Officially Summer for Me

I am done with all my grading, all my meetings (I hope), all my commitments for Spring semester. I am done with the school year!

Now what? I feel like I’m done too soon. It’s not summer; it’s 62 degrees out and cloudy.

I have 10 interns, and that will give me a bit to do over the summer, but most of them are local and I won’t be doing more than one road trip to visit them. That gives me more summer to try to find something to do. I can’t believe I’m having a problem of not enough to do.

There are things I need to do. For one, sort out all my clothes from the piles they have become. Rewrite my syllabi for Fall semester. Build more posts in Loomly (social media software). Blog every day.

I am avoiding saying I need to write. Writing has been hard lately. I have a novel in mind, but the urge to write hasn’t hit me lately. The last book I wrote didn’t have an urge to write attached. Maybe boredom will help me write.

My husband has reminded me I have to pack my office up for a move across campus. I think I preferred being bored.

One Day Till Summer Break!

I have one exam (literally one exam — I have one student taking it) to give and grade, and then I am done with the semester! The school year has gone so fast, probably because I dealt with it one day, one task at a time. Very much in the present.

This summer, I will be bored unless I start writing. I have already laid out fall classes (including making them accessible) and putting my calendar in place. Other than revising syllabi to be ADA compliant, I have fall semester in the bag. I have 9 interns to visit over the summer, a lot of them local. Therefore, a lot of free time. I estimate a lot of writing and coffee. Hopefully a couple weekends for retreat time.

Here’s to a relaxing summer!

This Semester Has Gone So Fast

After this week, I only have one week of classes and one week of finals left, and then it’s summer break. This semester has gone so fast!

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I think spring semester always goes fast. Maybe it’s the sunny weather promising that summer isn’t far away. Maybe it’s the activities that wrap up the school year, like my annual review, which went well. Maybe it’s just that time flies when you’re older.

Summer is a different feel for sure. I don’t teach any regular classes, just the internship, which is something I can schedule around other things if I have to. I travel around a bit to visit interns, but those trips get me into towns that have good ethnic food, so I can’t complain.

I get a lot of free time. A lot. So I can get rested up, write, come up with new ideas.

I’m looking forward to the summer.

Writing Time Will Return

I still haven’t laid out my new story yet. It’s April, and that means it’s a busy time wrapping up the school year and the semester at the same time.

Summer won’t be so busy. I need to start a routine for summer so I can get things done. My work duties will be supervising interns, and that largely means scheduling site visits. The rest of the work can flow around my other work. It’s a very different time of year for me.

I need some time at coffee. Coffee and writing. I have been doing Saturdays at Haven, and that’s where my big brainstorming a new story day happened last week. But to write, I’m going to have to do more coffee time again. This summer, I promise myself.

It’s only about three weeks till summer break, and it’s going pretty fast. Two weeks till finals. Soon writing time will return.

Quick post

Quick blog post — we’re packing for our adventure to New York. We have to pack a lot with the moulage and everything. I’ll keep you posted.

Summer Will End Soon

Summer is winding down fast. I am starting to look at doing beginning of semester stuff (although it is a bit early) and my annual trip to New York State to do moulage is looming. I know my days of leisure are coming to an end.

In the meantime, however, I might as well enjoy. Writing and resting are the order of the day. (Except for today; I have a couple school-related items in the afternoon).

I wish I could store up rest. It doesn’t work that way, but at least I can store up the memory of rest and let it sustain me.

On This Writing Retreat

I’m on a writing retreat in KC, and although I haven’t written anything yet, I got to watch fireworks from the 35th floor of my hotel.

Today is writing, followed by going to the cat cafe to pet cats. Then maybe more writing. We shall see.

I’m at a crucial place in my story, a big reveal, and then chaos. It’s a bit intimidating to write. But I will make it.

It’s not the heat — Hell, yes, it’s the heat …

It’s too hot to write. I think I’ll sit here and melt.

What Is This Weather?

It’s May 26th, Memorial Day in the US, the official opening day at local swimming pools. And the high temperature is going to be 64 degrees F (18 degrees C). It’s 54 right now. I’m freezing.

Right now I’m in the living room sitting at the computer with a blanket on. I’m going to warm my hands on the coffee — thank goodness for the coffee; it might be the only thing keeping me from hyperthermia. The cats are huddled with me for warmth. Their fur is not enough to keep them warm. It’s not enough to keep me warm.

I feel like hibernating. At least until the temps get above 70.

That Annoying Nightmare

In the nightmare, I am new at the college, which is supposed to be the University of Illinois or SUNY Oneonta (both places I’ve worked), but looks like neither of them. I am halfway across campus from where I should be, and I have a class in twenty minutes. But then something goes wrong — I don’t have my computer or my class notes or I have to come up with a lecture in the next few minutes. I can’t find my office or, for that matter, the classroom because I haven’t been there all semester. I have no way of telling my students that I’m going to be late.

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I suspect the dream is shaming me for being unprepared. But it has nothing to do with being unprepared. Right now my workload is light and I’m on top of it, being summer “vacation”. I just did my grading for the day. I will write later, after I water the plants on my porch. I might go out to Starbucks. I don’t have any “work work” I can do right now because my research is on hold till fall and I already have fall classes put together.

I suppose I feel guilty for relaxing. This is definitely part of what is known as the Protestant work ethic in the US — we have to be working or else we’re debased. I think I’ll put my feet up later and thumb my nose at the nightmare.