Summer Plans

It may seem odd to reconnect to this blog, the work related blog, just as summer is getting started. The reality is that summer does not mean three months of vacation with nothing to do. Au contre! 

It works like this. I have summer salary included in the budget for two of my grants. Therefore, I need to work on those grants during the summer months to justify the summer salary.  Continuing to work on them during the summer had been written into the grant activities plan. Amazingly, I was in the ball park with what will need to be done over the summer months. In addition to the grants activities, I still have Editorship work to do and preparation for class in fall. That's the shortened list.

Fall class preparation actually began while teaching the course last fall. I made notes on what might need to be updated or improved. Over the next month or two, I'll make those changes, and get the Blackboard updated for the students. Interestingly, some students who have signed up for the fall class are already asking for the course syllabus and textbook list. I have a mixed reaction that is equal parts "why are you bugging me so far in advance" and "these must be ambitious students who deserve encouragement." Yes, faculty to do have their moments of ambivalence.

I have reconciled to the need to switch to MS Outlook. Not a conversion that is appealing, but increasingly necessary given the extent to which it is used by my collaborators. If I can get this done before the beginning of August, that would be good. Yes, I realize that this is not technologically difficult. It's more that staying current with the ever-evolving options takes some degree of energy and attention. At least I no longer wish for the DOS days.