Saturday, January 02, 2010

The Fuzz in My Mind



I sometimes feel like I keep my life compartmentalized (home, family, work, blog, book, friends, chocolate, etc) , and I suppose that works for me. I've been on vacation the last couple of weeks and, you know, the world kind of stops in December-- in a good way-- but I actually do better when life is a series of goals and tasks, and I get restless without an agenda, especially if I feel like I'm supposed to be vacationing. Funny, but I really like vacation better when I go away, put down the laptop, and my connection with my real life is severed. I have a wonderful house and terrific friends, but getting away is crucial. And it's hard to feel like it's vacation with an office move and 27 pages of Medicare forms that I haven't filled out (and won't do on vacation).

The last couple of months, I've felt over-extended and things have slipped. I don't exercise the way I usually do, I haven't been working on the book, I get ideas for blog posts but they just kind of fester and never really form, I want to resume the podcasts but there some issue with a cable and everyone's new laptops. And Clink is skiing down some mountain (soon to return) and Roy says all his docs have quit and we'll never see him again as long as we live except for tomorrow night at the Shrink Rapper holiday dinner. I suppose which ever one of us spills something stinky on ourselves will be the one to write about it. Oh, organizing fun food events has been the one thing I'm not feeling fuzzy about. I still do that well.

So the new year. Do you have any resolutions? I don't have resolutions, but I do have plans to get sequentially refocused. The move is done (that was a big one). My obligations to our professional society will resume at the beginning of the week, I go back to work, there's the book to write, my plans to commit myself to some form of daily exercise, and I do miss our podcasts (especially the chili). Okay, I'm rambling, but that's what I meant by feeling fuzzy.

9 comments:

Sunny CA said...

I don't really "believe" in resolutions per se, but I do consider the start of a New Year a time to mull the past and future and consider if anything needs changing. I want to exercise more and consistently eat healthier so I lose more weight. I want to get my house more organized in 2010 also and once that's done I might start looking at paint colors. I hope that I get a full time (leading to permanent) teaching position in fall of 2010.

I am also a bit "fuzzy" at this time and for a similar reason. I am home when perhaps I ought to have been on vacation and on top of that I had a very bad upper respiratory infection my whole vacation that I am finally recovering from. I will be teaching full time ( a one semester temporary position) instead of subbing starting January 25th and I ought to have been learning more about robotics, which I will be teaching, than I know right now. Also I am subbing high school physics for a week when I return to teaching Monday the 4th. How much physics have I read? None so far. I know quite a bit already, but it always pays to prepare to teach. Well I have tomorrow. Then there's taxes. Ugh. I missed the Oct. 15th deadline and think I am OK because I think I have overpaid, but I can't be certain. I was supposed to have worked on that over the vacation, but I was in bed sick a lot of the time and out of bed feeling ill and unmotivated the rest of the time. Then there are the pesky tasks still remaining from my previous career, my photography business which I did for 24 years. I still have albums I am (should be!) working on for clients. I really did not WANT to do these things on my Christmas vacation. What I did do was sleep a lot, read several novels, launder every scrap of laundry, organize and purge closets, and cook. I got together with some friends, went to some movies and watched movie DVD's on my (new!) plasma TV. I am satisfied. The "work" will get done when I go back to work.

Zoe Brain said...

To complete my PhD thesis.

Yes, I know, boring, but you really have to almost have OCD in the last year to succeed.

"Laser-like focus" 24/7 doesn't begin to describe it. Even when you're blogging, or taking a bath, or having a cup of tea, part of your mind can't help but be concentrating on it.

Anonymous said...

I'm back! Can't believe it's possible to gain so much weight in one week.

--Clink

Notfluffy said...

I resolve to be a better person... I figure that's vague enough that I can still feel good about it in a few months. :-)

Welcome back, Clink!

Dr. A said...

Happy New Year! Remember me? I definitely know what you mean about being over-extended. Trying to find a balance is a constant struggle for me.

But, this is a new year. I've made a resolution to re-start reading blogs again (like yours) even with a busy schedule.

Plus, a wild and crazy dream for 2010 is to bring the Shrink Rappers back on The Doctor Anonymous Show - especially since we had such a good time before. I can't believe it was over 2 years ago. Wow! Shout out to My Three Shrinks!

Dinah said...

Sunny CA: I think we understand each other. Except that robotics and physics are never on my to do lists! Feel better.

Zoe: Good luck!

Clink: You've still got tonight to go. I pre-ordered the duck for you.

Notfluffy: I want to be fluffy.

Dr. A: We'd love to be on your show again, that was fun!
so my sequential list:
Move (check)
Deal with the 10 pounds I put on this year and be healthier in general (it's a good sign that Clink is gaining, through the years, when she goes up, I go down)
Finish the Book-- I have the lead on 2 more chapters with some input from Clink and Roy. Roy has the lead on one more chapter...will he write it? Clink, as you may see, is on the homestretch.
When the book is finished (or maybe sooner), resume the podcast, catch up on old blogs, reconnect with the blog-o-sphere.

On a totally different note, I've spent some time "greening" our big, old, extremely leaky and energy inefficient house-- new thermostats, sealing, insulation, plastic over unused windows, and I' excited to report that this December's utiltiy bill was 39% lower than last years!

Rachel Cooper said...

Where'd you find that purple fuzzy thing in the image? I think I want one of those...

Judy said...

Okay, this post has stayed on my mind a few days. I certainly identify with campartmentalization as I clearly do not want my worlds colliding! Whatever that says - it is what it is.
It was resolution and comments that got me stuck and leaned toward disappointment - with myself. I am so far behind in most areas of my life. Saturday I was sure a coach might helf. Yesterday I entertained the list approach. This morning I am so pleased with my progress - thoughts of having one goal for this year; that is to catch up and maintain only!

Midwife with a Knife said...

Hm.. I guess my New Year's resolution this year is about the whole work/life balance thing. I have to say, I'm not big on compartmentalization (for myself, YMMV of course). I live my life as a whole, not in parts. At least, that's a goal. But since I finished my fellowship thesis and the last paper from my fellowship data, I can start to live again. I want to start blogging again, I'm working on restarting Taekwondo again (or maybe I'll take karate, who knows?). I resolve to get regular massages and pay more attention to all of the enjoyable things in my life. :)