Today is officially my last of summer break. Faculty meetings start tomorrow, and registration begins Thursday. Classes start on Monday. That means less blogging and visiting blogs. At least for a while until I get a new routine established.
It was a fairly productive summer. I did finish a book, although I'd hoped to do a few short stories too and did not accomplish that. I did sell a few reprints, which is always nice. I also did not get as much reading as I would have liked done, and that is largely due to playing lots of Skyrim when I took breaks from the writing.
Unfortunately, next summer will not be as free. Given an analysis of my sales, I realized that I can't really afford to take entire summers off to write anymore. I'll be teaching at least half of next summer. Just too many costs and not enough going in to the coffers. I hope I can maintain at least half the summer free to focus on writing.
Off to visit blogs now on my last free day. Then I've got errands to run and some preparations to make.
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Enjoy your last day of freedom. Bummer you'll have to work next summer, but bills come first.
ReplyDeleteSkyrim is like crack.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping you have a good year, Professor Gramlich!
So far I've managed to avoid getting hooked on Skyrim (so far). I started back yesterday and have meeting this week before classes start Monday. I doubt I'll get much blogging, reading, or writing done before Worldcon.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your semester. I hope it goes well and you can find some unexpected time to write.
What Tom Doolan said about Skyrim. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Last Day of Freedom; I hope something awesome happens today. {{}}
Angie
My summer reading including finally getting around to :"The Witch of Talera," which I bought when it came out but had never read. I quite enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteAlex, indeed true.
ReplyDeleteTom, yep. I'm gonna have to break away from it.
Keith, I know I'll find a few hours here and there. It's the consistency that is lacking, of course.
Angie, yep
Victorian, thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it.
Something tells me you will enjoy the new tempos & textures as long as Lana is there to share it:-)
ReplyDeleteYour posts & visits always feel special. You just be around as you can, Charles. Have a good semester
Aloha
Rest, Charles, Rest.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a good year, Charles. And find a slot for your writing and blogging. The summer went fast.
ReplyDeleteWe're back in Louisiana and I'm out of my Oklahoma writing routine. I feel a little lost.
Cloudia, I'm hoping it will go smoothly.
ReplyDeleteDavid, that's what I'm trying mostly to do.
Jessie, I don't yet know what my new routine will become. Guess I'll see.
Sorry to hear you won't be "around" as much, and that you're facing limited writing time in the coming year or so. But Skyrim will always be there waiting for you. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAs will we.
What is Skyrim? Finishing a book is no small feat, incidentally. Hope you enjoyed today and here's hoping for more sales, too.
ReplyDelete"Back to School" — that's one thing I never liked to do after summer vacation in April-May. I hope you have a good run this semester, Charles. Is this the beginning of a new academic year in the West?
ReplyDeleteFaculty do not teach in the summer here any longer so it's not an option. Grad students and adjuncts do it for a pittance. Hard times indeed. Have a great semester.
ReplyDeleteFaculty do not teach in the summer here any longer so it's not an option. Grad students and adjuncts do it for a pittance. Hard times indeed. Have a great semester.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, man ~! In similar situ, as far as meetings and start-ups.
ReplyDeleteHuzzah ~!
Charles-doesn't time fly? Maybe a compromise between teaching half time and leaving some time for writing? Sounds like a great summer all in all!
ReplyDeleteTy, that's a nice thing about a fantasy world, I guess. :)
ReplyDeleteRiot Kitty, Skyrim is a video game involving sword and sorcery themes mixed with some other stuff. There are dragons, but also vampires and werewolves. It's a huge world with a lot to explore.
Prashant, it is. Most colleges start around this time. High schools a little earlier.
Patti, since Xavier is primarily an undergrad university the faculty still have the option of teaching in the summer, Pay is smaller but can be a help
Erik, ate least we got 77 new majors, which continues our run as one of the biggest majors on campus.
Jodi, it sure does. I will probably try to teach only half the summer if I can manage it.
ReplyDeleteHope this school year is a good one! Congrats on finishing the book.
ReplyDelete- Greg
You need to bone up on your Bukowski history lessons, especially the chapter about bill paying.
ReplyDeleteHe told a story of some of the Beat Poets coming down to Southern CA to meet him. They spent time on the pier drinking and purchasing sexual favors and returning to the pier for more drinking. This apparently went on for 3-4 days. Then when his more famous poetical brethren were out of money he sent them back home to SF.
You'll probably never read this, but my thoughts go with you, having had those mixed end-of-summer feelings that come to those in that academic-year cycle--students and teachers. No mistake, teaching is hard work, and dedicated teachers need every day of vacation they can get from it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I taught the occasional summer, I found myself burning out long before the regular year was over. Then you're younger and stronger. Forget I said that.
New faces, new challenges, and I'm sure you'll pick up on some characters in your classes. With all the exposure to the 'New Adult' genre, maybe now's the time to start writing a new novel in class. :)
ReplyDeleteGreg, thanks, man.
ReplyDeleteMark, hum, maybe I'll come to stay with a Detroit poet for a while. :)
Ron, I taught summer school the first twenty years at Xavier and really really burned out. I certainly wouldn't like to do it again but it looks like I'll have little choice.
Bernard, hum, there's an idea.
Trimester blues.
ReplyDeleteI tried teaching for twelve months straight one year, and predictably, went mad.
Hell loves the over-stimulated. :)
life has a way of worming into arts and crafts... need to do something about that ;)
ReplyDeleteIvan, after we came back from Hurricane Katrina we did about twelve months straight and it was exhausting.
ReplyDeleteLaughingwolf, yes indeed.
Today is my last free day until the end of Nov. In between I have an intense end of third fiscal quarter combined with a series of meetings and training for a new system implementation coming next Feb.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the start of term.
Travis, free days are precious, and far too short.
ReplyDeleteHave a good year in the classroom, Charles!
ReplyDeleteOscar, thankee.
ReplyDelete