Clever readers will infer from the subject line which magazine just bought a story of mine.

Just a little one, I promise. I'm just feeling the pressure today, partially because The Boss says the book is almost done, and thus my reason for coming back to work for him is winding down. He has told me that he will not be cutting me loose without income, but I know that my hours will at the very least be reduced. And I don't have  Plan B in place yet.

 ( Wherein our heroine has a freaklette )

Coffee, PowerBar, Internet. So far so good. The obnoxious upstairs neighbors have apparently already started their Super Bowl party. Not so good. Ah well.

Got a little forward momentum last night and finished a couple job applications. Also went online and applied for three adminsitrative jobs, in the academic advising arena, with the local community college district. It feels a little like failure to think about going into something other than teaching, but I am also practical and realize that if I can get a job in programming or advising, and teach part time, this will give me valuable experience in academe while also providing a steady paycheck and time to write. I may not get called back for any of them, but it took almost no time to apply via the online system, and at least it's anothe baited hook in the water. I'm going to have to start seriously considering nonprofit work and other career paths if none of the academic jobs pan out this time around. I know I will eventually be professoring somewhere, it just may be in a year or two when I get my finances straightened out and more publications to my name. Right now, working three part time jobs does not leave me much time for my own scholarship.

So far this morning I've posted my materials for the week on my UoP class sites. I have some other things I need to post throughout the week, but we are required to post several things every Sunday -- Weekly Overview for the coming week, Wrap Up for the last week, Discussion Question threads. So that's done. I have papers coming in today that need to be graded by next Sunday, so later today I'll likely check to see what's already in my digitial dropbox and get a jump on the grading.

I also have part of a leg of lamb I need to cut up for my lamb and lentil stew, which I am making for Brighid's Day today. As soon as Bun gets her Sims fix in and can come help me chop veggies, I'll get onto that.

Later today I'll have to sit down with calendars and such and make the To Do List of Doom for the coming week. I'm trying to get everything possible crossed off the exisitng one first. I hate carrying stuff over week to week if I don't have to.

I think there'll be a run in the park this afternoon as well, if the temperature goes to where the local news says it will. All the ice last week kept us mostly homebound -- which is funny to me, being from icy climes originally -- and it will be good to get back out in the sun. Failing that, the treadmill and yoga mat call.

But all that will wait until I have another cup of coffee..

I've been working through the to-do list of doom, helped along with three consecutive days off of work. I still have any number of things to do, however, and I won't even think about the new list I need to make for this coming week. I'd really like to get through as much of the old stuff before I start thinking about new tasks.

I really need to be working on either an article or some job applications tonight, but I just can't seem to get any forward momentum going. Got up this morning and did my required grading for my UoP class, which was nice. I'm on top of the grading (which has a 48 hour turnaround) thus far, which is a marked improvement from my mentorship..I did all the grading in about an hour, which is also an improvement. I'm hoping it continues to go as fast.

After grading was done, it was errand time. Ran out to Target and then to Lane Bryant for an interview suit. I don't have any interviews lined up as yet, but I'm hoping that having the suit ready and waiting will bring some of that energy. I still need a blouse and shoes, and will get my hair cut Thursday. Pictures will follow, as soon as the whole outfit is ready. I got some things ready to go into the mailbox, and have a few more that I'll pack up tonight too.

Yet I can't settle down to writing. Not even my reviews for 50bookchallenge which I need to get up before I lose count. (Seven books so far in 2009, for those keeping count for some bizarre reason.) But my Muse, she is silent tonight. Perhaps a cup of tea and some dinner will spark her awake.

I need to do these job applications. I just think I'm a bit burned out -- tired of putting all these little pieces of myself into envelopes and either getting rejected or, worse still, waiting and waiting. I'm thinking that hiring committees will start making decisions in the next couple of weeks, which means that I'll at least have closure on a number of the searches I have out there in the wind. I know I need to keep pounding the pavement (metaphorically) but I am continually suprised at how exhausting job searches are. I think some of it is peculiar to the academic market and the totally fucked up way we do things, but I imagine some of it is just job searching in a down economy. I'm trying to keep positive yet I also know that I have limited time to come with a Plan B should my academic search come up empty this year.

And why I'm nattering about it on my LJ instead of taking action to do something about any one of the things I could be taking action on? That's anyone's guess.