tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post5212207609419412487..comments2024-03-29T00:34:24.152+00:00Comments on Top Left Quadrant: Week 9: water, stone, leaf and airJaneBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779448611795379774noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-15068329117740622862017-07-21T23:24:29.187+01:002017-07-21T23:24:29.187+01:00I believe some people also use acetylene torches/f...I believe some people also use acetylene torches/flamethrowers. Sounds dramatic and satisfying. Water would be safer if there's any risk of fire, though. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-35481132710408466092017-07-21T23:18:57.604+01:002017-07-21T23:18:57.604+01:00I very much like both the friend among friends/wor...I very much like both the friend among friends/worker among workers phrasing, and the image of the devil's dogs/rabbits (especially at a time when the U.S. seems overcome by ever-proliferating devil's rabbits, and deciding what one can accept, or at least leave to others to address, and what one *must* do something about (and *can* do something about) can seem like a full-time job. <br /><br />In the vein of this thread, those are who ordained in my denomination (both pastors and other leaders) promise, among other things, to "seek to serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love," which always struck me as a good combination (I especially like the inclusion of "imagination," which might not be the first association most people have with the denomination; "intelligence" is probably less surprising. "Energy" is the one I always worry whether I'm living up to. Other promises are akin to Notorious' excerpt: "be[ing] a friend among your colleagues in ministry," and "lov[ing] your neighbors, and work[ing] for the reconciliation of the world" [pretty ambitious there at the end, but I think another thing I like about the questions is that they do veer from the mundane to the ambitious and back again, suggesting a connection between the two. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-56614134255493375732017-07-21T23:05:38.714+01:002017-07-21T23:05:38.714+01:00I love that one, too (and have been gradually disc...I love that one, too (and have been gradually discovering more and more Cohen lyrics that I like, especially since his death and the accompanying retrospectives. He had a very appealing mix of pessimism and optimism.) Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-62076324188636903892017-07-21T22:53:02.487+01:002017-07-21T22:53:02.487+01:00Very late check-in (without discussion of topic, I...Very late check-in (without discussion of topic, I'm afraid, but both the picture and the poem are very appealing. Both short- and long-term, one TLQ goal is to spend more time in places that look like that). <br /><br />Goals for last week (really the last two weeks, at this point): <br /><br /> 1. Garden 1x, swim 1x (tomorrow, when I don't have conferences); lift weights 2x<br />2. Continue contemplating how best to wring some rejuvenation out of the 17 days I have between commitments in August. Should I travel? Just stay home? There are arguments for both.<br /><br />Achieved: didn't swim, did garden for a long time that Monday (which is why I didn't swim), did lift weights 1x somewhere in there. Also made reservations to go somewhere where I can see totality during the eclipse that will be visible from parts of North America on 8/21 (which isn't technically during my vacation time, but I can attend a beginning-of-the-year meeting and then disappear for a few days as long as my courses are ready, so I'm going to do that). <br /><br />And goals for this week: <br />--garden 1x, lift weights 1x<br />--continue vacation planning/making contact with people I might visit. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-22582847274825769072017-07-21T18:29:10.441+01:002017-07-21T18:29:10.441+01:00Yes, I fall into the "good girl" role on...Yes, I fall into the "good girl" role on all fronts. Often it's fine and serves me (and others) well, but sometimes, I start to get very frustrated, sad, and lost. Being the rock a few times this week has really helped.<br /><br />Amazing TLQ efforts! Huzzah! But that migraine sounds like a doozy. My husband gets them. They are brutally intense, but they are pretty fast (usually six hours or less). I can't imagine one lasting for days. Glad you are feeling better.Good Enough Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531793545583712309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-12815170111055421392017-07-21T18:23:50.629+01:002017-07-21T18:23:50.629+01:00With your pending move to NYC, urban metaphors mig...With your pending move to NYC, urban metaphors might be more apparent. I'm sure there are some good ones.<br /><br />I'm sorry for the snarky comments and parental criticism. I hope other things have since drowned them out or muted them a bit.<br /><br />And I hope there is good news on the apartment front. I can only imagine what that process is like. Good Enough Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531793545583712309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-26474968162986468522017-07-21T18:19:40.236+01:002017-07-21T18:19:40.236+01:00I wondered if things were things were rough when w...I wondered if things were things were rough when we didn't hear from you last week. I hope the counseling session and extra sleep on Tuesday were helpful, and I hope you are able to carve out a few hours each day for reading or whatever helps you have your own head space. As much as I love vacations with family, I always worry about not having a couple of hours of my own head space. <br /><br />I have found that knitting helps. When I have to socialize a lot, if I knit while doing it, I feel better, almost as if I've had some "down time."Good Enough Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531793545583712309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-74269401127732000342017-07-21T18:13:49.686+01:002017-07-21T18:13:49.686+01:00Nature, red of tooth and claw (like academia and ...Nature, red of tooth and claw (like academia and air travel.<br /><br />So glad the bulk of your things were recovered. Also impressed that you were still attentive to TLQ even with rage. Good news on Chapter 2!<br /><br />Have a great beach week! Do you plan to just relax? Or will you work some?Good Enough Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531793545583712309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-66200330131648984542017-07-21T18:09:39.213+01:002017-07-21T18:09:39.213+01:00I like the idea of boiling invasive weeds.I like the idea of boiling invasive weeds.Good Enough Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531793545583712309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-46645967781737485012017-07-21T18:06:34.527+01:002017-07-21T18:06:34.527+01:00heu mihi and KJHaxton, that was great advice. I di...heu mihi and KJHaxton, that was great advice. I didn't out that *early* on Tuesday, but I did get out after taking care of a few chores, and it felt <i>so good</i> and made me feel so much better and more productive for the rest of the day that I got out early on Wednesday. And no one really missed me. I might try for tomorrow, too.<br /><br />JaneB, I'm thinking of doing Nano this year. :)Good Enough Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531793545583712309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-68585447264855869812017-07-21T17:57:28.477+01:002017-07-21T17:57:28.477+01:00Oh, yes, JaneB, I love this! The Devil's rabbi...Oh, yes, JaneB, I love this! The Devil's rabbits AND the Devil's dogs (I think of stopping to stone the Devil's dogs as being those times I've been derailed by frustraton/anger at a colleague and have spent an hour drafting an angry message I'll never send.)<br /><br />I'm going to print this out.Good Enough Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531793545583712309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-77097970549781948382017-07-21T17:53:45.314+01:002017-07-21T17:53:45.314+01:00Those are perfect lines for a GoodEnoughWoman.Those are perfect lines for a GoodEnoughWoman.Good Enough Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531793545583712309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-72814841763337089032017-07-21T17:52:41.395+01:002017-07-21T17:52:41.395+01:00With your love of basalt, lava seems like a perfec...With your love of basalt, lava seems like a perfect metaphor. Plus, I like the implication that when you're really moving and flowing, no one should touch you!<br /><br />It's nice to "meet" another knitter who does only scarves and blankets. I also do the occasional shawl.Good Enough Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531793545583712309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-75695099535242313992017-07-21T16:58:29.948+01:002017-07-21T16:58:29.948+01:00Sorry to hear about your stressful vacation! Best ...Sorry to hear about your stressful vacation! Best wishes for a quick recovery from it, and I hope you get a good place in NYC.Dame Eleanor Hullhttp://dameeleanorhull.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-58179993965221937782017-07-20T16:49:06.915+01:002017-07-20T16:49:06.915+01:00Topic: I often think about writing as diving into ...Topic: I often think about writing as diving into a pool on a hot summer’s day. One of the gifts of ADD is the hyperfocus that lets other cares fall away. I am also very taken with the MacLeish poem quoted by DEH last week, as it pertains to my personal life. There was a discussion many years ago in the medievalist blogosphere about being a “professional good girl,” which I suffered from for a time. I have not yet shaken the “personal good girl,” in that I am always the one to bend, to comply, to rearrange, and to make do. I was struck by GEW asking which was better--the water or the rock. I had a similar reaction--being the rock is wrong-- because I was socialized to be the “good girl” in my family, to “make up” for my older, black sheep, sister. Wow, I don’t need therapy this week, do I?<br /><br />Last week’s goals:<br />Walk forty-five minutes a day. <i>Exceeded every day, yay for me!</i><br />Keep track of hydration. <i>Slightly better--the calibrated water bottle helps a bit.</i><br />One hour five days a week on the Prudence book. <i>Yes!</i><br /><br />Analysis:<br />I had a migraine that started Sunday, and only let up late last night, so I apologize for my lateness. I did pretty well last week, and miserably the first part of this week, but it happens. I will repeat last week’s goals for the few remaining days of this week.<br /><br />Next week’s goals:<br />Walk forty-five minutes a day. <br />Keep track of hydration. <br />One hour five days a week on the Prudence book. <br /><br />I hope the rest of the week goes well for everyone!<br />Elizabeth Anne Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733237123376048432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-79129698221301789922017-07-19T14:43:09.884+01:002017-07-19T14:43:09.884+01:00Thank you for carrying over my goals. I was on va...Thank you for carrying over my goals. I was on vacation for part of last week - spent one whole day trying to travel (unsuccessfully), and then most of my vacation in 50 degree weather (and all brought were shorts and a bathing suit). Not the most fun vacation ever! I've also been completely preoccupied with my search for housing in NYC - it's like a full-time job (which may come to an end today - I have a place, if I want it, and should hear about two applications today as well).<br /><br />So, onto the goals:<br />(carried over)<br />1. Get R&R close to done - WILL SUBMIT TODAY<br />2. Reduce scoping review (make a good pass at it) - DONE<br />3. Tables for SU paper - DIDN'T DO (and first author made a snarky comment about this on our conference call).<br />4. Put together lit for expectancies paper - NOT DONE<br /><br />Yesterday, I had lunch at a cafe and organized my full to-do list. I also saw the Murakami exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art - which was great. I needed that to help catalyze all the critical and judgmental stuff my mom said to me (about me) during the vacation (again, not the most fun vacation ever!).<br /><br />This week (or what remains of this week)<br />1. Submit R&R<br />2. APA presentation (due tomorrow - gulp!)<br />3. Figure out where we are with the alc scoping review<br />4. Figure out answers for diss advisor's assistant on IRB closure<br /><br />I don't have any good natural metaphors right now, unfortunately.Waffleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10529248813060681101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-82285818277838233122017-07-18T19:48:26.787+01:002017-07-18T19:48:26.787+01:00Wow, gmail! I am SO ENVIOUS right now (I have 500...Wow, gmail! I am SO ENVIOUS right now (I have 500meg of storage. Nearly every day I need to find stuff to delete... and the archiving system is terrible (only works onto one local hard drive...))JaneBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17779448611795379774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-49067060833549822492017-07-18T13:45:41.435+01:002017-07-18T13:45:41.435+01:00Totally hear you on the negative imagery, and stre...Totally hear you on the negative imagery, and stress of battling invasive species---that has really changed my attitude toward nature. :-(Dame Eleanor Hullhttp://dameeleanorhull.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-30349646580259088972017-07-18T13:43:38.116+01:002017-07-18T13:43:38.116+01:00I LOVE the Devil's rabbits.I LOVE the Devil's rabbits. Dame Eleanor Hullhttp://dameeleanorhull.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-20515206554809569082017-07-17T22:58:29.656+01:002017-07-17T22:58:29.656+01:00I hit a bit of a bad patch for a few days towards ...I hit a bit of a bad patch for a few days towards the end of last week, and am still largely there, but hey, life goes on.<br /><b>goals from two weeks ago</b><br />1) restructure ProbChildp1p1 following meeting <i>I've done a fair bit of restructuring to both ProbChild paper 1s, but oh lord I'm not in the mood for writing with lots of collaborators, which these are. Progress, at least</i><br />2) clear desk at office at least <i>NOPE. Keep getting interrupted. Have managed to get the growing fire hazard of possibly useful cardboard into the recycling box at work, at least</i><br />3) be nice to the cold and get enough sleep <i>the cold went remarkably promptly for me. And there were a few good days. But now I'm pretty depressed. I've always been somewhat prone to inverse SAD...</i><br />4) write up notes from grant meeting and circulate to team <i>well, I started...</i><br />5) set resit work (this will be TRQ the week after next, so would like to get it done this week in a controlled manner) and do timetabling paperwork (due next week, same). <i>yes, this was done, although not entirely without TRQ scrambling</i><br />I also wrote about 4000 words of a first draft of a review paper linked to the collaboration I call Gallimaufrey (ANOTHER lots of people one, but this was solo work). I have maybe 750 to go, and a polishing run, then it can go play with others.<br /><br /><b>analysis and the coming week:</b><br />I'm fed up. And there are too many things that need doing. Tomorrow I have counselling, which might help, and then will work at home a bit and probably sleep too much. Wednesday I have to be back at the office properly, Thursday and Friday I have some people visiting to work on Black Summer Project. Then next week I'm off to see family (Sunday to Friday, not a complete week) to do a bit of aunty and daughter, and THAT also feels like work not leisure because of the need to be a more public self, a good visitor etc. So not too much time.<br /><br /><b>goals for this week:</b><br />1) look after myself kindly. Sleep, don't overeat, shower every day, all the simple/hard stuff.<br />2) finish writing up the notes from the ProblemChild meeting and circulate<br />3) Make an outline list of the contents from Giant New Modules for organisational thing<br />4) write the last of my sections of the Gallimaufrey thing.JaneBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17779448611795379774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-13630980521657124062017-07-17T22:32:11.816+01:002017-07-17T22:32:11.816+01:00Not everyone is visual, if visualisations don'...Not everyone is visual, if visualisations don't work, then toss 'em out of your toolkit!<br /><br />Yay for recovered luggage, even if not complete! It's horrible when stuff goes astray... much sympathy. And enjoy the beach!JaneBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17779448611795379774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-16982097514354758532017-07-17T22:28:18.457+01:002017-07-17T22:28:18.457+01:00Boiling water is also cat-friendly!Boiling water is also cat-friendly!JaneBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17779448611795379774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-87925877743967413052017-07-17T22:24:52.458+01:002017-07-17T22:24:52.458+01:00Really bad writing can be joyous if you let it be ...Really bad writing can be joyous if you let it be - tell yourself noone need ever see it, maybe change medium (to pen and paper from keyboard, or to a different location, or just to a different font - I do a lot of terrible, terrible writing in purple "Lucida handwriting" - whatever it takes to make things feel less like they have to be good, or will be judged), and write.<br /><br />That's the biggest thing I learnt from NaNoWriMo and it helps SO MUCH.JaneBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17779448611795379774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-67501468977056915762017-07-17T22:19:55.202+01:002017-07-17T22:19:55.202+01:00A nice way to get some perspective!
Regardless of...A nice way to get some perspective!<br /><br />Regardless of one's personal position and point on a religiousness axis, the richness of the language and the depth of human experience in religious writing is a great resource. I have parts of this up at work:<br /><br />"Keep about your work, that God has given you.<br />Do not flinch because the lion roars;<br />Do not stop to stone the devil’s dogs;<br />Do not fool away your time<br />chasing the devil’s rabbits.<br />Keep about your work!"<br /><br />I find assigning many of the TRQ things that try to push into both my work time and my emotional space as being "the Devil's rabbits" at once amusing and effective in helping me get some perspective (also, that sort of task <i>breeds</i> like rabbits)<br /><br />JaneBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17779448611795379774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-83825627226398699132017-07-17T20:17:58.432+01:002017-07-17T20:17:58.432+01:00I'm contemplating just archiving the whole lot...I'm contemplating just archiving the whole lot of email. We don't have space issues (run on gmail actually) so it's not critical and things can be found if I search for them. Usually I'm fairly mindful about tagging and filing but it's just too much.<br /><br />KJHaxtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08049710199439771331noreply@blogger.com