Small Pleasures

I just finished my tax return (and have to go into teach in 40 minutes), so at least I'm digging a little more out of that hole I mentioned yesterday. I'm still way behind on emails and my chapter, but little by little I'm coming up for air.

It looks like I should get a return this year. In the past, I tended to use tax returns for big treats but this year, I'm feeling quite different. I've got a lot of clothes and most of them don't see the light of day (a big clean out will happen as I get to the end of the semester when I intend to post stuff here and on Community Closet Sale). Very little appeals to me right now but in a good way--I'm thrilled by the taste of good cheap Thai at Ayada, fresh fruit and vegetables, good fresh bread, salmon, pastries, etc. I'm happy to play with a fluffy cat while watching a good movie (or good bad film) recorded from TCM and thrill at the company of friends and family. For a little splurge, a manicure and pedicure or maybe an investment in a bottle of Chanel nail polish suffices. I'm happy that the little things give me so much pleasure right now. Maybe it's a bad year for clothing, maybe I just have too many things I don't wear and it's affecting the way I shop, but I'm secretly hoping this non-covetous state hangs around for many more months.

Digging out of a big hole

My book may be in, but I'm now looking at the damage to other aspects of my life. Or rather, the backlog of issues I have to work through. To get the book out, I had to neglect other things: grading, writing assignments, email correspondence (personal and professional), my taxes, this blog, the gym. I'm teaching tomorrow and my students are not happy at waiting four weeks and won't wait for another week so I'm racing against the clock to finish both graduate and undergraduate grading (the grads are done but the undergrad class is not and it meets at 9 am). I teach 12 hours tomorrow and 8 on Tuesday but have to fit my taxes in sometime in between. I've sorted out the deductions, found my W2s and am ready to fire up turbo tax tomorrow night. As for the writing assignments, I finally put them up this weekend--two weeks late--complete with extensions. As for personal and professional correspondence, I'll have to start cracking that tomorrow. I am worried as I missed the acceptance deadline for a conference I go to in Scotland and am praying that they'll still let me present. I'm glad the book is in but such are the sacrifices we have to make in this profession. Now I hope I sent my editor the correct versions of each chapter.... And now back to work.

A little splurge

Even though the book is in, work doesn't stop. But as I was at Union Square today, I popped into Sephora after acupuncture to pick up the Pantone tangerine nail polishes. I loved the glitter so much and would have bought it alone (or maybe with one of the other oranges) but you have to get all four together. Not that it's a huge cost--I love orange nail polish. I'm also going to wear my orange Federica dress to Evan's niece's Bat Mitzvah in a couple of weeks so a splash of orange glitter on my nails is a lot cheaper than a new frock.

I've been heartily underwhelmed by so much of the clothes on offer this spring (there's some nice Rag and Bone pieces but I don't have to own them) and have bought very little other than the Marni for H&M pieces. So nail polish is a good, cheap and doable splurge. I'm also tempted by some of the Chanel colours (my students have an amazing blue and I love the yellow from last summer). The Thakoon line for Nars also looks great. I suppose it is a relief that I'm more interested in something relatively cheap like nails than expensive dresses, however.

It's In!

About 30 minutes ago I submitted my introduction and first chapter to my book--I sent the other six chapters in on Sunday. For the first time in years, I don't have to work on *that* book. For the first time in over a month, I can spend some time on myself, with Evan and with friends. I've got another book to write but the insane deadline is over, allowing me to blog again and have something of a life--and to dress in something other than household variants of nighties, yoga pants and pajamas on non-teaching days.

Of course, I'm so far behind on grading that the rest of the week will be spent playing catch up--plus its advising time as the students are registering for next semester. But I am done! Even if I have to do more revisions, they won't be so substantial. I feel like I've accomplished something huge--especially considering how much of a mess Chapter 1 turned out to be. So tonight I'll celebrate by watching the sublime Revenge.

Hanging In

I'm trying to get my book in to my publishers tomorrow, having missed the Friday deadline due to a trip out of town for Passover (Evan's family) and a chapter that has never been up to par. I'm doubting I'll get much sleep tonight, if any, but hopefully I'll be out of this fog/fug and back into life soon. I have another chapter to write and had to pass on the article but if I get these two accomplished by the end of the semester I'll be happy. The book HAS to be in tomorrow. And that trumps bed and dressing in anything other than my version of sweats right now (nightie, socks and sweater). I've not been to pilates in a month and am fat and out of shape but the book is priority #1 right now. I'll have to prep my grad class tomorrow afternoon.