RBOC: Academic Updates

• I am momentarily up-to-date on all grading. It won't last longer than a week, since as soon as Thanksgiving break is over there are papers, presentations and exams aplenty.
• My writing has slowed to a crawl but has not actually stopped. Better yet, I got a one month extension on the chapters that were due Dec 1. Now being halfway through all 3 of them is actually a good place to be.
• I spent yesterday and today working on my favorite research project and it is going so well. I actually think the analysis can be done before spring break and I can submit something before the summer.
• I met with my tenure mentor yesterday and I am ahead of the pack (ok, so the pack is only Big Daddy this year but it seems I'm well ahead of where most people in my department normally are at this point in the process). My goal is to have a working draft circulated by the end of January.
• This afternoon I tweaked one syllabus for the Spring semester and there's very little left to be done there. Of course I still have an entire course prep for the other course but I'm not thinking about that just now.
• I also spent this afternoon sorting out articles and organizing the bits and pieces I need to get back to my grant that has been languishing.
• I actually feel like I can take 2 days off without coming back to a complete and total mess.