No, thanks.

Today's email contained this gem: an invitation to give a 45-minute lecture on "women's issues" in the "history and development" of North America. For free. Um, yeah, don't think I'll be accepting that one. How would one even begin to organize a meaningful talk on that subject to be presented in that short a time? And for no compensation, why would one even try?

Impressed

As I write today, I'm listening to a symphony that Beethoven composed after he had gone completely deaf. And it is pretty amazing -- even without the deafness factored in there.

Since I am writing (revising) this week, it got me to thinking: Could I write this article without being able to read what I had written? Could I do it without looking at any notes? I'd be relying only on the pieces/details I had managed to store in my memory...relying on only impressions of how well I had explained this or that point... Yeesh.

Exhaling

April was blur of work and logistical struggles. It feels like everything came to a screeching halt over the weekend, especially yesterday. On Friday, I turned in final grades. On Sunday, I helped with the Bike Ypsi Spring Ride and Festival (for which I ended up doing waaaay more leg work than intended at such a busy time in my work life) and then rushed off to graduation.

There is certainly relief at having classes be finished for the year but my schedule is not really easing up as I look forward into June. The next 4-6 weeks will remain full of work between library director interviews, interviews for the student group I direct, and preparation for the Berks conference. But now highest on the priority list, especially for the next two weeks, will be the girl watching article. My goal? Send off the revised manuscript by May 17 (when the first of the library director candidates should be arriving). Yikes! Better get to it...