Hello everyone! It was such a pleasure to read about all the nice things done (to or by you all) last week. The other day I got to thank a scholar whose compendious translations I have relied on for years to guide me through a vast Latin work, and that email was really enjoyable to write. It was a good reminder that showing gratitude feels good.
This week, I have splurges and indulgence on my mind, because I've been contemplating making a big purchase of some clothes that I know I would wear for years and years (good quality, very versatile, etc.--OK, I'll spare you my rationalizations!). Actually, I've been so enjoying contemplating the splurge that I haven't made the purchase yet, even though everything is in my shopping cart and ready to go.
But splurges can be much more modest, of course--watching a couple of episodes of a show you like in bed, for example, or luxuriating with a novel and a cup of peppermint tea (to name a couple of my own glorious indulgences). So this week--if you want--what's something that you could do to treat yourself? Big or small, obvious or idiosyncratic. We all need moments of pleasure in our lives.
Here we go with last week's goals:
Daisy:
Write results section of joint paper
Get ahead of teaching planning for the next month
Accounting for conference and research purchases
Requisition forms for equipment
Student meetings/planning for thesis
Student funding application
Two reviews, one due and one just annoying so I want to get rid of it
Keep physio and exercise going
Dame Eleanor Hull:
- make more progress with undergrad VILE site
- read at least 500 lines of Irrelevant Romance
- create make-up exercise for HEL
- do other immediately necessary teaching stuff
heu mihi:
1. Read/write 10 hours: work on CM section of chapter; begin drafting conference paper
2. Read dissertation chapter
3. Journal/edited collection stuff!!!!!!!
4. Answer grad student email from last month (yes, this needs its own category to make me do it)
5. Continue all routines, including language work
JaneB:
1) self-care: trying again about the food. And maybe even the sleep.
1a) environment: do the small chores, 1 lot of linen laundry, and aim to hoover/sweep every floor surface once
2) R - do something else concrete towards the teaching-related R project
3) T - Get third and fourth week materials onto all the ViLEs. MARK the work with extensions from last trimester.
4) do not work on strike day; read a bit; post the letters and the parental birthday gift; play D&D.
Julie:
1. Survive 15 hours teaching and 3-4 hours meetings.
2. Somehow find time to finish paper (unlikely).
3. Somehow find time for admin that is getting urgent.
4. Don't feel guilty about only picketing on one strike day.
5. Finish decluttering
6. Organise shelves
7. Stock up at farm shop
8. Exercise
9. Bake or make a dessert at weekend
10. Book another theatre trip.
karen:
KL article - pull apart and outline structure for the two articles
Teaching prep - have everything up to week 3 fully polished apart from the bits being done by the digital learning team
End of year exhibition - send out info to sound/session people
3 x yoga
Plant winter seeds
Susan:
1. Finish Chapter; review earlier chaps and fix gaps/etc
2. Draft Epilogue
3. One more chapter from big collaboration
4. Keep up with admin stuff for graduate program
5. Keep up with exercise / healthy eating
6. Make "grapefruit-cello" and some marmalade
That's a very apt prompt, as strike action is giving me some time to splurge - I had a proper day off on Friday, so did a pilates session, then went to a farm near me where there is a cafe, and a shop, but also a circular walk across the fields that I'd never done before. It was bitterly cold, but the views were amazing - it's high up, so you can see for miles, and the light was breaking through the clouds in dramatic ways. Then in the evening I watched Narvik on Netflix - not the most amazing film, but one that I was watching just for me, without having to think was it age-appropriate or appealing to anyone else.
ReplyDeleteNormally my splurges are reading, lunch in a cafe with a book, episodes of a series (The Crown was my most recent addiction). This year I am also splurging a lot on travel, as it's a year when I have more time off with leave next term, and before any major exams kick in at school. So we are off to Italy at Easter, but I'm also hoping to take the kids to a Greek island for summer half-term at the start of June. Both are trips I promised my husband we would take.
Julie:
1. Survive 15 hours teaching and 3-4 hours meetings. - YES, just.
2. Somehow find time to finish paper (unlikely). - NO
3. Somehow find time for admin that is getting urgent. - MOSTLY
4. Don't feel guilty about only picketing on one strike day. - YES (see above)
5. Finish decluttering - MOSTLY, thanks to strike days
6. Organise shelves - MOSTLY, and it has been very satisfying.
7. Stock up at farm shop - YES
8. Exercise - YES (pilates x 1, run x 1, walk x 1)
9. Bake or make a dessert at weekend - YES (apple and blackberry crumble)
10. Book another theatre trip. - YES (Othello in two weeks time)
This week
This week is only two working days, Monday and Friday. The rest is strike action, though talks are going to arbitration this week, which is hopeful. Too early to be optimistic, but there's movement at least.
1. Revise lecture for Friday.
2. Finish and submit journal article!
3. Organise peer review for a post-doc application.
4. Deal with urgent emails.
5. Arrange meetings with dissertation students.
6. Exercise
7. Bake
8. Research a possible Greek island trip.
That sounds like a good week and an excellent walk! I hope you can enjoy your striking days this week.
DeleteFriday sounds like a beautiful day! I'm glad that you got to enjoy it.
DeleteOh, on Greek islands--we went to Kefalonia in late October (just after the tourist season ended, which may have been crucial) and it was glorious, glorious. Would LOVE to go back! Or to another island, for that matter! Enjoy!
DeleteIt gives me particular pleasure to think that strike action provides an opportunity for splurges!
DeleteYay for a proper day off! Hope you can work in a few more like that during the term. The Greek islands are on my top 10 list of travel desires for many reason, that sounds like such a fun trip to plan!
DeleteOooh love the prompt! I did a nice splurge a few weeks ago when we were chatting about small things that make us happy... I remembered how much I liked a particular semi-expensive hand cream, and promptly ordered three different scents of it. I used to buy it every time I flew through giant airport, but with the not traveling thing I have not been anywhere near a place to buy the stuff so I ordered some online and the box arrived and my favourite one is now in my office because endless handwashing really takes a toll on skin! It makes me happy every time I use it. I did a time splurge this weekend and took time out to go to two different concerts, and before today’s also went to the local yarn store (pretty peach yarn for a baby blanket) and stopped in at the local cider house for three different varieties, none of which I actually needed… So definitely luxury!
ReplyDeleteLast week’s goals:
Write results section of joint paper HAHAHAHA
Get ahead of teaching planning for the next month GOOD TILL READING WEEK
Accounting for conference and research purchases NOPE
Requisition forms for equipment NOPE
Student meetings/planning for thesis YES! STUDENT HAS A THESIS
Student funding application SORT OF
Two reviews, one due and one just annoying so I want to get rid of it ONE DONE
Keep physio and exercise going MOSTLY OK
Oh boy… I am soooooo behind in everything… I did get a lot of teaching stuff sorted for the coming week but it took every minute I had… And then a paper came back with galley proofs that needed to be checked in two days so that took over completely and sucked up all the non-teaching time. Corrections entered into a very confusing and cumbersome editing system, I’m sure it works great for the pros, but for the once 6 months novice users it is a bit of a beast. But that was satisfying, even though I’m pretty sure I glimpsed a rogue space in a reference the moment I clicked submit on the pdf, but I am adamantly NOT going to check it again.... For teaching I’m good to go for the week, and the week after that is study break, thank heavens because I really need it!! I’m not even going to try for anything other than basic accounting and teaching stuff this week… Study week is shining like a beacon!
This week’s goals:
Midterms and marking
Accounting for conference and research purchases
Requisition forms for equipment
URGENT Student funding applications
Review
Ongoing: keep physio and exercise going
There's nothing like those "PROOFS---NOW" e-mails to throw off all your plans for the week! But yay, another publication will soon be out. You've done some stuff and gone to concerts and have nice hand cream, so those are all wins.
DeleteAlways a bit of a celebration when proofs go back! So at least there's that. Good luck with everything this week--at least the teaching is under control, and a break is nigh!
DeleteYou should have added to last week's "to do" PROOFS - DONE!!!!! Yay for you!
DeleteIt's so annoying when you have plans, and then an urgent request comes in that needs dealing with. But at least it's proofs, not a student reference or the like. I love your splurges. I don't knit or sew, but yarn and craft shops almost make me want to!
DeleteThe proof requests always annoy me because they are so short notice, but then several weeks or months go by before the final product shows up... But I'm sure somewhere in the production world it would mess up someone's workflow so I try very hard to do them fast even though I don't really feel the urgency!
DeleteBut they are done and are now someone else's job, yay!
I am certainly in favor of high-quality clothes, and would love to hear more. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy most recent splurge was pretty modest, just going to the not-very-convenient Fancy Food store for its dark chocolate with sea salt bars, which, now I'm remembering the trip, they didn't have, so I got Sir John some blueberry/acai chocolate bars instead. I'll have to go back and hope they've restocked on the ones I wanted! Lately I have been eating All The Chocolate. February-itis? A need for antioxidants?
How I did:
- make more progress with undergrad VILE site. NO
- read at least 500 lines of Irrelevant Romance. YES, 800
- create make-up exercise for HEL. YES
- do other immediately necessary teaching stuff. YES
New goals:
- continue to spend 10 hours/night in bed
- modest exercise if I continue to feel like it
- grade one set of undergrad papers
- set up assignments for both classes to spring break
- read at least 500 lines of Irrelevant Romance
- dead language group prep
- research some local doctors
I am not yet symptom-free, but I do feel better than I did a week ago (it's now 8 weeks since my positive Covid test). I plan to keep on resting a lot, but hope to manage more than the barest minimum this week.
10 hours/night in bed sounds like an excellent plan. As does exercise if you feel like it. Covid is certainly a lingering disease.
DeleteChocolate is a wonderful splurge, although I think that it should be so thoroughly integrated into our lives that it isn't a splurge at all, but routine maintenance.
Keep resting as long as you need to, other stuff can wait. Second the idea that chocolate should be routine maintenance or a medical necessity!
DeleteOh, chocolate absolutely is routine---it's the sea salt stuff from the store that is not near anything else that was to be the splurge. I may get back there today, on the way to the dentist!
DeleteAaaannd they still didn't have it. Boo.
DeleteGlad you are starting to feel better!
DeleteI find a little dark chocolate around 4pm is an excellent pick-me-up, one often needs something at that time but it is too late for coffee, too early for dinner, so a bit of chocolate is the ideal snack...
I've already mentioned my current (and rather rare) splurge temptation. There's a clothing brand that I've come to really like. It's a little pricey--but their clothes are simple, versatile, well-made, well-sourced, with mostly natural fibers.... And I want some! I just got a chunk of money for helping to develop a new course, and I may spend a fraction of it on spiffing up my wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteBut that's an unusual thing. My more regular luxury--which I really look forward to--is watching Netflix (currently the Great British Baking Show) and knitting in bed on the nights that my husband puts our son to bed. (Son is 10 but still likes to be read to and have us lie with him for a little while before he falls asleep.) So every other night I get this lovely treat!
This week looks like it'll be pretty quiet around here, so I may find some other ways to indulge myself. Lately we've all been spending the evenings reading around the wood stove, which is simple and ordinary but also quite delightful.
Last week:
1. Read/write 10 hours: work on CM section of chapter; begin drafting conference paper
YES--got about halfway through the conference paper and battered some of the CM section into shape
2. Read dissertation chapter - YES
3. Journal/edited collection stuff!!!!!!! - FINALLY! YES! DONE!
4. Answer grad student email from last month (yes, this needs its own category to make me do it) - YES, and then he wrote back, so I have another email to send.
5. Continue all routines, including language work - YES, despite two-day hormonal headache.
This week:
1. Finish conference paper draft; add some stuff to CM section of chapter; start work on ES section of chapter
2. In preparation for (1), reread ES
3. Finish reading two massive books, one for work and one for fun
4. Process journal article reviews
5. Continue all routines
As a big fan GBBS (or as in the UK, Bake-off) I think this sounds lovely as a splurge. But the high end clothes even more!
DeleteOoh, reading round a log fire sounds perfect!
DeleteYay for getting the edited collection stuff done! Hope the fun and work books are both excellent. And definitely buy the clothes - I feel like pants that fit well and work are worth their weight in gold!
DeleteWhat a fascinating prompt! I have indulgences (I watch dumb tv almost every evening), and I have splurges on travel (see Portugal in April) and sometimes meals... I seem to have been splurging a lot, because I bought myself a new camera recently. My splurge this week will be taking a few days off because one of my first year university roommates is coming to visit and we will go to the nearby Beautiful National Park on Thursday, and an amazingly peaceful bird sanctuary on Friday. And it will be good. These are two beautiful places that I love to spend time in, and I do far too rarely. My roommate was suddenly widowed last summer, so this is also part of her building her new life, a project I am familiar with.
ReplyDeleteHow I did:
1. Finish Chapter; review earlier chaps and fix gaps/etc: CHAPTER FINISHED, Epilogue FINISHED, half-way through review of chapters
2. Draft Epilogue DONE (drafted on Saturday, and somewhere in the middle of the night Saturday or Sunday, I figured out what I needed to do, so I've done it!)
3. One more chapter from big collaboration NO
4. Keep up with admin stuff for graduate program YES
5. Keep up with exercise / healthy eating YES
6. Make "grapefruit-cello" and some marmalade YES
So it's mostly yes. The admin stuff from the grad program is more than I expected: it's admissions season, and it never ends. Otherwise, I'm reading through my whole manuscript, with the goal of sending it to readers tomorrow or Wednesday.
Goals for the week ahead:
1. Send off mss. to readers, give copy to my mother (who was an editor, so wants permission to red pencil it!)
2. Enjoy time with my friend, be present to/with her.
3. One essay from Big Collaboration
4. Keep up with Admin stuff that keeps coming
5. Start on taxes.
6. Keep healthy eating/exercise/ sleeping stuff
7. Enjoy the week!
Wow, that was a productive week. I hope you enjoy the trips. That's true friendship, helping someone rebuild their life.
DeleteWhole manuscript!! Way to go!
DeleteI'm glad that you'll get to see your friend; it sounds like your presence could help her through this difficult time.
Mmmm, Beautiful National Park will be fabulous! I hope you both enjoy the day.
DeleteSo impressed with the manuscript! I hope you have a wonderful day with your friend, sounds like the kind of outing that will be restorative and peaceful....
DeleteStrike Action means I definitely shouldn't be splurging as my bank account will shortly be feeling all peely-wally, but seems to be causing things like snack eating and small house projects leading to purchases and accidental kindle book buying...
ReplyDeleteLAST WEEK
1) self-care: trying again about the food. And maybe even the sleep. variable...
1a) environment: do the small chores, 1 lot of linen laundry, and aim to hoover/sweep every floor surface once yes, no, the decluttering woman came and it was rewarding - we did the only built in cupboard I have in the house, which is where a lot of OTHER stuff can go as it is decluttered and sorted, and now there is space to do that. And Fluffball has enjoyed systematically shedding fur on all the newly cleared and hoovered surfaces, and sniffing around the cupboard
2) R - do something else concrete towards the teaching-related R project made some lists
3) T - Get third and fourth week materials onto all the ViLEs. MARK the work with extensions from last trimester. yes and yes - just. JUST. Strike days are really eating into work time to the point I'm getting very stressed about it all. Which is... well. NEEDLESS TO SAY the Teaching Tsar is NOT taking action and some colleagues are making choices which they are saying are student-friendly (that is, to teach on some strike days), and I'm all in the feels about it. But honestly, I'm going to feel really guilty either way! And the non-working days are helping me keep going through this trimester, so...
4) do not work on strike day; read a bit; post the letters and the parental birthday gift; play D&D. yes, yes, yes, no because the teens are all working on coursework etc... we WILL get to play this coming weekend though
NEXT WEEK:
1) self-care: trying again about the food. And maybe even the sleep.
1a) environment: do the small chores, 1 lot of laundry-from-dusty-corners-of-cupboard, and aim to hoover/sweep every floor surface once
2) R - do something else concrete towards the teaching-related R project
3) T - Get fifth and part of sixth week materials onto all the ViLEs.
4) do not work on strike days; read a bit; play D&D.
Decluttering is very satisfying. Part of the recent carpentry work I had done was a built-in cupboard on the landing. It makes such a difference! I hear you on strike days eating into work - the line about not doing more than you can do/prioritising urgent stuff is really unhelpful. I'm lucky in that those of us striking agreed a line we would take in regards to mitigation: so a certain amount of moving stuff around or putting things up on the VLE is ok, but not actual teaching. Makes it much easier when everyone is on the same page. But I still have a lecture 10 am on Friday which needed a bit of strike day working to be ready, and if action does get suspended next week as our union rep thinks is likely, I will have to scramble to get stuff ready or reschedule. If you are going to feel guilty whatever you do, then you might as well have the time off, and ask for help from the hardship fund.
DeleteExcellent progress on the decluttering, and also on providing Fluffball with new opportunities for exploration and shedding.
DeleteI'm sure Fluffball is very diligently working on making sure all exposed surfaces have a decent amount of cat contribution...
DeleteGood luck with the balance of strike days and work, hang in there!