The downside of being so over-busy is that when I have a short span of UN-busyness, I have this unfocused inability to do anything. Like today – I recorded a lecture, read the discussion boards in my class, graded two assignments, kind of caught up on email, answered numerous student questions, met with a student … even made the shopping list for my family dinner night at slow food UW. Now it’s only 3:15, and I’m thinking maybe I should just go home. There are a plenty of things I could do – work-related: send more emails recruiting speakers for an event in June; and non- start writing the Willy Street Reader (love the June 2011 cover, with the broccoli trees) Report that’s due on Sunday … even be really ambitious and start writing the proposal for the new course I want to teach next spring, or work on the syllabus for my summer course – but I don’t wanna.
Mark calls it low motivation. You can enjoy it if you can keep from feeling too guilty. I tried to accelerate myself with coffee and a candy bar, and treated myself to reading the Alice McDermott story in the New Yorker – but I still have those I-don’t-wannies.
What I’d really like to do is cook something good, and take some lovely pictures of it – everything in WI is muddy and grey in the snowless, warm winter that we’re enjoying?! at least most people are; I am not too happy with it myself.
Heath Bar & cup of coffee & New Yorker on my desk
