catching up one step at a time

[silveraspen]

Inspired by someone else's update post on my circle today, I just took a look back over this journal to see how far behind I was in talking about a variety of things that I've been meaning to discuss.

In the immortal words of Inigo Montoya, "Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up."

• So, the shutdown happened. When your department depends largely on federal funding, this sort of thing tends to be a big problem. In this case, I and all the people I am responsible for are still safe at present, due to a few factors: 1) the way I structured organizational accounting details when we were hiring; 2) an emergency funding cushion we've built up here over the past several years; and 3) the fact that two, maybe three of our current grants flow through from funding sources that are not subject to annual budget appropriations and thus not held up in and of themselves. The combination of all this means that as long as nothing breaks in the payment systems anywhere (which wouldn't be fixable because of the shutdown), we're okay for a bit. It won't last forever, of course, but I am very, very hopeful that it will last long enough.


• In other work-related news, the conference I went to at the start of the week was a good one, the projects I'm involved with are all going well, and the two new ones that I'm spinning up with a leadership role in each are so far also going well (except that we can't submit one proposal until the government opens), the new hires that I am working with are all now trained and have proven very good at doing their jobs which means that finally, finally I am no longer stretched thin as cobweb, and our relocation to a new space is moving forward smoothly. The sky will probably fall now that I've said all this, but for the time being I am going to enjoy the feeling.


• In non-work-related news, I had a date! Thrice! And then he cancelled due to emergencies of various sorts, thrice, the last time with 17 minutes warning, so oh well - I've basically written him off. But I do find it indicative that I may be developing a social life again, so I am pleased all the same.


• I am actually trying in an active fashion to expand said social life - right now that largely takes the form of making myself do something social, outside my house, with other people, once a week at the very minimum. So far, so good, and it's been fun to have the time to enjoy myself again with things that are not school-related.


• Speaking of school, my diploma arrived in the mail yesterday. :) I am going to frame it and add it to my wall with the other one.


• Framing reminds me - on the house front, I have a couple-three pieces of art to frame and hang, the yard continues to look amazing and is well-prepared for winter, and the upstairs bathroom remodel is 90% complete. I just need to add back furniture and decorative accessories, and eventually replace the bathtub faucet with an updated fixture - but everything works, and that makes me happy.


• Writing things! I am intending to sign up for Yuletide, I have 3 academic papers in mind, the first of which is in an outline stage, and this year I am committed to completing Nanowrimo. It's a bunch, but it doesn't feel like an overwhelming bunch - and besides, these are all things I've wanted to do for a while. So, there's that.

That's enough for now, I think - it just started raining here, and I think I'll scoot off for dinner and choir and home while it's still light. More as I have it to give.

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