2025 Session 3 - Week 8, pencils and their accessories

Hi everyone, the weather is unseasonally warm and now the clocks have changed it's getting dark very early - sadly teaching is ramping up, when it feels like I should get to snuggle up with a book every evening and possibly make Christmas lists.  The stressing about assignments (from students who have noticed that they have assignments due the coming week... which we've been talking about since mid-September, but that doesn't count) is also starting, so it must be November.  And no Thanksgiving Break here in the UK - fun as Bonfire Night is, I live in a part of the country where fireworks are much loved and go off from a few days before Hallowe'en until the middle of the month which makes it less special (fortunately Shoutypants seems to understand that they aren't a threat to him, and largely ignores the bangs).

  

It was fun to read everyone's responses about washi tape - although I feel I should apologise for causing spending!  Here are a few of my current favourite tapes - the cat in the hat reminds me so much of the late lamented Fluffball with his derpy little face!

This week let's talk about a really basic stationary tool - the humble pencil.  Are you a mechanical pencil, a grab any pencil, or a never touch a pencil type?  Do you always have a sharpener and eraser, or never?  Do you have specific requirements for those accessories (I looove my T'Gaal pencil sharpener) or just use whatever comes to hand?

And here's the weekly Shoutypants, taking a nap in a very Autumnal palette - he's fond of this footstool even though he has multiple cushy cat beds available.  And the boxes are there because I've been needing a new bookcase for... multiple years.  MULTIPLE years.  And they're boxed to save dust and make them less likely to randomly fall over.

LAST WEEK'S GOALS:

Daisy

Minimize people-managing issues, or hide

Write something on a paper, any paper

Sample processing fun stuff

Plan out November activities and commitments

Work on co-authored paper

Urgent review as favour to someone I like and want to support

Do something fun

Dame Eleanor Hull

- swim x3, cardio x3, weights x2, yoga x5*

- at least 4 writing sessions

- grade undergrad papers; do some planning for both classes

- more work on sample syllabus for a proposed course

- planning to see if I can possibly take on another writing project next year

- pay bills

- final putting-to-bed of garden

heu mihi

1. Take notes on the three essays that I read; read and take notes on two more

2. Rec for friend

3. Admin: Select summer teachers, start sorting out grad students’ teaching preferences

4. Life things: Make two annoying calls

5. Exercise, sleep, try to find some repose—go for a walk or two

JaneB

SELF-CARE:

a) intentional movement for at least 15 minutes three days

b) making a couple of times a week

c) two gently social things (D&D hopefully)

d) keep up reading for pleasure

e) call dentist - think I'm due my annual check up and they haven't contacted me, so I need to check in.

IMPROVING MY ENVIRONMENT

a) 75%+ of the weekly list of chores

b) make a plan for the shelving in the living room

c) don't make clothes worse

TEACHING AND ADMIN:

a) week 9 materials prepare and start week 10 if possible b) limit teaching and admin to 5 hours at weekend

c) wrap up last graduate student application

d) comment on and return at least one piece of graduate student writing (both MSc by thesis students submitted drafts of stuff last week)

RESEARCH

a) read reply to budget email, take appropriate actions. prepare for next meeting about this project

b) prepare for large project meeting (comment on document)

c) organise and run mock viva for Junior PhD student, debrief

d) work on very long lasting multi-author paper resubmission (which was going nicely until the most annoying author - who led the original project but didn't work on this part - started in on the "have to make it more exciting for REF" line which is going to be a pain).

Julie

1. Submit the book review!

2. Work on one of the chapters.

3. Email other authors in other edited volume to check for overlaps.

4. Start edits to article.

5. Prep for viva next week.

6. House/life admin: renew son's passport, thank you gift, sort out payment for shed, try to find option for piano, get repeat prescription.

7. Self-care: read, sleep, journal, exercise, watch new series about menopausal women who form a rock band (Riot Women on BBC if anyone is interested - only seen first episode, but a lot resonated!)

Susan

1. Keep up with copyedits on Famous Author.

2. Do another session on microfilm, get stuff I might use for the next paper (just to add something new)

3. Deal with Unnecessary Report / formatting, any revisions, etc.

4. Set up spring talks

5. Get back to exercise (none really while traveling)

6. Get back to tapestry

7. Eat well/ sleep well