If you see a whole thing - it seems that it's always beautiful. Planets, lives... But up close a world's all dirt and rocks. And day to day, life's a hard job, you get tired, you lose the pattern. - Ursula K. LeGuin

Monday, August 9, 2010

RBOC: End of Summer Break Edition

  • I've been trying to write a particular post for several days but it isn't coming out right.  Therefore I'm resorting to a RBOC post.
  • I hate giving up on a writing idea.
  • This is the last true week of summer break for me.  Next week is all meetings, including a full day retreat (who retreats at the beginning of an academic year????), and then classes start the following week. 
  • It feels like summer break ended once I got back from my trip UpNorth.   I believe I've worked more this summer than any other since I came to SouthLite, including the summer I was actually paid to work. 
  • In spite of all my work, my grant is still not done and no papers were submitted.  In fact I just received the third rejection in a row.  The first two rejects have been sitting untouched all summer.
  • I am getting very tired of journals that hold your paper hostage for seven months and then reject it without a true review.
  • With tenure comes responsibility.  I will now be coordinating our doctoral program.  I've spent the last two weeks getting my ducks in order before the new students arrive next week for orientation.
  • My syllabi and assignments are done and my Blackboard sites are built.  All I need to do now is prep my first few classes.
  • b and I have started a new healthy lifestyle regime.  It includes a structured schedule for going to sleep, getting up, and going to the gym.  We've been to the gym every day for the past week.  We also went to a nutritionist and have a new way of eating.  It hasn't been particularly hard and most of it is enjoyable. The trick for me is keeping it going once the semester truly starts.
  • I'm moving my office.  For once this is completely my idea.  I love my new space and my new officemates.  My old officemates are not at all happy and have been giving me grief over the move all summer.  
  • Sometimes academia feels a lot like junior high school.
  • We had a painting party in my new office space yesterday afternoon.  I choose peach for my office.  It is very pretty but reminds a little bit of a gynecologist's office.  
  • I've thrown out several file drawers worth of paper.  The waste amazes me and I think "I should buy and iPad so I don't have to print out so many articles."
  • I also want to buy a mini-fridge for the new office to help with my new eating habits. It seems moving brings out the rampant consumer in me.

4 comments:

Breena said...

Oh no! I hated junior high!

phd me said...

I'm thinking of recycling my filed articles, too, but I feel like I should scan them first. All those notes I've written!

And I definitely recommend a mini-fridge for the office. I mostly keep drinks in mine but I can easily bring a cold lunch and keep salad dressing and cut-up fruit in my office now. I'm even thinking of adding a little microwave to the mix...

Annie said...

Enjoy the change of office, and hopefully, the change of pace, once classes begin.

Julie said...

Best wishes with your healthy new lifestyle. Going to sleep and waking up at a regular time would be the hardest thing for me to do.

I'm sorry about the trouble you've had with the grants. It has got to be so frustrating sometimes.

What you said about journals holding your papers hostage really hit home with me, at least as far as poetry and fiction go. I don't know why it takes them so damn long.

But I do wish you another good year. I'm glad you have a new and improved office space for a fresh start. You cracked me up with the description. Gynecologist's office peach...hee hee!