feeling productive -- ish

feeling productive -- ish

What I did today that allows me to blog:

• wrote and gave a final exam
  
• read more of book to be reviewed during final exam
  
• dozed a little during final exam (not my fault -- it's all down to AXADH and his dating habits)
  
• got another draft of the paper from ex-student and ripped it to shreds. She did not take some important comments to heart during our three-hour meeting the other day. Sent it back with words of encouragement.
  
• wrote approx. 4000 words of a report on a grant-funded workshop I helped facilitate
  
• made plans to have drinks with a famous blogfriend tomorrow
  
• probably commented too much on other blogs.

But all in all, I think I get to blog. I'm going to be moving in with a colleague soon, while I wait to find out what's going on with my career, etc. On TUesday, I e-mailed both places where I'm waiting to hear back after interviewing. I'm calling their HR departments tomorrow. Then two more jobs to apply for. I had to put off two students I really like, although they're more groupies these days (something I don't get. AXADH calls them acolytes, but I reserve that term for the majors). They brought me flowers earlier this quarter, and wanted to visit today, but I had too much to do. I shall take my newer, thinner body to the gym tomorrow. Otherwise, no blogging and only three comments (what, you think I'm crazy?) till I get something else substantial done. I must -- mark finals, finish the report, and read more of the bloody book. I want to be able to focus on writing and packing this weekend.

Again, begging for the crossed fingers for good news soon. If, by some miracle, I get a job in the next couple of weeks, I can try to do this conference, which I really would kill for in virtual sense. Or, as my Dean said, "look! it's a conference where you can meet the five other people in the world who work on your subject!" And be frightfully intimidated, too. I have met one of the presenters, though. And hell, I suppose it would be nice to talk to people (or at least listen to people) who really are working on stuff I work (if you can call it that -- will once again work, more like) on. Otherwise, I'm just going to hope for one of the later jobs. I remind myself that I have work lined up, and one of my future bosses has been fantastic in trying to help, but I get the feeling that the institution is hugely politicized and the faculty polarized. Thank goodness there are two late ads, too.