Terrible Tuesdays

I'm slowly realizing how big an impact my schedule this semester is having on my emotional state. I did not know that just one long day in my week could so greatly alter my mood. But I have come to the conclusion that my Tuesdays are just terrible.

Typical Dr. Mon Tuesday:

8AM-10AM: Get up -- get dressed (and try to have breakfast) -- take the 30 minute commute to campus.

10AM-12PM: Prep for class, answer emails, make copies (general office stuff). I have attempted to minimize this time period and just take my time getting to the office, but I've found that the less time I have to get mentally ready for class, the more rushed and disconnected I feel throughout the entire day.

12PM-3PM: Teach back to back sections of my Course for Majors. I enjoy this class a lot but it is very high energy and extremely interactive. I'm usually worn out by the time I finish.

3PM-4:30PM: Meetings. It should be that only once a month I have a Dept. meeting or some other university meeting, but in reviewing my schedule, we've had mtgs 2-3 times a month this semester due to various searches and planning needs.

4:30-5:30PM: Eat and reorganize my thoughts for my next class.

6PM-9PM: Teach my Speciality Course. I was really jazzed about this class but I've found that it is a tremendous drain to 1) teach at the end of a long day--2) talk to silent students who are at the end of their long day--3) talk to students who are reluctant to discuss (outloud) anything that is new and unfamiliar. (That's for another post).

9PM-10PM: Arrive back at home. Eat. Try to spend some quality date time with Dr. J before passing out. Every Tuesday I get home, I'm exhausted--no matter what adjustments I make to my schedule.

On Monday I told Dr. J that I hate Tuesdays. And I really meant it. Tuesdays shape the tone for my whole week, and I spend Wednesday and Thursday trying to recover. I like working out to start my day, but as the semester goes on, I've found all of my Wednesday gym time has been pushed from morning to late Wednesday night.

The good news is--we are halfway through the semester. Although my schedule next semester has its quirks, I won't be in this situation again. I've realized that as a department newbie, while it is important to be vigilant of your time commitments, it is also important that you are careful about guarding your schedule.

Technical Help Please

Man, you go away for a bit and everything changes. I'm playing with this new no-longer beta Blogger. Picked out a new look for the place. Looks like I'll be doing some housecleaning between stacks of papers this week.

Technical questions:

1. Can someone remind me of the code to keep search engines off my site?
2. Also, any ideas on how to list all my labels??

Three Things All About Me Meme

Nothing like a good meme to make you feel like you're blogging again. As seen at Tamika's...

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. Mon
2. Dr. Mon
3. HBB

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. Sigmaphd
2. Deucesgrho
3. ????

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. Sense of Humor
2. Common Sense
3. Sensitive Heart

THREE THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My ankles
2. My perfectionism
3. My cramps

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. African although of course I can't trace my lineage past slavery but I do know that my family most likely was brought here through Charleston, SC
2. British/European--my last name sure ain't African--belongs to a British family that had rice and tobacco plantations in NC and SC
3. Native American--my maternal great great grandmother was a Catawba

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. Large bugs
2. Some small bugs
3. Drivers in Gorgeous City

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. Conversations with Dr. J
2. Lotion
3. Sleep

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. Football Jersey
2. Glasses
3. My engagement ring

THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE BANDS (or artists):
1. Kindred the Family Soul (ok a group not really a band)
2. Dave Matthews Band
3. Earth Wind and Fire

THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS AT PRESENT:
1. "Lost Without You" Alan Thicke
2. "Take Me As I Am" Mary J. Blige
3. "Sexy Love" Ne-Yo

THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS:
1. Running on a treadmill
2. Twisting my hair
3. A new regiment to clear up my skin

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A (primary) RELATIONSHIP (love is a given):
1. Trust
2. Honesty
3. Friendship

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE:
1. Black History Month is in the shortest month of the year.
2. Black History was made during the Superbowl.
3. Black History Month is no longer needed.

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT OTHERS THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. Eyes
2. Shoulders
3. Cheeks

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO:
1. Eat squash.
2. Pretend there is no more racism.
3. Watch network sitcoms.

THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE PASTIMES:
1. Sleeping
2. Shopping
3. Spending time with Dr. J

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. Leave town
2. Find a wedding photographer
3. Finish all of my grading before Spring Break

THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING:
1. Staying in academe
2. Becoming an editor
3. Becoming a political consultant

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Hawaii
2. Mediterranean Cruise
3. Southern Carribbean

THREE KIDS' NAMES (that you like or know):
1. McKenzie
2. Aja
3. Ty

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. Get married
2. Live with Dr. J
3. Make a difference in this community

THREE RECENTLY READ BOOKS:
1. Too Heavy a Load: Black Women in Defense of Themselves, 1894-1994
2. How Long? How Long?: African American Women in the Struggle for Civil Rights
3. Freedom's Daughters: The Unsung Heroines of the Civil Rights Movement from 1830 to 1970

THREE THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO DO THIS WEEKEND:
1. Travel
2. Grade
3. Sleep

Coming Up for Air

I miss blogging. I miss a regular writing space. I miss reading what's going on with Ragey and Bright* and phd me and elle and Stewgad and all the gang.

Reality is these days I'm just trying to breathe. It seems that the many things pulling on a new young professor are catching up with me. My first semester was great--full of optimism and excitement. But lately, I've been suffering from some serious late winter blues--missing Dr. J--trying to stay on top of grading--dealing with the realities of being a teacher-scholar--just hasn't made this the best time of my first post-dissertation year.

But slowly I'm finding time for me. Since late December I've been working out three times a week (which is a BIG deal for anyone who knows my history of NO exercise). It feels good to take time for myself and each month I'm trying to add a little bit more good stuff for me and take out some of the unneccessary stress (like spending too many hours on grading). For the past month or so I've been taking more time in the morning to read and have breakfast. I'm not successful everyday yet, but it feels really good when I take time to start my day without rushing. I hope I can slowly incorporate blogging into my daily schedule again. It may be a while, but eventually I think I'll get there.

And of course, as we are approaching the one year mark to the wedding (how quickly these six months have gone by), I'm starting to feel the pressure to get things done for the wedding. We have a wonderful wedding consultant and we've made a deposit on our venue. Since Spring Break is coming up, I hope to get my dress ordered and start the work of looking for a photographer (something I know I'm going to be super picky about). I'm looking forward to the wedding, but I really just want to get to the point when Dr. J and I can be in the same place and start our life together. That's all I really want right now. And as much as I love Gorgeous City, it is starting to really become a drag being here without him.