Time & Goals

I haven't disappeared; it's just been a very busy week.

Returning from New York late Saturday night, then beginning the spring semester Monday morning . . . all this has left very little time for much else. Well, that's not totally true. I am making sure to take time (most days) to hit the gym. That goes along with one of those pesky new year resolutions.

Resolutions. I usually don't make them. After all, should we wait until a special day to declare our intent to better ourselves or get something done? And what good is a resolution if it's the same every year?

But that makes me think of Valerie's newest commercial for whatever diet system she's been on this past year. In the commercial, she gets almost choked up when she says that this is the first year in so long that she is NOT making a resolution about her weight; she finally had it under control.

First, I have to wonder if Hillary (or an advisor) saw that commercial and connected to the emotion displayed by Valerie. Could that be what helped her show her New Hampshire emotion? Hmmmmm. Actually, I think what happened there is that she was sitting down, and she wasn't "on" like she is when standing up. Seriously--I do believe the sitting had a lot to do with her speaking more from the heart. (when I sit in front of my students, I tend to be more informal.) I think Hillary felt more connected to the audience and was able to be more personal. I don't fear her showing emotion would be bad should she actually win. After all, when she's "on," she's still "on."

But I digress. Resolutions. This year, I decided to do things differently. It all sorta started coming together on New Year's Day in New York.

I arrived and met Lisa at the airport. We cabbed it to the hotel then walked around the corner for a fabulous sandwich at Stage Deli---HUGE sandwiches, I must say. We went back to the hotel and chatted over a glass of wine, waiting for Janet's late flight in from the West Coast.

Janet finally arrived, but the hotel lobby area was closing, so we all headed up to my room to catch up more. Looking over the room service menu, tyring to select a wine, I noticed the champagne--not a big price difference for basic bottles compared to the wine. I suggested it, and they agreed. It was, after all, New Years!

As we toasted the year, someone mentioned, "I cannot believe it's 2008." And that's when it hit me: It's 2008! egads, this IS the year I turn 40. Yep, I said it: 40. That's when I also remembered goals I had for me, not so much at a new year, but at a new decade, a new era of life, a new beginning.

Are my goals resolutions or just goals? Does it really matter what I call them? I don't think so. But this is the year, then, I plan to be in my best shape ever. We hear over an over how it's all downhill from here, ;-) so I figured if I start that hill at a really great spot, I won't hit bottom quite as soon---or with quite as much of a "thump" . . . or something like that.

Professionally, I need to get two articles submitted for publication. There's that goal.

And domestically, I need to clear out things I don't need. I have an attic full of things, and the last thing I need to do is pay to move those things again. I cleaned out a lot last spring; there's more to come this spring.

In the meantime, I'm teaching two classes I've never taught, and one of those---I've never even taken! ( :-) please don't tell my students) And so, the preparation time going into those classes is quite consuming. A colleague told me not to kill myself on this class prep, but whether I'm here or not next year, I still, ethically, owe a duty to my students to do the best I can at teaching their class. And so, I will put in an insane amount of time each week pouring over the material, studying it, learning it, knowing it---all enough to be able to explain it.

My time will likewise be taken up for the next six or seven weeks working on scholarship---that is, all time available each week after I've prepped for class. Then I'll hit that again in earnest the second week of May.

What's left? Well, time is already carved out for the gym. And that goes back to the "It's 2008!" issue. Otherwise, I hope to have some Sunday afternoons for me--an occasional movie, taking Howard to the park, and today, if all goes well, watching a football game. But other than that, it's going to be a very busy spring.

In the meantime, I must get back to prepping for next week's classes. But for future posts: perfume and materialism. Ick. Nope, actually, double-ick.