To-Do Lists are necessary for the teflon brain I have. The problem is that when one is diligent about writing things down so as not to end up in a teflon-caused problem such as a missed meeting, one must be able to cross things off the list to make room for new things. So, what is one supposed to do when the list keeps getting longer and things only theoretically get crossed off? Let me give an example to illustrate the point. A student asked me to write a letter of recommendation. I said I would and that she should follow up with an email as a reminder. Hint: Never ask a teflon disabled professor "to do" something in the hall. She won't remember. Luckily, I am aware of my disability and always respond to send me an email. So, her rec letter got added to the to do list. I wrote it and saved it to my desk top (time spent: approx. 45min). BUT it remains on the to do list because it is not yet printed and sealed. A couple of days later, it gets printed on letterhead with the logo in the right spot (time spent: approx. 20 mins). Then, I file it in her folder as not to lose it (something else teflon disabled people do is forget where something is). So today I got an email from her. I put the wrong grade level in the letter. One word, not two: kindergarten and not first grade. So, now the whole letter must be redone (time spent: another 25 minutes). So the "yes" I gave from the hallway is worth over an hour and has remained on and off my to-do list for a long time. Dont get my started on articles. Revise, resubmit, revise, revise, read, read, edit. Ahh!
Also, while I am in complaint mode, I have spent all morning grading annotated bibliographies. After much angst, these people STILL dont know: 1) how to do an APA citation; 2) how to save their work on a CD; and 3) that grading these things takes as long as it does for them to write them, especially when their writing is so error full. But I press on because I want them to be good writers; I want them to see their errors and get better. It is how I learned. If I give them papers at the end of the semester, they dont get redone and sometimes, dont get picked up! All my hard work sits in a crate waiting for their person to get them, with all the hours of writing I did to show them, for them to learn. Dumb people. I think I did the same thing.
Yesterday I got down on my hands and knees and cleaned the utility room floor. It gleamed until this morning when muddy Zoey came racing in after her hullabaloo in the backyard. You know, she is so damned proud of her poop. Maybe I should add that to my to-do list so I can cross it off and be proud of my accomplishment. No- Damn. Id have to add it on there every fucking day. Ahhh!
Mitz is going in next week for another blood test on her liver function. The money on this sweet pupper is crazy. But. of course, I will do what it takes. She is the love of my life.
Off to make some soup as it is cold here.
1 comment:
Dr. Wilson;
OK so we all have a to do list. I acutally gave up because I would loose the list no matter how careful I was in placing it somewhere. At this time I have my two desks cluttered with work that I have to attend to. I tell myself that this afternoon I will go through the papers and throw some out and here I am blogging instead of clearing my workspace. Hang in there because there will always be something to be cleaned, throwned away, washed, etc. I am so tired that one day I will do it. Don't get me wrong I do clean and do what needs to be done but my office (workspace) well that is at the bottom of the list. I tell myself no one goes in there except me and I know where everything is.
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