Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Gearing Up for Summer

Well, as you all know, my academic year is done. And for the past couple of days, I've been pretty much as lazy as it is possible for a human being to be. I mean, even the Man-Kitty is beginning to find me boring. I lie around, I nap, I read, I nap, I eat, I talk on the phone, I go to bed. This is not because I have nothing to do - in fact, I've got kind of a lot to do. But shifting gears into summertime mode isn't the easiest thing for me. Without teaching to give order to my days, I have a hard time getting into a routine.

The other thing that makes getting into a routine almost impossible is that I am going to Europe in mid-June, so pretty much as soon as I get a routine going I'm going to screw the whole thing up. And then there's the fact that when I come back from Europe, should the enrollment make, I'm teaching a summer class, which will be yet another different schedule. And then it's August, and well, time to get ready to go back to school again, right?

Now. What do I need to accomplish this summer?

  1. Write conference paper/present it.
  2. Revise mini-article/finish editing mini-journal.
  3. Get back in the groove of working out and eating like a rational human being.
  4. Get tan. (I mean, really - what's the point in all of this education if one can't lie in the sun at least a little bit?)
  5. Get shit together so as to go on the market (as I think it's really something I've got to do, whether I dread doing it or want to move or whatever).

This doesn't seem like that much, except for that I'm deliberately leaving a bunch of crap off of my list because I know I won't get it done, even though I want to get it done. Like, for example, I really do want to beat my dissertation into a real manuscript and get a proposal together and get it out there. Like, for example, I really would like to have some kind of boyfriend. Realistically, though, these two things will just not be achievable this summer. Ugh.

Ah well. Enough of this whining (or if it's not whining it will become whining momentarily). I'm going to go eat some sort of bad-for-me food and lie around some more. (I blame my cat for this turn toward a life of sloth. He is a bad role model.)

6 comments:

phd me said...

You have described my week to a T. I have my own list of things to accomplish this summer, as I make the transition from "at least I've written some book reviews" grad student to "why, yes, I've published in that journal" beginning professor, but the will is weak. Weak, I tell you!

And, BTW, so jealous about Europe!

Seeking Solace said...

Ah, Europe in June! You are so lucky!!!

helenesch said...

I have to admit to sharing your desire to tan (esp. in the humanities, where we can actually bring our books to read outside with us!). In fact, I actually get more academic reading done while I'm laying in the sun--without my computer, I can't procrastinate as easily!

bitchphd said...

For some completely irrational reason, I feel SO much better reading about your post-semester activities. Which are exactly like my own. And your "must do" list, which is very similar to mine (I can't be bothered tanning, but I would like to have something like a "regular life" including "doing things with PK outside"). I always feel so lame that when the semester is over I collapse like this....

Alice said...

You just described my break! I did get some tan -- unfortunately, it's peeling off a little now. :)

Addy N. said...

Hey there: I'm making the rounds to let everyone know that I changed my blog address to: http://untenured-no-no.blogspot.com/

Take care,
Adenostoma (Addy N.)