I had a bit of excitement and illness the past ten days. So, I haven’t disappeared. Let’s just think of it as a brief, musical interlude…but, without the music.
Why I’ve been a little behind…
A couple of weeks ago, I learned that one of our FYE instructors had accepted a new position on campus. I was thrilled for her, but less thrilled about having to navigate another mid-summer hiring process. Thankfully, we had a strong candidate ready: a former graduate student who had just finished last semester and had room in her schedule to step in. Even so, I had to wade through the HR paperwork and onboarding details, which always takes more time than I’d like.
To complicate things further, this same person also taught an affiliated course in her major department. That meant her department had to scramble to replace her there, too—and their search stretched out until last Thursday. With classes starting tomorrow, it’s been a whirlwind week of getting both new hires up to speed.
Just when I thought things were settling down, Thursday brought a new challenge: I woke up with what I assumed was vertigo. Within hours it had escalated to dizziness, nausea, and a host of unpleasant gastrointestinal issues. I’m fairly certain it was food poisoning from some yogurt (never again!). The worst of it passed after about eight hours, but it wiped out my entire workday during the busiest week of the year. To top it off, my FYE colleague was out Friday with a summer cold. Cue a little panic.
I had been planning to attend our Service Unit Summit over the weekend, but after the week I’d had, I made the tough call to stay home. Instead, I focused on organizing, finalizing details for FYE, and making sure my own classes were ready to launch. While I was disappointed to miss what sounded like a great event, the trade-off was worth it: I’m heading into this week far less stressed and much more prepared. In hindsight, I think it was the right decision.
All of this has meant my blog writing took that brief interlude—but I’m back at it as we head into the full swing of the fall semester. Honestly, I’m living in equal parts fear and excitement right now.
It’s my favorite drink time of year!
One thing I am looking forward to on Tuesday? The official start of Pumpkin Spice Latte season. You can bet I’ll be there early for my Venti Iced Half-Sweet PSL!
Upcoming Week = Frenetic
This week is a full one: FYE on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with teaching on Tuesday and Thursday. Evenings are packed, too—Girl Scout troop meeting Monday, a celebratory dinner with last year’s Teens Take Over group on Tuesday, a Service Unit planning meeting Wednesday, and the kickoff for this year’s Teens Take Over on Thursday. Thankfully, Friday looks much calmer. I may even sneak out of the office a little early, and with nothing scheduled that evening, I’ll finally have a breather. Whew! The long weekend couldn’t come at a better time, and next week is shaping up to be just a little less hectic. Not completely calm, but really, what work week in my life is ever really completely calm?
What’s saving you in this transition?
I could use a little advice: what’s saving you right now in this shift from summer’s slower pace to fall’s full-on frenzy? (Or is the “frantic” part just me?) For me, the real lifesaver has been YouTube Pomodoro timer videos from The Sherry Formula. Her backgrounds are beautiful, her little on-screen encouragements always pop up at just the right time, and she has the most adorable cat who sometimes makes an appearance. Plus, her iPad keyboard setup gives me total Murder, She Wrote vibes. I may have to get me one!
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