Day diary, February 28, 2016
5:45 – in bed awake fretting about the big life-decision question facing the family. My giving up worrying for Lent is taking an early and hard hit today.
The big question – should I give up my career for a move that may help the family?
6:30 – out of bed, make a cup of tea and a bowl of granola.
Looking at jobs on the Chronicle of Higher Education and feeling demoralized.
I like where I am, though.
Try to get some work done. Tough to concentrate.
7:30 – I got up too soon, feeling really tired now. Back to bed
9:20 – got up again, this time for a shower and to face the day.
10:00 — Back to work prepping for Monday classes.
Papers await.
Reviewed the excerpt from Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up that my global studies class will read tomorrow. Should be a fun discussion.
I can’t stand grading on Blackboard. I’m going to download all these papers and print them at the office tomorrow, trees be damned. Maybe I’m just avoiding reading them. I don’t mind a few papers where I can really give them close attention, but 50 creates a weight in my mind far out of proportion to the actual task. My least favorite job duty.
10:30 – read email. Mom writes asking for news on the decision. I don’t want to call her yet. They’ll be disappointed.
11:00 – more prep and then these notes. Discussion of practicing violin with older daughter and why that matters.
11:30 – lunch of a left-over salad from Scotty’s.
Do we have plastic forks, I’m asked.
I go downstairs to get them.
Help D. get ready for kids book club.
Laundry
D runs to the store for fabric
I practice my Whitinger lecture while walking on the treadmill.
It’s running 18 minutes. I’m thinking of making a treadmill desk. It’ll look terrible in my study. That’s the big drawback. And it’ll take over the space.
12:30 – pack bicycle for trip to book club in North Quad.
12:45 – we walk there as a family.
I need to go to the David Owsley Museum of Art. They don’t open until 1:30.
1:10 – I head to Ball Gym.
Is there a rowing machine along the walking track? Doubtful but worth a check.
Answer? No.
I walk on the track for a bit
1:30 – head to the museum
Need to find an appropriate work to use in tomorrow’s Faculty Learning Community.
I think about Bluhm’s Oz and Kentridge’s typewriter and Burner, Beaters, and Burglars. Any might work but I settle on another Bluhm painting, Chandelle. I want to get away from art as illustration of a time period in a literal sense. This painting will help me do that. It’s hard to read. There’s nothing really literal to read about it. I’ll get the faculty group to think of a word from their discipline before we go up there, then we’ll use that painting to explore how they might use it in their teaching.
I check out the 1-3 exhibit. Great subject, great cause, but too didactic in some cases. Tell it slant.
2:15 – back home
short nap
Some yard work. I always give up on fall leaf collection and then have to deal with it in the spring.
3:15 – more laundry
3:25 – piano practice. Played “Early Autumn”, a bit of “How Deep is the Ocean” and finally “How Deep is Your Love.” Worked on left-handed chording. Have to be able to do that with both hands.
3:35 – typing these notes.
Got a text – “hanging out with the girls at the Burris playground.”
“Call if you need/want me to pick you up.”
Need to read articles for L’s class which I am covering on Tuesday.
4:30 – finished that work, with an interruption for laundry.
5:00 – got ready for the Whitinger Scholars Senior Banquet. I’m the guest of honor and speaker.
More piano playing while the girls get ready
6:00 – headed to Alumni center with the family for the Banquet
talked with people
Sat at a table with just my family
Listened to the opening remarks from Dr. E.
6:30 -Had dinner
7:15 – gave my speech, a prose poem with images of my work.
7:35 – finished speech.
Listened to seniors talk about their post-graduation plans.
Reception finished. Received compliments from a variety of people about my speech.
Got a very strange comment from a student who gratefully told me my Honors class had helped her figure out she’s schizophrenic. That’s a new one. I feel for her. I wonder what it was about my class that did that for her.
8:30 – watched the Oscars for a bit with family.
10:00 – had enough. Tired. Headed for bed.
End of day diary.