As the title of this ROW80 check-in attests, this last week has been all about the day job and not much else. I spent my weekend doing lots of reading, lots of thinking, lots of note-taking, and in my downtime, lots of videogaming (I am simultaneously replaying Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, which really deserves a blog post all its own). Here’s how things played out:
Day Job: I’m all caught up with the work that piled up while I was sick, which is great. Better yet, I’ve embarked on all of the reading and thinking work associated with the dissertation. There’s now a lot of information in my head; I’ve spent the weekend reading a ridiculous array of books and articles. I can now tell you about the early modern period and the construction of the English “Christian gentleman,” the ways in which modern-day upper class white men in France and the United States conceptualize social status and morality, and the importance of French phenomenology in current feminist thought.
I am not only shocked that my brain hasn’t yet exploded, but that it seems to be hungry for more. We’ll see how long this productive mood lasts, but cross your fingers that it continues indefinitely, because I have so friggin’ much to do in the next 6 weeks. In the meantime, there will be lots of tea-drinking (as tea is essential for the production of scholarly knowledge, lol) and lots of thinking.
Writing: I wrote roughly 800 words this week, not nearly what I wanted to get done. My class schedule this quarter conflicts with the #ROW80 writing sprints 3 out of 5 days in the week, which means I am going to have to figure out where I can fit writing into my (semi-) daily routine. I am coming to the conclusion, however, that the day job is going to have to be my priority during this round. Not sure how/if that translates into changing my writing goals, but we’ll see.
Exercise: I worked out 5 days in the past week, which is absolutely fantastic. The daily walk/at-home Pilates session is starting to become a habit that I look forward to. My clothes are fitting slightly better, which is also a good thing.
Social Media: This is another fail, along with the writing this week. This is actually my first time touching my laptop in 3 or 4 days, which is crazy for me. So, yet again, I’ve got something to work on in the week to come.
-oOo-
So that’s my life right now: lots of books, and lots of unwinding through escapist fantasy of Mass Effect-land. Hopefully there will be more writing in the week to come, but in the meantime, I am retreating back into my wee rabbit hole. 😛
How’s everyone else doing?
April 23, 2012 at 3:04 pm
I’m such a geek, but I would love to read a post on what you learned about the English gentleman and those French phenomes! That stuff totally intrigues me.
Don’t let your head explode yet. Only six more weeks and then you’ll be done, right? You can totally do this. Have fun playing your video game!
Tameri Etherton recently posted..The Tower of London ~ Home Sweet Prison
April 23, 2012 at 8:03 pm
Oooh, would you really? I’ve been toying with the idea of writing posts every now and again with bits and pieces of the random facts that I am gathering, if only because it would be an incentive for me to start synthesizing new ideas. I shall give it some thought!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Tameri!
April 23, 2012 at 3:39 pm
Your absence was noticed, but understandable! Sometimes one goal has to be temporarily moved aside for another. And you got tons done! Just goes to show sometimes it’s not a bad thing to step away from the Internet. Keep up the good work, and have a great week!
Jennette Marie Powell recently posted..Just Another Misfit Monday
April 23, 2012 at 8:09 pm
Thanks, Jennette! I always hate missing check-ins, but yesterday was just one of *those* days. Hopefully I can find a way to get everything wrangled into a manageable schedule. 😀
April 23, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Hey there, from another rabbit hole in academe! I’m climbing back on the dissertation horse, so I think I understand you there as well. I’m stuffing straw around all my little creative sparks, hoping they will continue to burn while I have to tend other fires.
As Jennette says, you were missed; it sounds like you’re getting back into the swing, though. Have a great week!
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell recently posted..The Sunshine Award
April 23, 2012 at 8:11 pm
Yay, another stalwart soldier in academe! Glad to know I’m not alone.
As much as I want to just bury myself in my fun writing, I think it has hit me that I really don’t have much time left to advance to candidacy. So, yes, I will also be keeping one eye on the creative spark while I deal with the other fires. 😀
April 23, 2012 at 5:18 pm
Yayyyy for a productive week!! It’s just not possible to do everything that you have on your plate in one week 😀 I’m glad the school stuff is on fire for you since it’s what you have to focus on right now. It will be such a reward to get back to your writing once you have a break from school. As much as I’d love to hear about English gentlemen, I totally would love to see this Mass Effect post LOL. I’ve never played myself, but I usually watch the guys play and can totally see how playing both versions at once would be interesting. Have a good week, darling!
Lauren Garafalo recently posted..The 7 Facts Tag
April 23, 2012 at 8:13 pm
Haha, I think you might be right — cramming everything into one week is definitely a ton of work.
And squeeeee, Mass Effect is AMAZING, even if the ending to the 3rd game is a little… less shiny and wonderful than I had hoped. But now I have all these head canons running around about how things *really* went, and all of these ideas for how I want to replay things, and it gets a little overwhelming, lol. We’ll see if I can pull a post together!
April 23, 2012 at 5:36 pm
And I was complaining about needing more time LOL
Still, you had an amazingly productive week and that’s no small feat!
Have a great, more slow paced week! lol
Juliana Haygert recently posted..Overwhelmed much?
April 23, 2012 at 8:13 pm
Thanks so much, Juliana, especially for the wish for a “more slow paced week.” It’s definitely needed! 😀
April 23, 2012 at 9:02 pm
The SM and writing maybe down but the rest of your week was fabulous. Way to go Lena. Some week just need to be prioritized differently 🙂 Wishing you luck for the upcoming week!
Raelyn Barclay recently posted..Sunday Summary & #ROW80
April 23, 2012 at 9:47 pm
You’re totally right — sometime stuff happens, priorities shift, etc. I’m trying to learn how to be flexible and just go with the flow. 😀
Thanks so much for swinging by, Raelyn!
April 24, 2012 at 7:02 am
Yay! Mass Effect! *cheering and clapping from the total gaming geek over here* Sounds like you are busy too, but you are handling it great! Once the classes I’m taking, and the ones I’m teaching, are done, my brain will be ready for a long summer’s nap, and some World of Warcraft…and then back to focusing on the writing and reading. Keep up the great work and good luck this week!
Kat Morrisey recently posted..ROW80 Check In: Moving At A Million Miles An Hour
April 24, 2012 at 8:34 am
Hey there, Lena! Glad you’re feeling better. And heck – get your relaxation in where you can! I’m quite possibly the most terrible video game player on the planet. So…I give a cheer to anyone who can coordinate all those buttons, joysticks, and whatnots into a cohesive symphony of movement on a screen. I keep looking at the ceiling and walking into corners as zombies eat me. My boys laugh. Ha!
Nadja Notariani recently posted..Lighten Your Heart…Have A Laugh
April 24, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Mass Effect sounds like a game my brother would enjoy. Me – I’d rather do Nancy Drew mysteries. 🙂 Sounds like you’ve been quite productive when it comes to your studies and learning some interesting things about gentleman. Before you know it, it will all be done and you’ll have plenty of time to play more Mass Effect. Have a great rest of the week.
Robin McCormack recently posted..Sunday Salon – character study
April 24, 2012 at 9:54 pm
I envy you for being able to work out five days a week. I would love to do the same, but I don’t have time.
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April 26, 2012 at 6:05 am
Hey girl! Things happen for a GOOD reason.
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