Informant 12

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.