Free time?

The first (academic) year of my Ph D is over. The spring semester has dumped me over its edge, and now I am left to my own devices. The problem is, I'm not really sure what those "devices" are. I have a laundry list of things to do, school-related and no. But I can't get motivated. Instead, I wake up at 6 am to a mind coursing with plans. When actually get up, though, these plans vanish, and I manage to waste my day on facebook, or reading random novels at Joseph-Beth. Oh, and drinking. There's been plenty of that!

I did manage to work in the garden. The spring flowers--tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus--have faded now, and I've planted some annuals around the perennials that have returned with vigor. I'm also raising some seedlings: "Green Envy" zinnias for the ornamental garden; purple and green basil for the herb garden (which has also become quite ornamental, I must admit). This gives me a sense of accomplishment, and the illusion that my time has not been wasted.

Meanwhile, the rest of my time has definitely been wasted. I've been attending the horrifying "Learning Communities Institute" (you may remember me ranting about this last year) to prepare for fall teaching. This time, I'm in a different community, one run by competent colleagues for a change. So things have been easier, and I've been able to enjoy the free lunches. Although I still need to swallow quite a bit of vomit and fight hard to maintain a neutral facial expression for much of the time.

And afterwards: novels and drinking. So unproductive and self-indulgent. So GREAT.