I feel like I really earn my Saturdays these days. I work such long days on my teaching days, and even the days I don't go into the office are not days "off" so to speak. So I refuse to feel bad about lying in bed til 1030 on Saturday mornings. However, I'm now up, and breakfasted, and have any number of chores ahead of me today.

I'd like to actually cross off the rest (or at least most) of the remaining stuff on the to-do list today. I got a lot done last week, and seeing those tasks being struck out on the list is very edifiying. It's a lot of 10-15 minute tasks, so hopefully I can knock them out relatively quickly.

The grading of the essays for UoP and the feedback reports will take longer. I don't know why I'm not better about doing these in drips and dabs throughout the week. However, it's supposed to be cold and windy today and tonight, which should curb any desire I have to go out of the house -- or at least not much further than the workout room. So perhaps I'll curl up with tea and grading whilst Bun works on her Latin.

I have job applications to bang out too. Quite  a pile of them. I'm formulating a Plan B, and the Universe has been generous enough to offer me some possiblities -- a couple positions in Women's and LGBT programming at universities, a couple of pulic health and education positions that would allow me to put my anthro skills to applied use -- so I'm jumping on them. No guarantee that they will go anywhere, but at least they are options that I had not really considered before, and which I can see myself doing and getting excited about. Turning an academic, teaching-focused CV into a resume for these types of jobs in a challenge, but I think I can do it with relative facility.

I also have cleaning and laundry to do, as these crazy weeks -- exacerbated by Monologues -- have left our house just short of a disaster zone. The cats are looking at me piteously, and the pigs are formenting fullblown revolution. Time for a complete litterbox scrubdown and pig cage cleaning.

Meal planning for the week will happen as I clean out the fridge. We have a lot of good stuff that needs to get used up before it turns to compost, so I'm forseeing tomorrow being a "let's cook for the week" day, after we get back from yoga class.

My reward for being productive will be a home pedicure with yummy foot spa goodies and new polish.

It's funny, but these ordinary days, no matter how busy, make me very happy. I begin to feel very grounded and centered, something I haven't felt in too long a time. I feel as though I'm in control of my life, something that I also haven't felt in some time. I feel like I'm living and not merely existing, building something for myself. And that feels good.

And part of that means finishing this cup of coffee, signing off LJ, and going to my date with the treadmill!