Offline for a couple of days

I'm part of an initiative on campus that's called "Environmental Humanities". This week, funded from an NSF grant, we are having a retreat in Blue River, Oregon, at the HJ Andrew Research Forest, an NSF LTER (long-term ecological research) site. It's located up the McKenzie River in the Cascade Mountain range.

There should be some interesting discussions: the idea is to figure out ways that scientists, humanists, and social scientists can work together on various projects.

But we won't have much internet access or telephone service. So, I will be offline for a couple of days.

Have a great week-end everyone!

The Art of Procrastination

I gave a presentation today at noon.

I asked my grad research assistant to do a little data analysis for me a couple of weeks ago and she gave it to me on Wednesday.

I started gathering info Wed and Thurs for the presentation.

But I didn't actually really LOOK at the info or put the presentation together until this morning.

I think, in the end, the presentation went fairly well. It had to do with the decision-making processes of Alaska Native corporations in terms of land selection and resource development.

I had to remember interviews that I've conducted on the topic. I think I remembered them without any mistakes. But with my memory . . . there was also a lot of background information that I already know. That helped.

Also, in the past couple of weeks, I have often waited until a couple of hours before class to pull together my own class lectures. One day last week, I somehow managed to pull off a lecture without much preparation. It was all in my head. I think I had a good Performance about folklore performances. Even if I do say so myself, I would have to say, to be vulgar, that I pulled it out of my ass. And, it went okay.

That's sorta how today when.

I guess that's the advantage to having such strong grounding in my discipline and topic. I can pull off presentations without too much effort.

But I've also managed to learn the art of procrastination! One of my friends (another professor) once used to create a lot of anxiety for himself when it came to grading. He had good intentions to get it done, but the grading would often hang over his head for two weeks before he finally finished it. He finally realized that he's not going to do the grading until he absolutely had to and that he might as well not stress about it until the deadline approached and he had to get it done.

That's the art of procrastination!

Productive Day Today

Got in an interview - got some movement on a grant supplement - got some movement on a proposal that we plan to submit in January - got some movement on a presentation I'm giving on Friday - got some movement on additional names for interviews - talked "realignment" strategies with colleagues at lunch (at McMenamin's, no less) - got a strategy (a plan a and a plan b) for personal finances

It was a "got some work done" kind of day. That feels good.

Especially since yesterday, I felt down and depressed and tired. Worried about finances, I guess, with impending "temporary" pay reductions coming up.

Not sure what turned around the mood. I had had a decent night's sleep both last night and the night before. A mystery. But maybe because I figured out both a Plan A and a Plan B for the finances. I always feel better with a plan.

Take care!

No Good Deed Ever Goes Unpunished

The last three weeks I have been trying to help out the parents of a child in Eddie's class by bringing him to my house for awhile after school on Mondays, until his mom gets off work.

The other family doesn't drive often, so it meant loading the child's bike into my car.

The bike barely fit. Took me about 10 minutes or more to load it the first time and I had to turn it upside down. It was also quite heavy - seems like it was at least 30 lbs. I think that lifting it contributed to the sore area in my pectoral muscle on the right side - the one that I tweaked more with volleyball. They both happened the same day. The mom of the boy then biked to my house from work - and got here about 30+ minutes later than I thought she'd get here. This made me almost late for my last week of qigong. And, the bike wheel stained the upholstery in my car.

The next week, we had to load the car again - this time two teachers helped me load it. To make it easier, I told the family that I would drive the boy and his bike home. But there was some confusion - turns out the family uses skype to talk on the phone, so one parent was calling me to get hold of the other parent because the other parent didn't have the computer on. Took a few tries to try to connect them to no avail.

So, this week, I suggested that instead, to make it easier for them and for me, we would leave the bike at Eddie's school and then at a time when the mom could get there, we would just meet there. We got there and waited for 15 minutes or so. Finally, the mom called me from their house - she said she was at the school, missed us, didn't see the boy's bike, figured we had already left and went home. In the meantime, I'm sitting at the school, hanging out.

So, I drove the boy home - turned out the dad had done us a favor and picked the bike up himself and brought it home. Without telling anyone else.

An hour later and we're finally home.

I wish it was simpler than it's become. Sigh.

I guess it doesn't help that I've been feeling tired all day. I think I slept okay last night. Maybe it was the long hike that did me in yesterday and I'm still recovering.

I don't wanna play volleyball tonight. But we might be short players and I'm the coach.

P.S. (a couple of hours later) I played volleyball. It was fun - and we won. I found the energy and I'm glad I went.

Sunday's hike, then meditation, then laziness

Yesterday, I got up fairly early for the week-end (6:45am) and went on a hike in McDonald Forest with a friend, then went to the Zen Buddhist meditation service with a colleague, ate a quick lunch downtown, then by the time I got home, I was sleepy and lazy! I finally got up the gumption to go to the grocery store by mid-afternoon. Got all my groceries except bread and butter and came back home and was lazy again.

I'm not sure what to think of the Zen Buddhist service. I find it hard to meditate - you are supposed to watch your thoughts go by and not follow them, but I found myself following them. They say it takes practice. I may go again . . .

Today, I need to write a recommendation letter, work on a supplemental, email folks about interviews, pay property taxes (ouch!), then pick up Eddie and a classmate. I'm supposed to play v-ball tonight . .. but if there are enough players, I may not play. My right wrist is bothering me (probably from keyboarding) and I think my pectoral muscle is still healing from two weeks ago, although it feels a lot better.

Happy Monday!

Busy Long Friday, Relaxing Lazy Saturday

I made it through yesterday. Eddie and I left the house about 7:15am to pick up my dad and walked back in the door at 11:15pm.

Holy cow. We were late to our appointment and Shriners and then it took them almost an hour and a half to call us back. The doctor just looked at Eddie's feet and the lax ligaments in his ankles. Maybe sometime in the future, we'd consider surgery but only if Eddie complains about foot pain.

Then, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch - Eddie played trivia. Then to the Wunderland arcade.

Then, Eddie and dad dropped me off at a friend's house - I finally got to meet Andrew's (who suggested that I blog about my cancer treatments) new baby girl. She was adorable!

Andrew, Alma, and I then went to a coffee place in the Pearl District, visited, then he dropped me off at Powell's. I met Scott there (Scott and I are just friends now) and we visited, then went to the Deschutes Brew Pub for a beer.

Scott then dropped me off at the Governor Hotel, where I went to the NAYA (Native American Youth Association) Gala. I got there about 6:15pm and we left about 9:30pm. One of my colleagues and her son gave me a lift back to my folks' place, where I picked up Eddie and my car.

Whew. I survived the day. At one point, I was tired at the dinner, but then I caught a second wind. The Executive Director of NAYA is a former student of OSU - she took one of my classes and she was friends with my cousin, Mark. Under her leadership, the organization has really taken off. I am very proud of her.

But I've been tired all day today. Just ran a couple of errands with Eddie - then dropped him off with his dad.

Just staying at home, watching TV and movies. Playing around with the idea of being productive. But so far, the laziness is winning! He he he.

Have a great Sunday everyone!

Able to Catch a Breather

Whew. I managed to grade papers and write a proposal review. I can kinda relax this evening. I might write a few emails trying to drum up some potential interviewees. I need to skim/read a paper or two. Etc Etc Etc

But I plan to race my son on MarioKart wii. Take him to BK for dinner.

Tomorrow, we go to Shriner's Hospital for a routine check-up - Eddie walks on his arch because his ankles are not really strong. I'm not really expecting too much - the doctor is of the opinion that Eddie is not really harming his foot bones or muscles and maybe eventually, as he gains strength, they may become normal.

So, the idea is to go to Shriners - bring dad with us - then have lunch and go to an arcade, then go visit my friend Andrew and his new baby Alma - Alma's mom will be at work. Eddie and dad will head home and then I'll hang out with Scott for a bit before going to a dinner at NAYA - the Native American Youth Association Gala dinner.

A busy and long day tomorrow. Resting up tonight is in order, huh? Happy Friday everyone!