etc.)

People:

-See my mom at least once per week

-soak up time with son before he goes to college

-keep training the dog and try not to let him drive me crazy (he's not a person, but he affects my relationship with people, so . . . )

-write a couple of letters/cards each week

heu mihi

1. Writing: Book review; Death article; plan for next big project; grant proposal; submit manuscript for edited collection. Ideally start on another piece of next big project.

2. Teaching: Prep lectures for two new books in fall course; read difficult stuff for spring graduate seminar.

3. Exercise: Stick with the exercise regime and run more than 3 miles at least 10 times.

4. Self-care: Eat two vegan meals per week; stretch most nights before bed; take periodic Forest Days.

5. Reading: as many books as I can.

humming42

Teaching

Clean up and add content to summer online class before mid-June

Finish edits and get approval for online class

Draft curriculum proposal for new academic minor

Research

Enjoy summer batch of book reviews: 4 for online journals, 2 for academic journals

Draft DQ book proposal

Create PowerPoint for virtual conference presentation

Creative

Write and submit gun violence piece

Submit to EK competition

Write enough of tiny project to send to manuscript editor before end of July

Organize existing drafts of poems and flash nonfiction

Create a submission plan

Domestic

Finish cleaning office

Build and fill bookcases

Clear all recycling from house and garage

Susan

1. I'm on a book prize committee for the major professional organization in my field, and I have about 80 books now sitting in my office which will have to be read over the summer. (And in answer to last week's questions, my guess is that I will in fact read seriously 10-20 books: in the first read, the only question is whether it's a serious contender, and that becomes clear pretty fast)

2. Get class prepared for fall. Still need to do book orders, and then get a syllabus done. (Classes start right after this session ends.)

3. Start working on the next (last big?) chapter of Famous Author, a book I'm envisioning as short but which is turning out to be much harder to write than I'd like. I finished chapter 2, the chapter which would not end, last week. I'm not going to set big goals, but I'd like to feel as if it's underway before the semester starts.

4. Draft part of the self-study for the program review of our graduate program. Why did I say I'd do that (I know - so that it didn't land on an assistant professor with a 2 y.o.) Most of the hard part will be done when school starts up again, but there's a lot that is formulaic and/or straightforward that I want to get done this summer.

5. Odds and ends: I have a book review to finish, and am - in addition to the book prize -- on an article prize committee (but it's only 8 articles, so not onerous)

6. Admin fragments for professional organization of which I am president, but that should be pretty manageable.

7. I have the fancy bike and its exercise programs, and I want to just keep working out so I stay healthy.

8. Read for fun

9. Get good sleep