Apologies for the chill in here; the heating system isn't working, that is, the dragon in the basement is on strike.* Apparently bitcoin shares are no substitute for gold, and sheep are all very well but every now and again a dragon needs a virgin or two**, so there will be no heat until either negotiations with the dragon union get somewhere or the Powers That Be give in and get some mundane heaters. I have some students I'd be willing to sacrifice, but I'm not sure they meet all dragonly requirements. The home-schoolers are more likely to be virgins, but they're also the best students, so I don't want to give them up. However, if the Philosopher's Stone people get on the stick, we may be able to supply the demands for gold.***
Furthermore, several of us are dealing with temporal dysfunction of various kinds, such as "next year" seeming more than a month away back in December†, so it seems that the Student of Temporal Misuse and Dysfunction is making†† good progress on her project. Let's give her a round of applause, and make sure our congratulations go in the minutes so that she can consult††† them at her leisure.
At any rate, six footnotes in two paragraphs suggest that I need to focus on the goal-setting and checking-in part of our meeting, so if anyone else has announcements, please put them in the Chat when you let us know how you did and what you have coming up. Do the best you can to stay focused on the next seven-day period in this world‡, not in the Fae Lands or at speeds approaching or exceeding that of light‡‡.
Contingent Cassandra
--Try to figure out why the Omeka
install is sending error emails, and resolve (fix the current installation, or,
since it’s currently empty, reinstall and see whether that solves the problem).
-- Engage in some sort of purposeful
movement – short or long walks, stretching, weight-lifting, and/or
stair-climbing – at least 5 out of every 7 days (while avoiding opportunities
to fall on icy pavement)
Daisy
Write section and
make figure for small part in local review paper and send back to main author
Submit giant
regional paper
Submit smaller
local paper
One small internal
grant application (good chance to get)
One small-ish
external application (zero chance to get but making a point)
Dame Eleanor Hull
Exercise: swim x2 or x3, cardio +
weights x3, yoga at least x4
Work: sample syllabuses for 2 course
proposals; ~3 hours/day on research (reading, translating, outlining, writing);
prep for Latin group
Social: last week's events,
rescheduled; get book for next library book group meeting and read it
Planning: 2023 review and 2024
planning
heu mihi
1. Scan readings
for seminar; rethink day 1; re-enter teaching headspace just a little bit (my
first class isn't until 2/7)
2. 2100 words of
chapter 6: enough to step back from it/start re-reading/rethinking/reworking it
in future weeks
3. 15 minutes of
brainstorming for ch. 5
4. Reread and edit
Mourning article (needs quick revisions which are due 3/1)
Humming42
Finish and post
syllabi (no new preps!)
Complete faculty
activity report for calendar year
Catch up on
uni-related email
Make a
comprehensive plan for Squares
JaneB
1a - move
intentionally (which is what we are calling exercise for now because exercise
sounds tiring just saying the word) three days
1b - to do seven
household tasks (check list in my bullet journal)
2a - write a
letter to a friend
2b - do some
D&D preparation
2c - spend a chunk
of time on some sort of art or craft
3a - ensure that I
get a meeting scheduled with Head of School and soon to be Interim Head of
School (SUPPOSED to meet once a week during phased return...)
3b - do 8 hours,
not more than 20% over
4a - spend at
least an hour on the Mixed Volume Paper
4b - do whatever
urgent things have come in in relation to the PhD selection processes
Julie
1. Teaching prep
(keep as minimal as possible)
2. Start writing
next new lecture
3. Finish
dissertation draft and organise meeting with student
4. Read project
proposals
5. Finish
preparations for son's birthday on Saturday
6. Exercise
7. Organise
weekend away with friends.
Susan
1. Keep up with
administrivia
2. Finish edits to
Epilogue of Famous Author
3. Revise
co-editors draft introduction to Big Collaboration
4. Write two
letters of rec for students
5. Read 3 journals
from the huge pile
6. Set up
interviews with students applying to undergrad alma mater
7. Get back into
regular routine of sleep, exercise & healthy eating
8. 15 minutes
de-cluttering
9. Do something
enjoyable/ fun
NOTES
*And apologies to JaneB for shamelessly ripping off her dragon-in-the-basement idea, particularly as I'm sure I'm not handling it nearly as well as she would.
**I told the Physical Plant people that ages ago, but would they listen? no, just because this has been How Dragons Work since the classical era doesn't mean anyone in Lit of Magic gets any respect.
***Cat knows what that will do to the inflation rate, though. I suppose that's a project for the Econ department.
†December indeed now seems like a year ago, not just a month.
††Has made? will have made? had already made?
†††Has, will have, had, shall had might whatever: I need to ask the linguists about modal verbs and their tenses in a temporally disturbed nexus.
‡24 hours in a day, of which humans normally spend about eight hours asleep; 60 minutes in an hour.
‡‡299,792,458 meters per second: NEWSCOMI wants to remind you that it's not just a good idea, it's the law, and unless you have filled in all the requisite paperwork to request an exception, the university cannot possibly defend you against InterStellarPol.#
#And two more footnotes in the final paragraph, and now a footnote within a footnote: someone stop me.
The dragon in the boiler room is entirely welcome to also occur in NEWSCOM1 - Said dragon is willing to eat leftovers from catered meetings especially the GOOD cookies and anything involving pastry as a virgin alternative*, but Clarence is female, old enough to have seen most of it, and considers humans to be amusing little creatures with icky habits, so has never ACTUALLY told anyone if she ate virgins.
ReplyDeleteLAST WEEK:
Was better than the first two. But I had an eye problem (either eczema under my eye lid or a mild infection so I couldn't see well). Then the Obsessive Reading Bug struck and I read the last section of a non-fiction text and two fantasy romance novels in 24 hours which - well, it was enjoyable, but it was probably not HEALTHY and was definitely an avoidance tactic! Oh well.
1a - move intentionally three days TWO
1b - to do seven household tasks (check list in my bullet journal) SIX
2a - write a letter to a friend no - but I did chat on the phone for nearly 3 hours with a friend from PhD days I haven't talked to in a couple of years because we keep emailing and saying "oh we're sure to meet at conference x" then not making it - one of those "no time has passed, no awkwardness will happen" delightful conversations with a lot of mutual empathising. Hopefully the next time will be less than two years!
2b - do some D&D preparation yes
2c - spend a chunk of time on some sort of art or craft yes - I did some not very good but entertaining watercolouring following a short video online on art for mental health
3a - ensure that I get a meeting scheduled with Head of School and soon to be Interim Head of School (SUPPOSED to meet once a week during phased return...) yes. At least it was short?
3b - do 8 hours, not more than 20% over did 11.5 - 40% over. And did not complete even the bare minimum. But we try again...
4a - spend at least an hour on the Mixed Volume Paper 1.5 hours
4b - do whatever urgent things have come in in relation to the PhD selection processes yes - this week that was ranking candidates for one position on a really annoying online form
NEXT WEEK:
1a - move intentionally (which is what we are calling exercise for now because exercise sounds tiring just saying the word) three days
1b - do seven household tasks (check list in my bullet journal)
2a - write a letter to a friend and get some urgent post items into the post (Cunning Plan - buy a second hand copy of The Golden Bough which nibling really ought to read (according to me, their loving Aunt), send it as an unbirthday present, that means I have a parcel to send so can book a pick up from the post man instead of trying to get the brain squirrels to actually go to a postbox, which they seem to find very tricky right now)
2b - do some D&D preparation for a game I run, and do my best to make sure my character survives the really stupidly dangerous mission we've all decided to tackle this coming week in the game I play in
2c - spend a chunk of time on some sort of art or craft
3a - be professional in check-in with Interim Head of School and maintain boundaries
3b - do 8 hours, not more than 20% over
4a - spend at least an hour on the Mixed Volume Paper
4b - do whatever urgent things have come in in relation to the PhD selection processes (this week that will be preparing for a shortlisting meeting for another programme)
* of course, catered meetings are something of a rarity these days, so CTHAS (Centre for Thaumaturgy and Allied Studies) raids the petty cash to buy Too Good to Go bags from local bakeries and occasionally sends a grad student assigned to the Cryptozoology team dumpster diving behind the nearest chain coffee shop...
Possibly the NEWSCOMI dragon is just yanking admin's chain. Of course the cats are fine with sacrificing whatever is necessary to keep the heat on, but the dogs and humans are Very Worried. I predict we will wind up with sub-standard "temporary" mundane heaters that will still be here in ten years.
DeleteYour chat with your Ph.D.-era friend sounds like a lovely time, as does the reading binge (hello! My name is Eleanor and I am a reading addict) and the water-colouring. Six out of seven household tasks is excellent progress. I hope this week also brings good things into your life.
It sounds like there were a lot of good things in your week! At least 40% over 8 hours isn't 40% over 30 hours? But I do hope that the work stays within its limits this week.
DeleteFunnily enough, the heating regularly breaks down in our main department building. Luckily, since I was moved to a shiny new building last summer, I don't have to endure the cold except for the couple of hours a week I teach there. However, my colleagues with offices there would happily sacrifice students and probably each other to keep the dragon going. I wonder how strict the virgin rule is? Could irritating admin be sacrificed?
ReplyDeleteLast week was definitely temporally dysfunctional. I'm sure I lost a day at least, and various things suddenly popped up from months back or from a time I thought was several weeks away. And I had 15 hours of teaching....
1. Teaching prep (keep as minimal as possible) - YES
2. Start writing next new lecture - NO (but rearranged schedule to buy more time)
3. Finish dissertation draft and organise meeting with student - YES
4. Read project proposals - NO
5. Finish preparations for son's birthday on Saturday - YES
6. Exercise - YES (1 x Pilates, 1 x run, better than nothing)
7. Organise weekend away with friends. - NO (but did have long Zoom call with two other friends)
Things from a different time zone that weren't on the original list:
1. Reviewed the revised version of a paper I originally reviewed back in the mists of time after suddenly being alerted that it was overdue.
2. Moderated a colleague's assignments (supposed to have been two weeks ago)
3. Feedback on post-doc proposal for a PhD student whose supervisor is on paternity leave.
This week:
1. Teaching prep, continue keeping to minimum.
2. Start work on postponed new lecture to avoid temporal dysfunction in two weeks' time.
3. Project proposals.
4. Feedback on oral presentations from last week.
5. Prep for job interview panel on Thursday.
6. Tax return - URGENT!!!
7. Other admin stuff.
8. Exercise more than last week.
9. Organise weekend with friends.
Fifteen hours of teaching? I am amazed you managed much else! But you managed to get a lot done!
DeleteI wonder if there are some Incels over in Magineering that we could offer to the dragon . . . Echoing Susan, that was a very accomplished week! Bon courage for the tax return.
DeleteGood grief that's a lot of teaching! At my worst (4/4 load), I had 13 hours.... I hope that that isn't typical for this semester!
DeleteThank you! It's a relief to have other people say 15 hours is a lot. It thankfully isn't typical: a lot of our teaching is scheduled fortnightly, so while I do teach every week this term, I only actually have one more week left with 15 hours (next week). After that, the load starts to drop.
DeleteLike Julie, I'm in a new building at work (which tends to be cold in the summer and just about right in the winter, and temperature control generally seems to be improving as the buildings & grounds people get used to the systems -- or maybe the dragons are getting better trained?). Home is another matter; key parts of the heating system (including the part actually in my apartment) date from the late 1940s, and that sometimes shows. There's also no in-unit control other than opening a window (about which I always feel a bit guilty, but I don't work or sleep well when it gets too hot, so what must be done must be done). There are plenty of mysterious nooks and crannies in the complex, including some sort of underground chamber/pit with a grid over top located adjacent to the loading dock (which is a couple of stories down from my window, so I get to observe the goings-on in that area; the view if one looks straight out is considerably more scenic, fortunately). There are definitely regular references to a boiler in communications explaining why they're working on the heating system again, so it's possible that there's a dragon somewhere in the system. If so, they have not figured out what this one eats (and/or it's just getting old and crotchety). The official story is that the system runs on natural gas, which leaves me wondering about the comparative carbon footprints of dragons vs gas.
ReplyDeleteOn to the substance of the meeting:
Goals for last week:
--Try to figure out why the Omeka install is sending error emails, and resolve (fix the current installation, or, since it’s currently empty, reinstall and see whether that solves the problem).
Re-installed Omeka, since I realized the way I'd set it up was a bit different from how most people have, and I see no reason to do it differently. Error messages have stopped. Thanks to Saturday plans with a friend falling through, also had/took some time to browse various manuals, fora, best-practices documents, and possible models for my own project. All definitely helpful.
-- Engage in some sort of purposeful movement – short or long walks, stretching, weight-lifting, and/or stair-climbing – at least 5 out of every 7 days (while avoiding opportunities to fall on icy pavement)
Yes -- moved in some way 6 out of 7 days; engaged in more extended/effortful movement (longer walk, full stretching routine, full weight-lifting routine) 7 times.
Goals for the coming week:
Delete--Make further progress on the research project: set up spreadsheet and add at least one source and/or set up Omeka site and add one source.
-- Engage in some sort of purposeful movement – short or long walks, stretching, weight-lifting, and/or stair-climbing – at least 5 out of every 7 days
And you can tell the student that the temporal dysfunction phenomenon is occurring on both sides of the Atlantic. A colleague and I both noted that last week (the 2nd one of classes for us) felt about a month long. There's also the minor issue that we experienced temperatures typical of all four seasons in the space of a week. I did, however, manage to avoid falling on the ice, which is now gone, so I suppose that's good, and the greens in my garden plot, when unearthed from several layers of row cover, looked very healthy. They seem unfazed by temperatures at both extremes as long as there is sufficient moisture -- which there is; in fact, the other end of the garden plot is under several inches of water.
DeleteI used to live in a building like yours. If the boiler was hot enough to get heat to the units on the upper/outer corners, everyone lower in the building had to open their windows. I hope by now they've managed to update their heating system. It sounds like you had a good week! May this one go as well.
DeleteI like how you're keeping your goals very streamlined--I could learn from this!
DeleteLike Julie and Contingent Cassandra, I'm in a relatively new building at work (opened in 2016). But since the oldest buildings on campus opened in 2005 all of them are relatively new by most university standards! However, the heat on our end of campus went out over break, and I think they are still on rented boilers to keep the buildings usable. And when I was on campus on Thursday, there was a bucket in the middle of the giant atrium because of a leak. Was the dragon trying to get in through the roof?
ReplyDeleteTemporal dysfunction seems to be almost universal. I keep forgetting that stuff happens and then all plans go by the wayside. (In my case, a student crisis, and then administrative decisions that do not align with the data I provided, and. . .)
Anyway, how I did:
1. Keep up with administrivia YES
2. Finish edits to Epilogue of Famous Author NO, but just need a few hours
3. Revise co-editors draft introduction to Big Collaboration NO, but started
4. Write two letters of rec for students ONE
5. Read 3 journals from the huge pile FIVE.
6. Set up interviews with students applying to undergrad alma mater STARTED, 1 down, 4 to go. (but those have to respond)
7. Get back into regular routine of sleep, exercise & healthy eating YES, mostly
8. 15 minutes de-cluttering YES - 45 minutes, I think.
9. Do something enjoyable/ fun YES
Temporal dysfunction resulted from events outside my control, and lots of meetings and follow up to meetings and things I'd forgotten were happenning. So no days that were clear. And losing Tiffany really disrupted the week too. Ginger George and I are gradually adjusting. He has long wanted to be an only cat, and I think is realizing he now is one!
Goals for this week:
1. Deal with Administrators and figure out where the data gap is
2. Don't otherwise get overwhelmed with administrivia
3. Do 4 hours on Famous Author, send to editor and friend reader
4. Do 4 hours on Big Collaboration introduction, read (very late) chapter
5. Do Letter of Rec #2
6. Three more journals
7. 15 minutes de-cluttering
8. Move, eat well, sleep enough
9. Organize housing for next year
10. Do taxes
11. Do more garden work
12. Do something fun
Okay, off to check on my local dragons.
And I forgot to add to my list:
Delete13> Take stuff to city dump, take stuff to Goodwill.
The bucket is probably for the flying fish that Magineering is experimenting with.
DeletePlans never survive contact with the enemy. We have met the enemy and he is us. Therefore plans never survive contact with their makers (us). Sigh.
You did great with the journals!
These taxes people keep mentioning: is that something I'm going to have to put on my list?
LOL. Yes, eventually.
DeleteAha, you just reminded me that I need to add something to my list! Set up an appointment with the tax people!
DeleteDeadline for taxes in the UK is 31st January and the process is about as obscure as they can make it, so panic because you've left the complicated form until the last minute is a common theme here! Hope it's easier in the US.
DeleteJulie, I have to file UK taxes because I rent my London flat. EVERY YEAR I think I understand what I'm doing, but panic anyway. And I also remind myself that the tax year begins and ends on Lady Day by the old calendar, and grin.
DeleteI'm in a relatively old building at work which has not been modernised or maintained very well (there are two buildings of this vintage on campus - the other has double glazing, excellent maintainance and has been progressively modernised whilst retaining the main features of a period building, but it's the building where HR and the VC have their offices. Ours is just home to an academic school - we're still single glazed, haven't been repainted for over a decade, have a corridor shut off due to possible issues with an unstable wall... both are listed buildings, but apparently there's no money for OUR building).
ReplyDeleteWhen they DID fit thermostats to the old radiators, they only fitted them in offices where the staff member asked for them... so naturally I got moved into one without a thermostat, Heating in winter is either ON or OFF, and the building takes days to change anyway because it's designed to hold its internal temperature... coming back after Christmas can be very chilly - office blankets all round! In the summer, some parts of the building are lovely and cool, others are unbearably hot for part of the day... oh well, their choice...
OF COURSE the lovely old building that has been well maintained and double-glazed belongs to HR and the VC. Twas ever thus.
DeleteI am so happy to be living in a house built in the '70s with thermally efficient windows and one good furnace. I have just deleted a long rant about our old house!
ReplyDeleteHow I did:
Exercise: swim x2 or x3, cardio + weights x3, yoga at least x4. Swam x1 (pool closed, or I had commitments during pool hours, on other days); cardio/weights YES, yoga x2 (slacking again).
Work: sample syllabuses for 2 course proposals; ~3 hours/day on research (reading, translating, outlining, writing); prep for Latin group: NO, YES, YES.
Social: last week's events, rescheduled; get book for next library book group meeting and read it. YES, YES (didn't like the book).
Planning: 2023 review YES and 2024 planning STARTED.
New goals:
Exercise: swim x2 or x3, cardio + weights x3, yoga at least x4
Work: sample syllabuses for 2 course proposals; ~3-4 hours/day on research (reading, translating, outlining, writing); prep for Latin group. Meet with collaborator on one conference paper.
Social: karaoke party Saturday night! Prep, attend, be good sport.
Planning: 2024 planning
In the 15 years I have owned my 1905 house I have replaced all the windows (they were crappy aluminum framed 80s windows) and the furnace. But there's always something.
DeleteI think that's a YES week!
Funny how we all hang out in cold buildings! My building was renovated about 8 years ago and it apparently reversed the thermal regime, labs and offices that used to be cold are now warm (inner core of building) but some around the outside went the other way. Mine is freezing and I have a space heater. It is a great office though, so I am not saying anything! The heat did briefly come on for a day or so in January but then petered out again, so clearly it is an option? At my last place I had literal holes in the walls where facilities went in and out to fix frozen pipes, and for window I had a crowbar to open it but no handle so it had to be closed by going around the outside of the building and jamming the window shut… So I can handle chilly!
ReplyDeleteLast week’s goals
Write section and make figure for small part in local review paper and send back to main author DONE
Submit giant regional paper DONE!!!!!!!!
Submit smaller local paper DONE!!!!!!
One small internal grant application (good chance to get) DUE THIS WEEK
One small-ish external application (zero chance to get but making a point) DONE!! (Coauthor did most of it, in exchange for me making a huge number of figures for a poster… good deal…)
What a week…. What a month actually…. I am exhausted but happy that I managed to do everything that was really critical. I can’t believe I managed to get the two papers done… They both needed to go into a special volume that was the perfect home for them, and the deadline was yesterday and I got them in on Sunday. Heroic efforts by a few coauthors helped, and we’re all pretty fried. After the conference I will re-evaluate goals and thoughts on how not to get myself in such a stupid situation again…
This week’s goals
One small internal grant application (good chance to get)
Make figures for lovely coauthor
Student posters and talks for conference
One conference talk and lots of organization
Enjoy conference!
YAY! and WOOT! and Congratulations and Very Well Done on the regional paper, local paper, and external application! Have a lovely time at the conference!
DeleteAnd my goodness, what a dreadful hole your former place sounds.
What a lot of DONES!
DeleteWow! I am in awe.
DeleteI had high hopes for this week, too high really, but now they're all falling by the wayside. Classes start tomorrow (although mine is on Wednesday, so it starts next week), and so of course there is a crisis: One of our TAs sent a terse note on Monday saying that she needs to take a leave of absence due to familial and personal issues. OK, the note was more brief than terse, although it certainly doesn't provide enough information for us to know whether she's eligible for 5 weeks of emergency leave pay, or even begin to address her un-enrollment, etc.; she hasn't responded to follow-up emails. (And her email wasn't even to me, although I'm the one who needs to deal with this.) I hope that she's okay, of course. But it's caused QUITE a lot of work this week, as I suddenly need to find people to cover her two discussion sections--and most of our graduate students are international students, which means that they aren't allowed to pick up extra work. So! Mostly, I've been sending emails about this, and then perseverating when people take more than 15 minutes to respond. I have one class covered, but the other is still in flux--however, we shouldn't have to cancel it, which is a massive relief.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm hosting a party for my faculty on Friday, and for some reason I've decided to cook a huge amount of food. Yesterday I shopped. Today (while stressing over unanswered emails) I made and baked a battalion of samosas. Tomorrow I must begin a thorough house-cleaning and also prep all the other food, which I will cook after my Italian class on Friday morning. (WHY didn't I go with my original plan of getting a bunch of frozen appetizers from Trader Joe's???)
Anyway, at least last week my goals were reasonable, and I reached them:
1. Scan readings for seminar; rethink day 1; re-enter teaching headspace just a little bit - YES; Day 1 is somewhat prepped.
2. 2100 words of chapter 6: enough to step back from it/start re-reading/rethinking/reworking it in future weeks - YES, although I think that I need to do some rereading and reworking before I set it aside; it's an ungodly mess.
3. 15 minutes of brainstorming for ch. 5 - YES
4. Reread and edit Mourning article (needs quick revisions which are due 3/1) - YES; this was really quick, and I did it when Clovis was having a snuggle party on my lap and I couldn't get up from my desk anyway.
This week (pretending it's Sunday night and not half over, I'll list a few things I've done--Temporal Misuse could come to my service here!):
1. Process and probably reject journal submission; read another, more promising submission; reread submitted article that got two diametrically opposed reviews (sigh)
2. Three General Education reviews
3. Review and revise abstract for plausibility of argument (due 2/15)
4. Very roughly pull material for conference paper (due 3/5)
5. Begin ch. 3 revision
6. Reread part 2 of ch. 6 and try to do some revising or whatever
That's more than I can possibly do, especially as it's already Wednesday and I've only done a couple of the little things, but I'll put it up there just to see what happens....
7. Schedule tax appointment
DeleteAlso, my building is from the 60s (brutalist) and has an HVAC that runs continually. It was 60 degrees in my office until late October, but now it seems to be playing nicely?
Oh, my! I hope the cooking can be considered a creative outlet, and also that you get the other discussion section covered (and that the grad student is okay). Congratulations on achieving last week's reasonable goals---and also I'm glad to hear that the Temporal Dysfunction sometimes can work to your advantage!
DeleteYou can make samosas?! That is up there with a journal article in my view!
Delete