TLQ 2024 Session 3 Week 12

Hello from a very cold, very rainy, and very windy week in my neck of the woods… Tea and toast inside is really the only sensible thing to do.

So, in the spirit of tea and toast, it is tea party time! We’re all meeting at a cabin for a tea party, and the only rule is that whatever you bring must be easy to make. It can be holiday-themed or just a regular one, so seasonal specialties are welcome. What would you bring? Bonus if you include the recipe!

GOALS FROM LAST WEEK

Daisy

Set up review labs for classes
Last thesis edits
Do introduction and overview of languishing paper
Finish microscope work for new paper
Pick analytical samples and get at least three done
Make friend plans!

Dame Eleanor Hull
- one household task of some sort
- notes on bibliography from book JG, notes on text of book LA
- read, write up notes for grad class
- prep some discussion questions for undergrads
- read remaining chapter drafts for student A, advise on restructure
- show up for two appointments on Wednesday
- yoga x4, swim x2-3, weights x2
- some fun reading

heu mihi

1. Get back to workouts after last week's cold
2. Start rereading a book for the article due in April--ideally read intro & chapter 1
3. Plan next Monday's lecture, where I think that I initially said I'd talk about what gives life meaning.

JaneB

1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands things
(ii) read at least three days
(iii) play D&D with nibling or the group.
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes

2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) stay caught up on dishes
iv) wrap and post advent calendars (a tea one for my Aunt who is ill, because she's definitely a cup of tea helps with anything sort of person and likes trying new herbal blends since she had to give up caffeine, a D&D one for my nibling, and chocolate ones for my parents because they always buy themselves a pictures-only grownup one then go on wistfully about how other people get treats...)

3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) prepare everything for teaching next week (a lot)
ii) start marking

4 RESEARCH
i) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh!
ii) look over files for an outside researcher's project and give them feedback

Julie

1. Teaching prep - keep minimal, but need to think ahead to final skills session, which is new.
2. Read and shortlist eight proposals for postdoc fellowship & chair meeting to select nominee to next stage.
3. Carry on marking.
4. House: more decluttering, buy some Christmas presents, agree who is buying what for nieces & nephews.
5. Self-care: rest, read, exercise gently.

Susan

1. Send chapters of Famous Author to a few friends for review.
2. Get through first two chapters of revision
3. Start transcribing a second appendix, write intro for first appendix
4. Organize outline for talk
5. Go for walks, look at art
6. Keep up with exercise and healthy eating
7. Keep up with general kindness to self and others.

Hope the last week of November is decent!

 

TLQ 2024 Session 3, Week 11

I went back to the archives to see what we were thinking about, or using for themes, eight years ago. Karen did a post just before the 2016 US election with the theme of unfilled space (starting from design elements in creative work), what it meant to us, how to create it ("physically, mentally, or in our own heads"), and I liked the ideas that resulted so much that I'm recycling this idea. Whether a design element, a calming image, a blank in the calendar, something to notice when it happens or something that you deliberately create, what does the idea mean to you now? 

Here are last week's goals; how did you do? What's coming up?

Daisy

Mark tests and catch up on lab marking
URGENT Thesis edits
Do one task on revision of languishing paper
Do some microscope work for new paper
Do microscope work with grad student
Open shipment of samples and start looking through them for analytical work plans

Dame Eleanor Hull

- one household task of some sort
- notes on bibliography from book JG, notes on text of book LA
- 2-3 pomodoros on Alms
- write up notes for grad class
- adjust all remaining class plans given cancelled day
- read remaining chapter drafts for student A, advise on restructure
- take Sir John to buy new car
- yoga x4, other exercise as possible
- try to think about goals for the remainder of the calendar year

heu mihi

1. Read over my husband's book proposal; provide feedback
2. Read Ka's dissertation chapter
3. One billion emails (actually I took care of most of these already on Monday and Tuesday, but I'm putting it here anyway)
4. Graduate student business (summer teaching and conference funding allocations)
5. Work on draft of what was supposed to have been co-editor's part of our book proposal

JaneB

1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself

(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands things
(ii) read at least three days
(iii) play D&D with nibling or the group.
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes
(v) get COVID and flu jabs

2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN

i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) do one extra load of laundry
iii) get caught up on dishes
iv) make a Christmas Wish List and circulate to family

3 TEACHING AND ADMIN

i) prepare everything for teaching next week (a lot)
ii) look at stats for confused research student

4 RESEARCH

i) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh!

Julie

1. Teaching prep, keep minimal.
2. Research for two hours at least, work out plan for article.
3. Start marking when assignments come in.
4. House: more decluttering, start Christmas planning, go to farm shop.
5. Self-care: read, exercise, watch good TV, bake.

Susan

1. Figure out plans for further revisions
2. Enjoy the seminar
3. Keep talking to friends
4. Take walks, look at art
5. Enjoy the conference

TLQ Session 3 Week 10

What to say… What a week… I can’t really come up with anything profound, so we’re going to small happy things. For our little corner of the internet, let’s do a round of “something we are looking forward to in the next month until the end of our session” that can be small or large or just things that make us happy.

Goals from last week:

Daisy
Finish organizing, travel to, and run big group meeting for national organization
Overdue editor recommendation
Thesis edits
Set up exams for two classes
Write and submit report for different meeting
Discuss new paper with coauthor and make plans
Figure out new-to-me journal system and do AE tasks
Department and review/promotion meetings
Organize and entertain two guest speakers
 

DEH
- one household task of some sort
- read at least one chapter in one scholarly book
- start grading undergrad papers (2 sets now)
- write up notes for grad class
- read dissertation materials for student A, advise on restructure
- yoga x4, swim x1, other exercise as possible

heu mihi
No new goals, recovery week

JaneB

1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do several mildly creative-with-the-hands things
(ii) read most days
(iii) play D&D with nibling or the group, and prepare to the end of the current arc in the game with nibling.
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes

2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) get fully caught up on laundry
iii) pick up the kitchen again, get caught up on dishes etc.
iv) make a Christmas Wish List (for circulating among the family) and some Christmas planning listing

3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) half a teaching block (3-4 hours) on non-urgent teaching prep (non-urgent = happening AFTER next week) - planning out what I DO need to do to sort out the session I messed up on last week.
ii) do the final thing needed to be ready for teaching after Reading Week

4 RESEARCH
i) second referee of another paper
ii) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh!
iii) meet with postdoc from other uni who wants advice on the methods I specialise in
iv) catch up with Visitor's work (she's been away meeting with colleagues at other universities in the country and doing a little touristing for a few days, since she's visiting us from a different continent for three months)

Julie
1. Teaching prep, keep minimal.
2. Two hours research.
3. Organise selection panel for postdoc applications.
4. Self-care: read, exercise, cinema trip.
5. Find a dentist.
6. House stuff: organise getting garage door replaced, decluttering.
7. BIL's birthday.

Susan
1. Finish paper for next week's conference, send to commentator
2. Prepare for seminar
3. Return to Famous Author to finish all the bits and pieces that still need doing -- bibliographical essay, appendices etc.
4. Clean and organize the house
5. Go to a local museum this weekend
6. Remember to have fun.

Good luck everyone!

TLQ 2024 session 3, week 9

Nine must be good luck, right, it's three times three, and three's a lucky number, so . . .  Do you have any good-luck rituals? Wishing on the clock when it reads 11:11 or 12:34, carrying or wearing a talisman object, or checking in with a particular friend (someone reliably encouraging) before you start something challenging? Or maybe you associate a particular place with "good vibes," or there's something that your day/week/month just doesn't feel complete without . . . . Tell us if you feel like it, or just go straight to the check-in.

Daisy

Finish and give invited talk
Overdue review
Overdue editor recommendation
Finish thesis edits
Finish popular article
Finish reference letters (2 now)
Three field trips
Mark and return 7 thesis proposals
Do teaching organizing for the rest of term (or maybe for the next week?)

Dame Eleanor Hull

- go back to gently trying to encourage all cats to get along via very brief encounters that involve treats
- 20 minutes x3 on Alms or its larger project
- read at least one chapter in one scholarly book
- finish taking notes on another book
- start grading undergrad papers
- comment on grad paper proposals
- write up notes for grad class
- read dissertation materials for student A, advise on restructure
- cardio + weights x2, swim at least x2, yoga x4
- bake a cake

heu mihi

1. Review fall schedule
2. Read two chapters of Kr's diss (defense is late next week)
3. Revise ch. 5 of book now that I have my friend's comments!! If this happens quickly, SEND MS TO PUBLISHER!
4. Full slate of workouts (Wed. optional--see above)
5. Send out journal proofs; catch up on articles under review
6. Prep PowerPoints for next week

JaneB

1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands thing
(ii) read most days
(iii) play D&D with nibling (a Hallowe'en game is required) and possibly with group
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes

2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) wash all the towels
iii) pick up the kitchen again
iv) make a Christmas Wish List (for circulating among the family)

3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) one teaching block (3-4 hours) on non-urgent teaching prep (non-urgent = happening AFTER next week)
ii) do all the needed things to be ready for teaching after Reading Week
iii) feedback on third year draft assignments
iv) another chapter for grad student

4 RESEARCH
i) last minute stuff and hosting of local seminar
ii) referee paper - now VERY urgent!
iii) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh!

Julie

1. Complete form for annual progression review. (now urgent)
2. Teaching prep: keep minimal.
3. Read PhD student's work for meeting Wednesday.
4. Do at least two hours research for article due January.
5. Organise PhD viva I'm chairing Thursday (basically, set up Zoom link, check procedures)
6. Tidy up once bathrooms finished (hopefully Wednesday).
7 Father's birthday present.
8. Get haircuts and book daughter one.

Susan

1. Good day of research
2. Enjoy conference