No Really, I'm here

No Really, I'm Here!

Just trying to do some juggling. One of my goals this year at SLAC is to really try to be more a member of the SLAC community, which means actually seeing other people rather than hiding in front of my computer. This is becoming easier in some ways -- the hall where my office is located is now full of very social faculty, which is occasionally very distracting. And harder in others -- departmental tensions and a colleague moving out of town and commuting in to Dabbaville mean that, while I feel more connected to the campus and my colleagues in general, I am feeling somewhat disaffected in terms of my department. I do have to say that advising is helping a lot, as is being here for a second year -- students know me, and I know them. I've had lots of people popping by my office. And, in pursuance of my community-oriented goal, I went with colleagues to an actual!sports!event! this weekend. We tailgated, and ended up seeing only a little of the actual event, but saw a lot of folks, reconnected with each other, and I was really kind of happy to walk up to the stadium and have all kinds of students shouting, "Hi, Dr. ADM!!"

But this kind of meant that I have not really achieved what I need for the Big September 15 Deadline. Which means at best a probable submission to the General Sessions, unless I hear from the roundtable people that they can use me. And I will put in for chairing a panel. Hey, I had a topic -- it's just now being given elsewhere. Plus I have to think about Leeds ...

So, expect more after I get through this week. For today, I have FIVE lecture hours to get through.

update: Yay, I'm on a professional panel at K'zoo. And I will put in to chair a panel. So if I can get an abstract submitted by the end of the week, great, but honestly, I'm thinking that I am teaching 8 classes this year, 4 of them new preps, and I have to turn in my T&P stuff at the end of the summer. My first essay for a pedagogical journal is out to the reviewers, and I really want to work on getting at least one medieval article accepted this year, plus get the book proposal honed. So I think I'm going to try to focus on getting things published, and get some things in the pipeline for next year's circuit, including perhaps Leeds, which is on a different fiscal budget. How does that sound, oh wise intrawebs?

ETA -- Clarification: I am giving a medieval paper this year, just not at Kazoo. The paper I had planned to propose for Kazoo will instead be delivered at a Very Large Triennial Conference of Women Historians. So that's still one paper that will work towards article/book chapter, plus a second conference presentation, plus possibly chairing a session if Kazoo needs me to. I'm not cutting back that much.