today, tomorrow...
Today I have 7 term-papers left that I don't want to grade, and two lectures that I don't want to give. Tomorrow I have an annual review meeting at 2:00, a meeting with my senior thesis student at 3:00, a faculty meeting at 4:00, drinks with colleagues after the meeting at 5:30, and possibly coffee or drinks with a former student at 7:00.
To summarize - Meet. Meet. Meet. Drink. Drink.
Two more weeks of being booked-solid, and the semester will be over. It took a while, but I've hit that point of neglecting current work to plan for future work. I've been tweaking syllabi for the fall... it's going to be a bitch of a semester. I'm teaching my Einstein course, which is somewhat technical, so I have to plan for it almost every day. I'm teaching a new team-taught course with 32 students, so that requires lots of joint planning and creative thinking about assignments and stuff, on top of the usual "inventing a course from scratch" work that comes along with a new prep. Then there is my basic physics course, which I'm considering changing a little bit. I shouldn't. I should leave it alone this year. It's a bad semester to be tweaking a third course. But I can't help it. I have some ideas for improving it that I probably can't sit on for a whole year. I'm my own worst enemy.
Wednesday, April 30
one of those people...
Who is that guy walking down the street carrying a pair of $95 shoes from a specialty Manhattan running store? And snacking on carrots and granola? I HATE GUYS LIKE THAT.
Oh, wait... that's ME. Fuck...
It's the slow-motion video treadmill analysis, people. How am I supposed to resist that? "See that, right there, the little bulge when your ankle turns in?" YES! YES, I DO SEE IT! "We're going to get rid of that" OK!! HERE'S MY CREDIT CARD!! They probably could have sold me just about anything with slo-mo video analysis.
So, I have this $95 pair of running shoes, and I'm walking to my car last night thinking, Wow... I can't wait to try these out tomorrow to see if they help with the shin pain... and then I realize, no, wait... I ran this morning... tomorrow isn't a running day... I won't run again until Thursday... and you know what? I was DISAPPOINTED!!
What the fuck is happening to me?
Anyway, last night I picked the tiny stones out of the treads of the $55 department store non-professionally-fitted-and-selected running shoes so I can take them back. Even though I've run with them 3 times, they still have that new-shoe-smell inside, so I think I can get away with it.
Who is that guy walking down the street carrying a pair of $95 shoes from a specialty Manhattan running store? And snacking on carrots and granola? I HATE GUYS LIKE THAT.
Oh, wait... that's ME. Fuck...
It's the slow-motion video treadmill analysis, people. How am I supposed to resist that? "See that, right there, the little bulge when your ankle turns in?" YES! YES, I DO SEE IT! "We're going to get rid of that" OK!! HERE'S MY CREDIT CARD!! They probably could have sold me just about anything with slo-mo video analysis.
So, I have this $95 pair of running shoes, and I'm walking to my car last night thinking, Wow... I can't wait to try these out tomorrow to see if they help with the shin pain... and then I realize, no, wait... I ran this morning... tomorrow isn't a running day... I won't run again until Thursday... and you know what? I was DISAPPOINTED!!
What the fuck is happening to me?
Anyway, last night I picked the tiny stones out of the treads of the $55 department store non-professionally-fitted-and-selected running shoes so I can take them back. Even though I've run with them 3 times, they still have that new-shoe-smell inside, so I think I can get away with it.
Monday, April 28
work...
I spent most of my train ride this morning finishing up the paperwork for my "annual review". There is a form we are supposed to use. It's always kinda depressing when I get to the section that says "Publications: Articles and Essays (please attach an extra sheet if necessary)" Really? An EXTRA sheet? Fuck YOU!
I really need some pubs out there, god dammit. I'm so lazy. If I worked for a week straight on nothing else (which is supposedly what the SUMMER is for) I could easily get two manuscripts ready for submission. And yet every year, things sort of slip away and that never happens. I really need to fix that. I should schedule some hard-core writing time this summer. EARLY summer, too... before the kids get off school. I have almost a whole month where the kids are in school and I'm NOT. I can't piss that away this year.
I just found out that my 3 year review this fall is NOT a promotion review... just a probational review. Which is good, I guess. It means that if they decided I suck, I don't get fired, I just get told "Hey, you suck... you have 3 years to stop sucking". (See lack of publication record above.) I don't know what this means in terms of my sabbatical, which I was expecting in '09/'10. But I don't really care that much. I'll take the 3 year grace period instead.
I spent most of my train ride this morning finishing up the paperwork for my "annual review". There is a form we are supposed to use. It's always kinda depressing when I get to the section that says "Publications: Articles and Essays (please attach an extra sheet if necessary)" Really? An EXTRA sheet? Fuck YOU!
I really need some pubs out there, god dammit. I'm so lazy. If I worked for a week straight on nothing else (which is supposedly what the SUMMER is for) I could easily get two manuscripts ready for submission. And yet every year, things sort of slip away and that never happens. I really need to fix that. I should schedule some hard-core writing time this summer. EARLY summer, too... before the kids get off school. I have almost a whole month where the kids are in school and I'm NOT. I can't piss that away this year.
I just found out that my 3 year review this fall is NOT a promotion review... just a probational review. Which is good, I guess. It means that if they decided I suck, I don't get fired, I just get told "Hey, you suck... you have 3 years to stop sucking". (See lack of publication record above.) I don't know what this means in terms of my sabbatical, which I was expecting in '09/'10. But I don't really care that much. I'll take the 3 year grace period instead.
the saga continues...
Ran the first day of Week Three on Sunday. The move up from 90/90 walk-run to 90/90, 90/THREE, 90/90, 90/THREE looked really daunting on paper, so there was a bit of a mental battle there. But when it came down to it, the three minute runs weren't so bad. I was winded, but no moreso than the first days of the other two weeks. My shins were really starting to hurt during the second three-minute set. Today I'm going to start some exercises to see if I can strengthen some of those lower leg muscles. I really would like to avoid buying $150 shoes.
Ran the first day of Week Three on Sunday. The move up from 90/90 walk-run to 90/90, 90/THREE, 90/90, 90/THREE looked really daunting on paper, so there was a bit of a mental battle there. But when it came down to it, the three minute runs weren't so bad. I was winded, but no moreso than the first days of the other two weeks. My shins were really starting to hurt during the second three-minute set. Today I'm going to start some exercises to see if I can strengthen some of those lower leg muscles. I really would like to avoid buying $150 shoes.
Friday, April 25
more run-blogging...
(Dr. Dave Reader Poll: Who is sick and tired of all the blogging about running already??)
Finished my 3rd day of week two today. Felt pretty good, although I can feel that as the weather warms up I'm going to have to run earlier and earlier in the morning! I don't like it when it gets above 65ยบ. Which means in a month or so I'll be running at 3:00 AM.
I feel ready to move up to TWO minute runs, but I'm a little worried about the THREE minute runs in week three of the program. Seems like there should be a week 2.5 in there with alternating 2/2 run/walks. Oh well... who am I to argue? I'll give it a shot on Sunday and report back.
Also I'm starting to see some results in terms of weight-loss. Not so much on the bathroom scale (although there has been some progress there, from 205±2 to 201±1 pounds) but in terms of certain... well, "problem areas" that become very noticable when the 205 boundary is crossed.
(*ahem* manboobs...)
(Dr. Dave Reader Poll: Who is sick and tired of all the blogging about running already??)
Finished my 3rd day of week two today. Felt pretty good, although I can feel that as the weather warms up I'm going to have to run earlier and earlier in the morning! I don't like it when it gets above 65ยบ. Which means in a month or so I'll be running at 3:00 AM.
I feel ready to move up to TWO minute runs, but I'm a little worried about the THREE minute runs in week three of the program. Seems like there should be a week 2.5 in there with alternating 2/2 run/walks. Oh well... who am I to argue? I'll give it a shot on Sunday and report back.
Also I'm starting to see some results in terms of weight-loss. Not so much on the bathroom scale (although there has been some progress there, from 205±2 to 201±1 pounds) but in terms of certain... well, "problem areas" that become very noticable when the 205 boundary is crossed.
(*ahem* manboobs...)
Wednesday, April 23
benefits...
I've been joking about the "energy" thing... about how exercising is supposed to give you more... and I think yesterday I FINALLY got a little glimpse of it. It wasn't something I could put my finger on, but after I ran Tuesday morning, I felt a little *zingy* all day. Well not all day, but until 3:00 or so when I always crash. It probably wouldn't be worthy of notice if it weren't for the fact that I so rarely feel any sort of *zing*.
Also, an added bonus of the running that I had never even considered... man, I can run for a fucking train now, no problem! Kinda cool.
I've been joking about the "energy" thing... about how exercising is supposed to give you more... and I think yesterday I FINALLY got a little glimpse of it. It wasn't something I could put my finger on, but after I ran Tuesday morning, I felt a little *zingy* all day. Well not all day, but until 3:00 or so when I always crash. It probably wouldn't be worthy of notice if it weren't for the fact that I so rarely feel any sort of *zing*.
Also, an added bonus of the running that I had never even considered... man, I can run for a fucking train now, no problem! Kinda cool.
yay for poorly managed budgets...
So yesterday I tallied up the receipts for my research/teaching/computing expenditures for the year and found that I've only spent $616 since September. This means that I still have $300+ left in my annual research budget, and the end of the academic year is fast approaching.
You know what that means... I see an iPod Touch in the near future!! Or, as the expense report will read: "Apple Touchscreen PDA/Portable Wireless Internet Device".
Now if I can only wait out WWDC in June to avoid any price cuts or upgrades. The Mac pundits and rumormongers are predicting refresh of the Macbook line too, so I'll be putting off buying a new laptop until the end of the summer. I've decided to borrow one of the Macbooks from the lab for the duration of the summer, so I can compute in style in the meantime. It makes no sense for a brand new laptop to sit unused in a cabinet for 4 months! Now if I can only convince the department chair to let me do the same with the 24" iMac.
So yesterday I tallied up the receipts for my research/teaching/computing expenditures for the year and found that I've only spent $616 since September. This means that I still have $300+ left in my annual research budget, and the end of the academic year is fast approaching.
You know what that means... I see an iPod Touch in the near future!! Or, as the expense report will read: "Apple Touchscreen PDA/Portable Wireless Internet Device".
Now if I can only wait out WWDC in June to avoid any price cuts or upgrades. The Mac pundits and rumormongers are predicting refresh of the Macbook line too, so I'll be putting off buying a new laptop until the end of the summer. I've decided to borrow one of the Macbooks from the lab for the duration of the summer, so I can compute in style in the meantime. It makes no sense for a brand new laptop to sit unused in a cabinet for 4 months! Now if I can only convince the department chair to let me do the same with the 24" iMac.
Tuesday, April 22
busy, and in denial...
There are three weeks left in the semester. I have yet to grade some of the MIDTERM papers. Soon there will be two piles of exams, two piles of term papers, and assorted problems and labs to deal with. So what am I doing on the train this morning? Watching a Lewis Black standup show I pulled from the TiVo.
That's me... always gettin' it done.
Ran this morning. Took a shower. Hopped in the car. Caught the 8:15 train. Tuesdays are pretty low-key, but I have a meeting today that I should gear up to be involved in. It's some sort of technology task force that I've stumbled into, and they are talking about things like podcasting and iTunesU... stuff I'm actually personally concerned with. I should make a good impression and say things and look smart. Hate that.
Meanwhile, the mother-in-law arrives tomorrow and the house is still a wreck, but with these isolated islands of clean. We will have to provide Mom with a map so that she only attempts to navigate in approved areas.
There are three weeks left in the semester. I have yet to grade some of the MIDTERM papers. Soon there will be two piles of exams, two piles of term papers, and assorted problems and labs to deal with. So what am I doing on the train this morning? Watching a Lewis Black standup show I pulled from the TiVo.
That's me... always gettin' it done.
Ran this morning. Took a shower. Hopped in the car. Caught the 8:15 train. Tuesdays are pretty low-key, but I have a meeting today that I should gear up to be involved in. It's some sort of technology task force that I've stumbled into, and they are talking about things like podcasting and iTunesU... stuff I'm actually personally concerned with. I should make a good impression and say things and look smart. Hate that.
Meanwhile, the mother-in-law arrives tomorrow and the house is still a wreck, but with these isolated islands of clean. We will have to provide Mom with a map so that she only attempts to navigate in approved areas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)