Hi everyone, I'm just popping in this week whilst our hostess is travelling - I hope it went well!
It's been a very slow/brain dead week here (end of term-itis, I hope) so I've been watching a lot of random short-form videos because that's been about the right speed. I seem to have a fairly wholesome persona to the algorithm - rescuing cats from trees, a wombat sanctuary, baby zoo animals, baby goats, D&D facts or stories, random science facts. And for some reason, this week, snack plates - people putting together a balanced plate of snacks for children after school, as a quick lunch, to go with a movie - so for this week's prompt, what 5-6 items would you put on an adult snack plate, whether that was to go alongside an afternoon of writing or sitting out in the garden, or for a lazy evening with books and cats/people of your choice?
DAISY
Taking June off from goal setting
DAME ELEANOR
* finish first/most important conference paper
* Plan summer TA work to at least first approximation
* gym x 4, yoga x 5
* do some poking at one course proposal
* make appointment for eye exam
* at least 3 hours on garden
* work on organizing either guest room or my study
HEU MIHI
1. Italian novel to p. 98
2. Finish copy-edits
3. Kid's birthday prep
4. See some friends
5. Go for a walk in the woods
JANEB
1) building better habits: one creative thing with the hands, keep reading for pleasure
1b) pay contact lens replacement bill, book GP appointment re Hurty Foot which is Not Going Away
2) Environment: get caught up on chores, make booking to see decluttering person
3) blocks: make a list of teaching-related blocks for this summer
4) writing: do at least one hour on each of two different writing projects (in addition to meetings/emails with people about projects).
5) grad students: meetings, hope defense goes really well
6) be kind to myself because some weeks are just grey and low energy and that is just HOW IT GOES.
JULIE
1. Finish book and write review
2. Chase workshop participants, finalise programme ahead of organisers' meeting on Thursday
3. Read a PhD thesis in my research area.
4. Boring work admin: do mandatory online training, book Windows update, book train travel.
5. Boring home admin: cancel a subscription, chase patio furniture company, change son's orthodontist appointment, pack for weekend away.
6. Self-care: continue healthy eating (at least until weekend), exercise, sleep, journal, read.
SUSAN
1. Finish everything for book and share file on Monday
2. Write review essay
3. Unpack, get house organized
4. All the appointments
5. Find new home insurance
6. Get exercise
Hello! On my snack plate there would be:
ReplyDelete* something salty - I currently really enjoy paprika flavour crinkle cut crisps
* some cheese - Manchego if I'm feeling fancy/wealthy
* some olives - because it's summer. Kalamata for choice
* some ripe strawberries
* some sweet potato fries
* some dark chocolate
It wasn't the best week, but they happen. My foot is becoming a little less painful which is nice, and we finally had some rain after a really dry Spring.
1) building better habits: one creative thing with the hands, keep reading for pleasure not really - I knitted during meetings/training videos but that doesn't really count. I did read a fair amount!)
1b) pay contact lens replacement bill, book GP appointment re Hurty Foot which is Not Going Away yes, seeing a physiotherapist next week
2) Environment: get caught up on chores, make booking to see decluttering person no, messaged with her but she was on holiday so need to follow up
3) blocks: make a list of teaching-related blocks for this summer ish
4) writing: do at least one hour on each of two different writing projects (in addition to meetings/emails with people about projects). I wrote quite a few notes after meetings etc which sort of counts
5) grad students: meetings, hope defense goes really well meetings happened, defence went very well - the internal examiner said "student was excellent" and they have only very minor revisions, effectively typos. I'm meeting with them next week to talk about publications from their thesis...
6) be kind to myself because some weeks are just grey and low energy and that is just HOW IT GOES. I tried. ideally I think I'd have at least a week off at the end of the academic year, but since the year doesn't end, it just sort of dribbles on, it's difficult to do that (for me - doesn't stop other colleagues from just not being around to do the small things which means the rest of us have to, but the guilt gets on my nerves!)
NEXT WEEK:
This is the first short week of summer - I've booked nearly all the Mondays of June, July and August as Annual Leave, as mentioned - and I do finally feel a BIT less grey after an idle couple of days, so we'll see if I get anything interesting done! I do still have student meetings, project meetings and exam boards in the diary to take up work time.
1) building better habits: one creative thing with the hands, keep reading for pleasure, start a new yarn project
1b) go to physio appointment re Hurty Foot
2) Environment: get caught up on chores, make booking to see decluttering person
3) blocks: do one teaching block
4) writing: referee an article: spend an hour on one of the research writing things I need to do
5) grad students: meetings, start junior MRes student on their lab work
6) be kind to myself and stick to the three days.
I want your snack plate! (I especially love sweet potato fries, which I never would have thought to put on my snack plate!)
DeleteHope the short weeks help, and that the physio can offer something useful. Took my son to a physio today as he also has a Hurty Foot. Thought I was being a fussy parent, but physio thinks he has either broken or displaced a bone and is referring him for an X-ray, and given him crutches. Hope your issue is easier to deal with!
DeleteI'm also appalled your department doesn't have a better culture/leadership when it comes to breaks: taking annual leave for a week once term ends ought to be straightforward. We are now actively reminded/encouraged to take annual leave and there's an understanding that if things really do need to happen by set dates, that will be agreed in advance.
This whole thread is making me so hungry! I hope that the physio appointment is helpful.
DeleteMy snack plate would be some lightly salted nuts (mixed or a single type), some cheese and crackers, marinated olives, and whatever fruit is in season (grapes, strawberries, apples, pears all would work). I could also swap out the cheese and crackers for hummus and some veggies. Now I'm getting hungry!
ReplyDeleteHow I did:
1. Finish everything for book and share file on Monday YES!!!!!!
2. Write review essay PARTLY
3. Unpack, get house organized PARTLY
4. All the appointments YES
5. Find new home insurance YES
6. Get exercise YES (every day, which is quite amazing.)
The organizing the house has been more difficult than expected. Partly, I keep finding things I can't find, so I look all over for them. But also, I have realized how much my tenants reorganized the house so it worked for them. Plates, mugs, bowls, everything was in the "wrong" place. I haven't yet attacked the pantry. The other thing is that I packed up a lot of stuff before I went away (I cleared out my whole closet) and as I look at things, I decide I don't need them. So there's a lot of throwing out/ decluttering happening, but that takes time. Yesterday I took a huge number of clothes and some kitchen stuff to the charity shop, and I have good stuff to go to one near my brother, which is a wealthier community. About half the clothes I packed away are not rejoining my closet. So all good.
The review essay is hard, but I've got a start, but it's a complete mess. Lots of random paragraphs. With luck I'll finish it Tuesday.
I have been to the doctor, had blood work, made other appointments, and I'm dealing with house stuff too. But the insurance was easier than I expected, so that's a win.
Goals for this week:
1. Finish the review essay
2. Draft keynote for the end of June
3. Read dissertation chapter
4. Keep unpacking and reorganizing
5. Get garage door fixed
6. Get organized for trip to UK/ France
7. Keep up with the exercise
There is undoubtedly something I'm missing (she says, having just added the dissertation chapter to the list) but it will get done, and what doesn't get done is not the end of the world.
Next Sunday I fly to Europe, and my first week is basically vacation, visiting my sister in Paris. I'll try to check in but will have no goals!
Congratulations on the book! That is amazing and hope you find time to celebrate.
DeleteYes! Yay book! Champagne all round to celebrate that!
DeleteCongratulations!!
DeleteI don't really do snacks anymore, sadly. But it's a great prompt!
ReplyDeleteOn the goals, what was I thinking . . . if only I had that kind of energy!
* finish first/most important conference paper: YES
* Plan summer TA work to at least first approximation: NO
* gym x 4, yoga x 5: YES
* do some poking at one course proposal: NO
* make appointment for eye exam: NO
* at least 3 hours on garden: NO (I planted the rosemary before leaving this morning, so, maybe 5 minutes?)
ALSO: booked tickets for next trip.
New goals:
- Have a good time at conference
- Visit the library here in hope of finding something useful for essay due in September
- unpack at home
- behave self at fundraising shindig
- put up next week's main TLQ post
* work on organizing either guest room or my study
Enjoy the conference and the library (and the shindig - wondering what misbehaviour would involve???).
DeleteLet's just say it would be easy for me to be visibly shocked, and perhaps inadequately polite and enthusiastic, to donors who don't know things that are obvious to me, and that this reaction must at all costs be suppressed! Sorry it's not something fun like "the Dame might get drunk and dance on the library tables." ;-)
DeleteI made it to the library already but the hard-to-find reference work was, alas, not helpful.
Great prompt. My snack plate would be similar to other people's: crackers, expensive cheeses (if I can only have one, a really good Manchego), olives, maybe some very good salami, my mother's red pepper and feta cheese dip, sun-dried tomatoes. At the moment, I'm trying to be healthy, so my afternoon snacks are fruit, which is actually a treat in summer: I bought some cherries today, plus a lot of different berries and some mango and nectarines. I feel too guilty about air miles to do this out of season, so winter fruit snacks are less exciting.
ReplyDeleteHow I did:
1. Finish book and write review - YES
2. Chase workshop participants, finalise programme ahead of organisers' meeting on Thursday - YES
3. Read a PhD thesis in my research area. - STARTED
4. Boring work admin: do mandatory online training, book Windows update, book train travel. - YES
5. Boring home admin: cancel a subscription, chase patio furniture company, change son's orthodontist appointment, pack for weekend away. - YES
6. Self-care: continue healthy eating (at least until weekend), exercise, sleep, journal, read. - YES (until weekend), SOME, NOT NEARLY ENOUGH, SOME, YES
Last week was also meeting-heavy, including one online meeting in French, which fried my brain even more than online meetings usually do. Friday was also very unproductive as we were leaving early to drive to a rented place 2.5 hours away for a family gathering with in-laws, and I was too anxious about the drive to focus. It was fine, but the whole weekend was full on (7 adults, 6 teenagers), with not much sleep and a lot of driving. Feel like today has been catch-up.
This week:
1. Finish reading PhD thesis.
2. Progress review for PhD student.
3. Do some planning for a book chapter.
4. Boring admin stuff: send yet more details about patio furniture, collect prescription, go to doctor's appointment, get appointment and X-ray for son, renew library book.
5. Self-care/fun stuff: video call with friends, read, exercise, get back to healthy eating (fruit snacks!), get more sleep, maybe do something creative.
So much YES! And so much driving . . . I hope this week is gentler.
DeleteThe weekend sounds both fun and a lot. But all that work and life admin is exhausting.
DeleteI *love* fixing snack plates! Although I usually just eat a piece of cheese standing at the counter instead. Mine would hold:
ReplyDelete-Parmesan crisps
-Radishes
-Rosemary marcona almonds
-some nice, thin crackers
-cheddar slices
-sliced bell peppers (red and yellow)
Now I'm hungry.
Last week:
1. Italian novel to p. 98 - yes
2. Finish copy-edits - YES
3. Kid's birthday prep - mostly
4. See some friends - Yes
5. Go for a walk in the woods - No :( Kid was home sick for two days plus the weekend, and it was very hot and then cool and rainy, so not great walking conditions all around.
This week:
1. Try very hard not to get kid's cold
2. Enjoy my birthday (tomorrow)
3. Enjoy kid's birthday (Saturday)
4. Italian novel to p. 147
5. Tenure letter, which includes finishing a book and reading 3 articles
6. Do at least one self-indulgent fun thing for my birthday
Augh that was I, heu mihi! I cannot get used to having to enter my name with every comment....
DeleteHappy birthday! And I hope you stay healthy! (And lots of good yeses, including copyedits, which are always a pain.)
DeleteWhen we go to the beach, I always make a dilled havarti dip (which is basically havarti, dill, scallions, and mayo. In fact, that's the complete ingredient list). I only make it for the beach, and I'm not even sure that anyone else likes it all that much, but it is My Thing! And then I eat sandwiches with just a thick slather of spread and some sliced tomatoes, and love them.
ReplyDeleteLast week:
1. Try very hard not to get kid's cold - MAYBE? On Monday afternoon and through Tuesday (my birthday), I was very tired and had a sore throat. But then on Wednesday I felt great. And then on Thursday I had a sort of sore throat again, which I have now decided was allergies. Kid got better and then got sick again (had a fever Thursday night), and now seems better, more or less.
2. Enjoy my birthday (tomorrow) - YES, although I didn't feel great
3. Enjoy kid's birthday (Saturday) - YES; it was pretty quiet
4. Italian novel to p. 147 - YES
5. Tenure letter, which includes finishing a book and reading 3 articles - YES
6. Do at least one self-indulgent fun thing for my birthday - I was feeling a little sick. But I did nap and then, feeling better in the evening, watched silly TV with knitting while husband was with kid at kung fu, and then enjoyed a glass of wine on the deck with a fun novel.
This week:
1. Round of revisions to article
2. Italian novel to p. 196
3. Draft fall syllabus
4. Start reading book to review
5. Respond to student re. grad handbook; finish (??) handbook revisions
heu mihi again, writing my reply on the wrong post....
Delete