Back to Work

After a hiatus (a somewhat working hiatus) of just over 10 days, I'm back to work. And I'm ready; it's good to be back; I'm ready for structure and a schedule. However, this morning, I had a rude reminder of several things. One: the college doesn't bother to turn on the heat until after mid-October. Consequently, it's below 60 in my office. I'm not exaggerating! But I am freezing. Two: a 10-day hiatus means a backlog of e-mail. Ick! I spent far too much time this morning simply hitting the delete button in my e-mail program. Three: although I grumble about the pay, I really do enjoy my job. I get to spend my time reading and writing and talking about all kinds of fascinating things each day. I remember one of the first college-level literature classes I taught, and I remember at the end of each three-hour class meeting, thinking, "I can't believe that someone's paying me to do this. I do this all the time with friends just for fun." I suppose that now, grumbling about the low pay demonstrates just how mercenary I've become. But the work is, for the most part, still lotsa fun.

On an unrelated note: Over the weekend, I started reading Anne Sexton. And apparently, she loves (yes, I'll talk about her in the present tense) the palindrome "rats live on no evil star." And that seems like one worth sharing.

Thursday Thirteen: Home from Calgary

Thirteen Things About Being Home from Calgary: Pros and Cons

One: Sleeping in my own bed--a definite pro. I didn't sleep all that well in Calgary, in spite of the frou-frou hotel room. And sleeping in my bed, with my cotton sheets, and the window open to a fall-in-Vermont night is superb.

Two: Getting work done--another pro. I am feeling, in part, inspired by having been around other academics and talking about work and about our ideas (on the flight home, I got to sit next to an interesting conversationalist from U of South Carolina). And as a result, I feel like working! In fact, earlier today, I sent off a draft of an essay that I'd been revising for the last six months. It's not great, but it's done! And this feeling of inspiration brings me to number

Three: Cara--both pro and con. The pro is, of course, that I got to see her and M. in Calgary. The con is that I feel like we didn't get to spend nearly enough time together and that I miss her already. It seems like such a huge thing to have a friend that spurs one on to be a better person and also to have a friend who simply understands.

Four: Guinnie and Polly--pro. I'm just happy to see the pups again!

Five: A.--pro. I definitely missed him while I was away, more than I'd anticipated. And missing someone and being happy to come back home to him counts for something, right?

Six: Reading Elizabeth George--pro. I heard George speak while at the conference, and hearing her talk about her work and her process helped me understand, at least in part, what it is I find appealing about her novels. Namely, her Lynley novels are so much about her characters, characters who are compelling and full. And I'm motivated to keep reading.

Seven: Not eating out--both pro and con. Ok, so I ate some fun food in Calgary. And that was a pro. But I'm now somehow feeling like cooking, like making soup and nesting in that way that the autumn makes me feel.

Eight: Autumn in Vermont--pro. So the foliage was OK in Calgary, certainly more interesting that what I'd see in, say, SoCal, but this is just such a perfect, lovely time in Vermont. And even now, as I'm typing away and gazing out the window, it's like gazing on a scene from a postcard. I suspect that there's no better place to be just now.

Nine: Getting caught up on TV--pro. Ok, I know I watch way too much TV. And it's not like I didn't have access in Calgary. Still, it's nice to sit down and get all caught up on the lastest episodes of House and Dirty, Sexy Money, which could be my new favorite.

Ten: A week off of work--pro. Although I mostly enjoy my job, coming home to a full week off feels like such a luxury, and I can't believe it's already Thursday! But it's so nice to have time for things other than paperwork and meetings and classrooms.

Eleven: Checking e-mail--both pro and con. I'd anticipated having internet access in Calgary, but that somehow didn't happen, which is fine. So I now have a whole backlog of e-mail. And I'm not sure what to do with much of it. On the bright side, I did have at least some fun e-mail to come home to.

Twelve: Time to read and write--pro. Now that I'm back home (back to a wonderfully clean house!) and not having to teach, I have time to read and write in my journal and all the things that I find restorative and replenishing. And it's great to have the luxury of being able to sit and read and read and read and really throw one's self into it!

Thirteen: All the comforts of home--definite pro. Having a fire and a cup of tea and reading long into the night, shuffling around in my bathrobe, taking a long bath in the middle of the afternoon--I love all these things. And it seems to me that these little things are the best parts of home!

Hey, not only did I get to thirteen, but they are almost entirely "pros." The conference was fine, and seeing C. was great, but being home is a good thing.