Good day, friends! It is the last day before classes start for the summer, a.k.a. my last day of “freedom” before I am overwhelmed again. I stopped by my office to copy syllabi this morning, but now the rest of the day is mine. MINE I TELL YOU!
Whew. I had better enjoy it. My plans for the summer are busy indeed. I will be teaching in the special program for incoming freshmen again — a four week course that preps them for college writing — plus I’ll be teaching one five-week intensive literature course and one ten-week literature course. The three courses overlap in potentially confusing ways, so I have set up my google calendar to sync to both of my computers and to my phone and I have entered everything in and color coded it and all. Just hoping I can hold it together and not walk into my little freshmen’s class and try to teach them world lit 2 or something. Yikes. The best defense is good preparation, I think.
And that’s just teaching! I will also be moving into a new apartment at the end of July. It’s narrowed down to two choices: the preferred one that may not have a spot for me and the less preferred but still nice one that definitely has a spot. I’ll be happy in either place, and mostly very happy to be leaving my current place behind. I don’t want to gripe about it too much, so I’ll just say: ongoing plumbing issues, generally poor quality, and a population of neighbors that has been steadily trending downward in recent years. Anyway! New horizons (and washers/dryers) await.
On the sporting front, I have decided to train for at least one triathlon this summer, and I’ve just registered for a women’s sprint tri on August 7th. Bring on the swimming, biking, and running! There are a couple of other ones taking place in September that I might also add to the schedule — at least one, anyway — but we’ll see. I’m also aiming for a half marathon in the fall. Maybe Montgomery in October or Savannah in November. Maybe both!
So things are looking to get really good and busy up in here any moment now. But for today, I am taking my time, walking everywhere I need to go (just to enjoy the gorgeous weather), and I am currently sitting in the coffee/book shop, drinking a latte, and writing this post. Tomorrow the chaos begins, but for today, there is this:
So what’s on your plate this summer?
Raveling Out 
On my list for this summer:
– progress with dissertation
– give birth to baby
I’m enjoying not teaching any summer classes but hearing you talk about the excitement and buzz of starting a new class makes me kind of long for it all again. Even more enticing: you tri and half plans! Sigh… I’m really missing the days of summer training plans and upcoming races. Can’t wait until I can do it all again. Good luck with the training and the new classes!
S.
Dissertating and having a baby seem weirdly similar/parallel to me. I always thought of my dissertation as birthing something (and I definitely gained weight while writing it, too, heh). They’re both such great, exciting things to be doing! Racing will still be waiting for you when you get ready again.
I know what you mean, I do feel like I have two babies in the works here 🙂
Hooray! What sprint tri are you doing??? (Although I think I’ll be in San Diego so it probably doesn’t matter, but still …)
For me, there’s another Olympic tri later in the year, and probably a couple more sprints, and I’m going to start building distance so I can do a half marathon or two this fall and winter. Other than that, I have a trip to upstate New York planned for a wedding, and a trip to San Diego and surrounding areas for BlogHer and to see friends, and probably a trip to Oklahoma City to do the swim portion of a half Ironman. Aaaaand, that’s my summer!
I am signed up for the PT Solutions Women’s Sprint Tri in Acworth, GA (between Auburn and ATL, ish). You are gonna be busy this summer, too! Annnnd, you should totally think about the Rock’n’Roll half marathon in Savannah in November — I am probably going to do it!
I love summer plans! This year, my main plan is to move to North Carolina at the end of July. That plan will pretty much dominate all other plans. No races in the foreseeable future, but I have my eye on a half marathon in November.
Oooh, oooh! North Carolina? Does this mean you are in there?! (I hope I didn’t miss an announcement or anything!) That is SO EXCITING! Cannot wait to hear all about it. And I am going to tell you what I told Kristen: think about the Savannah half in November. Savannah is lovely.
Whoosh, you are going to be a busy bee this summer! That’s terrific news about your classes. I think it would be so much fun to be your student–my writing courses in college were pretty much limited to a Composition 101 course. I spent too much time in labs!
My summer plans need some spiffing up. I’m really trying to crank out the data for a manuscript, so I’m feeling tethered to the lab. And like you, I am thinking about moving, so I’m hoping to at least look at some homes, get my credit report, and talk to the bank to see if buying a home is even an option for me. I feel like I’m hunkering down this summer, but in the fall, I’ll travel to Michigan to see my family and my special gentleman and I will travel to San Antonio. Fall is going to be fun 🙂
Love catching up on your latest posts!
Oh, house hunting is so fun (and stressful sometimes, too). Good luck on all of that and on the data and such!