Friday 3 March 2006

Not much to show for two weeks' salary...

Yes, it's been another of those weeks, or two, when not much happened. Supervised student projects, attended various committee meetings, and found yet again only a few moments when I was alone in the office staring into that abyss they call 'backlog'. Here's a list of things I need to do, in no particular order:

Make changes to a paper an ex-student wrote
Make changes to a grant proposal my ex thesis advisor wrote
Make changes to a paper that I and an ex-postdoc wrote
Write a paper about some experiments that I and an ex-postdoc (the same one) run about 3 years ago
Write a paper with a different ex-postdoc about some experiments that we run about 2 years ago
Write a paper with a colleague in the US reviewing work we've done with all our ex-colleagues
Write a chapter with a current colleague for another current colleague reviewing work we and others did even longer ago
Co-write a grant proposal with a hopefully future colleague that is due in 3 weeks
Write a book review for THES that was due today
Mark 10 3rd year literature surveys (marks due yesterday)
Write a letter in support of a US academic seeking (well-deserved) promotion
Review at least two papers still outstanding
Try not to think about the 2nd edition I need to write of a book I once wrote but which I don't have time, now, to write (one chapter of the new edition does exist, though)
Try and remember all the other things I need to do but haven't yet done, including, no doubt, replying to many emails languishing in my inbox...

Is it any wonder I despair? Probably not. Just as well, though, that I got through my Karate grading this week. I am now a modest 5th Kyu, as is my 8 yr-old and as is not my 11 yr-old, who is now a fully-fledged 1st Kyu (which for the uninitiated means that his next grade will be black belt). I've still got a couple of years to go. At least a couple. I can't wait, as then I'll really kick @ss!