Week 96
View from the Houseboat
My parent friends are marveling that we are only 10 days into 2022. We’ve all been impacted by COVID – exposures, closed classrooms, or in my case, slightly shortened hours due to staffing shortages. Those of us with kids in preschool/daycare feel the looming likelihood of closures/quarantine on the horizon, if it hasn’t happened already. Compared to the start of the pandemic, I find that I’m hoping for a closure for a week or two (but with negative tests for all) just so I have an excuse to cancel all my meetings/responsibilities and hang out with Theo. I’m feeling unwilling to multitask childcare & work if I don’t have to (and granted, many of us do have to). For now, I’m working on rescheduling any meeting that goes later than 3:30 in the afternoon to accommodate earlier pickup.
Last week I had more bandwidth than in early December – the benefit of having stepped away from work for a bit, and from not reading as much news. Sam and I also noticed a benefit from taking 3 weeks away from the housing search/angst. Stepping back into those pressures has illustrated just how much time and emotional space that’s been taking up for the last 6-8 months.
Fundamentally, we’re nonetheless just fine. As far as we know, at this moment we are healthy, with secure employment, and no immediate need to leave our current rental. If I could restrain myself from reading Twitter, I’d probably be even better.
Gratitude
A sunny day outside my window, even though I haven’t been out in yet.
An overflowing tea collection, a full fridge, tasty leftovers.
Getting up early for solo exercise, even though I’m tired now.
For using some time yesterday while Theo was coloring to journal, and then joining him in his coloring.
Adventuring to the Bagel Mill in Petaluma yesterday
Ongoing success playing Uno or going to bed early instead of working most evenings
Theo and my mom hanging out on Saturday morning so Sam and I could go on a much-needed solo hike in the sun – decided the Dias Ridge trail is going to be my jam in 2022
Using time while listening to a presenter to block off available time in my calendar for no meetings for the next two months
Goals for the week
Wellness: 3x cardio
First author: StatNews revisions & submission
Grants: submit year 3 K01 progress report
Interesting things on the internet
A website that tracks other websites and lets you know where rapid antigen tests are currently in stock
Multiple people have been talking about this – you get weekly emails with questions; return the answers; at the end of the year get a book to share https://new.storyworth.com/
The Case Against Loving Your Job – Ezra Klein podcast
Take this job and shove it – On the Media podcast
70 over 70 podcast series – here’s one with Howard Kakita and Nikki Giovanni
Posts from me:
Lessons for functioning amid upheaval
Agendas for mentoring meetings
Attend to how your choices serve you
How are you coping? What are your small goals for the week?