The Inhale Thread !

[mamselle]

Exactly.

Thanks!

M.

[ergative]

Lovely writing-related inhales. I've now got one of my own: I'm probably going to apply for promotion in January, and it would be real helpful if my most recent big paper were published by then. Editor said during the acceptance that it would either go in the December or March issue. Today I got an email saying that it's going to go in the December issue and I should expect proofs next week. Woot woot!

[mamselle]

Very cool!

M.

[Larimar]

The worst term I've ever had teaching (OnlyGameInTown CC is on a quarter system) is now officially over!

Second fall quarter should be much better because the problem that made first quarter so bad is not happening this time. Whew! I couldn't take another round of the craziness that was the last 7 weeks. If it does happen again, I'm joining the Great Resignation.

For the record, it was an administrative problem, not the students. These students were actually a pretty decent bunch.


Larimar

[ergative]

A couple of weeks ago I ordered a pair of personalized MASSIVE toblerone bars--one for me, one for Absolutive--because I learned via twitter that this was a thing you can do. Then I forgot about it until they arrived today.

Excellent life choice. Highly recommend ordering massive candy treats with a long enough delivery time that you forget about them until they arrived.

[ergative]

Our current, extremely effective, chair is coming to the end of her tenure. Last time we needed a chair we had real difficulty finding someone willing to do it, to the point that we were threatened with an external appointment from outside our department if someone didn't step up. Current chair stepped up, thank goodness, and good thing it was her, because she got to be chair during covid. I was afraid we'd be left scrambling again now that she's in the last year of her term in this role, but instead a new colleague, who was a senior hire when we got him, has volunteered for the post. He's been really effective, really congenial, everyone seems to like him (I like him myself), so I'm optimistic that we'll be set chair-wise for another three years.

At that point I might be senior enough myself to be in danger for the role. But maybe not. I'm pretty prickly; maybe people will object to me when the time comes. Maybe I should start cultivating my enemies carefully in preparation for the day.

[ergative]

A wildly frustrating complication threatened the publication of my Big Paper, but it looks like it has been resolved now.

I was just now telling Absolutive that I'm beginning to come to terms with the idea that it would not come out until March at the earliest, and might even have to be resubmitted and go through another two years of reviews, and then not five minutes later the editor emailed to let me know that the snag has been unsnagged.

Assuming all my other co-authors read their emails and confirm VERY FAST that they are on-board with the solution, the December publication can go ahead which means that the paper can go on my promotion paperwork.

I'm not going to count my chickens just yet--haha, the last two weeks have taught me not to do that!--but the snarliest snarl is unsnarled, and I am very, very happy.

[mamselle]

Send $10 Starbucks gift cards to all your co-authors if they'll reply by COB today?

;--}

M.

[ergative]

Send $10 Starbucks gift cards to all your co-authors if they'll reply by COB today?

;--}

M.

Heh--because of time zones it was already after COB for three of them, but the ones on US time zones have now confirmed, and one of the ones on European time zones has also confirmed. Two more to go! (Yes, it was a big project.) I might try the starbucks bribe on the other two, though, for COB tomorrow.

[ergative]

Send $10 Starbucks gift cards to all your co-authors if they'll reply by COB today?

;--}

M.

Heh--because of time zones it was already after COB for three of them, but the ones on US time zones have now confirmed, and one of the ones on European time zones has also confirmed. Two more to go! (Yes, it was a big project.) I might try the starbucks bribe on the other two, though, for COB tomorrow.

Not needed! Everyone confirmed the same day! Ten starbucks bux for me alone.

[mamselle]

Ya-hoo-eee!!

M.

[sinenomine]

I stockpile boxes in the months leading up to the winter holidays so I have lots of options for wrapping and shipping. I mailed off Hanukkah and Christmas gifts on Monday and just broke down the remaining boxes and took them for recycling. My house feels so airy and uncluttered!

[apl68]

Today I was able to distribute year-end bonuses to all of the staff.  Technically it's COVID hazard pay.  I wasn't sure until last week that we'd be able to do it, so I hadn't been talking about it so as not to get their hopes up.  The staff are now smiling!

One staff member who is inclined to be nervous said she thought at first that it might be a severance check, so she was really happy when she realized what it actually was.

[mamselle]

You get lots of good-boss points, in my book....

M.

[apl68]

The last staff member to receive her bonus check said that she had just developed an urgent need for a home repair, so it came at just the right time.  Kind of wonderful how that worked out.

We also just took delivery of a piece of equipment we've been waiting for most of the year.  It FINALLY came through!