Spring Break

I should be resting and regaining my stamina.  Instead I've helped with my son's Scout fundraiser and taken my daughter to get teeth extracted.  It's been a slower pace but with my locus of control being external it doesn't feel restful yet.

Regional Conference

I'll be going to a regional conference Thursday through Saturday.  These are more strenuous with less pay-off than the national conferences I go to.  Typically lots of driving, full days of meetings, and no time to do anything locally.  Some good talks, but a mix.  The main value to me is the networking and the chance to give a talk. It's a push to prepare for my classes for the week after I return, not a problem in January or August.

March Madness

Not the usual March Madness that I believe is related to basketball.  In March each year I have a conference, rehearsals for Easter choir, volunteering with the Scouts for their BBQ fundraiser, and scholarship interviews for my university.  For some reason more things are scheduled that I am required to participate in this month than any other month.

Tired, able to keep going on caffeine and momentum, crashing mentally when I am still too long.

Busy Week

It's been a busy week. Various and sundry things have eaten away at most of my discretionary time, and I feel behind on commitments.  I'm not really behind, just fearing that I will be behind. If needed I could teach a class or two in each of my courses without having prepared my class notes; I don't have to get graded work to students by the next class, etc.  Being prepared is a large portion of my self-esteem, how I measure if I've had a good day, etc.

I've been thinking about this lately;  I have given too much power to my To-Do list over my sense of my self.  I am only as good as my accomplishments, or so I act.  I need to make the list more of a tool and less of a goal.

Ready for Spring Term

For some strange reason I seem to be ready for the start of the semester.  I am not looking forward to the fatigue, but the excitement will compensate a bit.  I feel as if I've done a good job at prioritizing my work.  We'll see.

Packing Up

I don't enjoy trying to clean things up before leaving town but I'm getting better at it.  I'm pretty good about prioritizing what needs doing before I leave town and what can wait.  On the other hand I get pretty stressed out if the time I've allotted for doing so gets encroached upon.

Joint Mathematics Meetings

The Joint Mathematics Meetings take place in January, shortly after our Christmas travels.  Being an introvert, I need time to myself on a regular basis.  When visiting family this is limited to working out at the YMCA.  The lack of personal time leaves me stressed and cranky.  The timing of the JMM works out nicely.

I'm a fairly simple person, so I don't go wild when out of town.  I go to bed early, take long walks, visit museums.  The simple things accumulate to relax me:  being able to walk out of a door without waiting on anyone;  to be able to choose my preference without negotiation or complaint; to go for days without any negative feedback.  It's marvelous.