Radio Free Akron: So Much

I am probably more snowed under by work than I've ever been.

Honestly. This was not the week I needed to have a couple of faculty candidates come in. I know the investment of my time was only about five hours each, but a total of ten hours out of my free work-time? That's killer, especially considering how quickly I typically work.

I agreed to give Jim some revisions and commentary for his book chapters (50 pages each) by Friday. No biggie, right? Except that I'm anal when it comes to editing and revising, especially for others. At least I've already got one of those chapters done. And, from what I hear, the fact that he asked me to do so means I'm sorta in his inner circle now or something.

Add to that:

We have a colloquium on Friday with Dr. Colin Flint, the leading expert on geographies of hate, hate crime, ethnic hatred and so on. He edited the volume we're using in terrorism class. He's supposed to be super-nice on top of all this, and he's Mary's personal hero. I'm interested to talk to him and listen to what he has to say. It will be nice, now that I've finally accepted the formerly closeted political geographer part of me, to actually listen to him instead of sitting there denying that I find his shit really interesting. True, it's going to be incredibly enriching to interact with this guy, but at the same time it will swallow most of my Friday.

I have a five page (easy, but time consuming) analysis of vulnerability to hazardous threats to Muncie (she assigned us to do our "hometown") to turn in to Ute by Monday at 11:00 am.

I have to get my next Intro exam study guide written so the kids can have it on Monday, giving them a week to study. I also have to have the actual exam ready that day for a few of them who are going to a theatre conference in Bumfuck, Idaho or some damn place. It's definitely an excuseable thing, it's just a pain in the ass.

I need to get a draft of my co-authored paper to Schwartz (that I've been putting off for literally months). I set a point-of-no-return date about two months ago for February 28, which is this coming Tuesday. I really want to meet this deadline so I can get that paper published and behind me. It's something from Ball State that I need to close out and be finished with so that I can move on to new projects. It's also an oddball compared to the type of research I'm engaged in these days.

I have a presentation (with which I really hope to impress, considering the lacking efforts of some people in the class to-date) to give in the terrorism class. This is the "CIA: Terrorist Superstars" one that I haven't really started yet.

I've got a ten-page paper on Sea Ice for Polar Regions class that's due in the first week (March 2?) of March.

AAG is looming for March 8-11.

Beyond these things, I've got a couple of other articles I've got to work on (NASCAR, Indiana Terror), a literature review for Hazards Mapping, a term paper for Terror and other random shit as it comes. And the Indiana text needs to be wrapped up by April.

I need Spring Break... just to catch up.

Oh, remember how I was going to e-mail Burrell? I did, and she replied that she'd be happy to vote for me as student director of the HSG and that she'd get some others on-board for my candidacy.

"No self-confidence, jackass!" I can't do that to myself!

Like I said, for the first time in my life, I really and truly feel snowed by all the shit I need to do. And, for the first time in my life, I'm really being challenged and I'm really getting a lot out of that.

Other news... believe me I'm reaching. I've been so busy with school that there is little other news.

I suppose I could update my New Years resolutions? Wow, remember those?

I quit exercising two weeks ago when I got a horrible cold. I haven't restarted. Tomorrow morning is the current plan. I feel incredibly guilty about this one. I really let myself down. All it takes to end a new habit is one time succumbing to temptation!

Eating right? Also not going so well. Eating in general is not going so well, as the past couple weeks (Amy with new responsibilities and me being snowed) we eaten out a few (too many) times.

100 bands in 365 days? That's going okay, I suppose. Here's the list thus far:

1. Modest Mouse
2. Yellowcard
3. The Parsley Flakes (local band)
4. James
5. The Byrds
6. Ween
7. Earth Wind and Fire
8. The Dandy Warhols (had heard some but not much)
9. Bloc Party
10. The White Stripes (no, I never had really listened to them)
11. Blur
12. Bob Dylan (same comment as The White Stripes)
13. Death Cab for Cutie (I guess they're trendy?)
14. The Cars (same comment as Dylan)

My goal to have 25 by the end of the month is slipping away, but I'll still be on track for 100. I could say that I need suggestions, but I haven't dug back in my blog to retrieve the ones people have already left. To ask for more would be wasteful. Maybe I'll go back once I get back on my feet in terms of work?

Saving money? Well, that's not going too badly. Beyond the few times we've eaten out, we've basically stayed within our budget. We're not going to realize much in terms of savings for a couple months by that budget, because it's going to be tight. However, we've mostly stuck to our guns on it.

Read one recreational book per month? Yes, I'm still on track there and in fact I'm ahead. I'm working through Fargo Rock City as a re-read and I'm plowing through In Cold Blood as well. And besides, I've got enough school reading.

Mental enrichment? I do the Sudoku and crossword puzzles in the Daily Kent Stater just about every day during my lunch break (and honestly, sometimes during class). I have played the viola a few times, but have not made it a regular habit.

Personal hygiene? This area is one in which I've really maintained my improvement. I shower no fewer than four times per work week (I do allow myself to slack on the weekends) and I shave at least once a week. That's a VAST improvement over years past. I am starting to wonder what to do with my hair. It hasn't (really) been cut since... wow.... um, May? It was cleaned up (very little) in November. When it lays down, it's capable of covering my eyes like a sheepdog. The longest is approaching eight inches. My hair has never been this long. Ever.

Dirt hawk?

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Posted by Your Friendly Neighborhood DJ on February 23, 2006 12:06 AM | Permalink

So Much

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