Re: Camille Saint-Saëns Saturday
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2025 7:31 am
trissie, we love emptynesting! But we've always had at least one child local (DD29). Still, we don't see her that often. We really like having the house to ourselves. 
That would certainly be a big change, Kitty! I'm curious how that will play out. It sounds like he will keep busy. My dh has talked about retirement - but just sort of in passing. I believe we'd be fine financially, although it feels like there's enough instability that we wouldn't seriously consider that now. Also, dh has some very interesting projects at work that he wants to continue working on - although some may be cancelled by the government. He is fortunate in that he also has a lot of private funding, but many of his NSF and NIH grants are currently frozen. Why the govt. wants to tamp down on technical and medical research is not understood by me; these areas are not where "wokism" is being propagated. It is also clear many people don't understand how research works or how universities are funded. Univ. friends have pointed out that this is also the fault of Univ. researchers who haven't explained these things to the public well. -- Maybe more than I should have said, but a big daily reality in a town where a major top tier research university, esp. in engineering and medicine, is located.
Another myth: No, being a university professor is not a cushy job. Good professors don't get summers off.
Good research happens year round. And last time dh clocked his work hours, it was 80/week, the same as R who is an MD. Might be less now? - but much more than 40/week. Even in the summer. Dh says efforts to gain tenure just cement workaholic tendencies in professors. LOL!
OK - well, where did that come from!? LOL! On to my day.
The sun is trying to peek through clouds. I'm up and drinking coffee, dressed to jog. I'm planning to do the group 5K jog at 8 a.m. It will feel good to get that done first thing. Then, I'm meeting AA for coffee around 10. There is no CG1 tonight!! But we do have the gender reveal party at 5 - on zoom. I also hope to finish the piles in the study project.
Next:
- back exercises
- gather things
- otd at 7:50 to do the 5K jog
Later:
TaDas!
- up; weighed self -- way up -- but maybe that's salt in the restaurant food last night?
- coffee
- emai deletions + weather website
WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Sat 8 - 5K/ 10ish coffee with AA/ 5 - Gender Reveal Party online for DS + F /Dinner: from freezer, corn and black bean salad, roasted broccoli
Sun Church/ 3:30 - 5:30 CG2 @ AA? / 6 - ? Host dinner for up to 8 people/ 8:15 Family zoom call?
Mon 8:30 bfast with AC/ grocery store
Tue 6:30 host Tuesday dinner
Wed
Thu 11? - haircut in other town
Fri - Ys in town! (See them tonight?)
Sat - See Ys! (Friends from TX; KY was my BFF when we lived in Austin)/ Dinner out with Ys/ 8 - Concert at local venue with Ys
Sun See Ys?/ PACK for week long trip (dh's week long writing workshop with a publishing company) + CG1 camping trip/ Drive to Chicago - with AA?
June Brain Dumps
This Week - House
- clean fridge
- get 2 guest beds remade with clean sheets
- polish kitchen appliances
- possibly, polish stone counter tops
- repot my little orchid
This Week - Deskwork
General Brain Dump
- progress decluttering clothes - wip
- new phone eventually
- buy queen bed frame + mattress + box springs for dd26's room - wip
MOM
- shelves for her room?
- keep on sprucing up her wardrobe - pants
- scan and email test results to PA - figuring out an alternate way
- sign Mom up for the patient portal - PA at the NH
- check on dentist: when will they be at the NH next? -- called; didn't get a call back
Payroll
- update exam record
- start Exam Prep: 4 Reading + 1 Listening
Brain Dump - Mom and Trust
- get fire safe box for Mom's documents
- email church about the tools in Dad's workshop; Dad would have loved for the church workshop to have them
That would certainly be a big change, Kitty! I'm curious how that will play out. It sounds like he will keep busy. My dh has talked about retirement - but just sort of in passing. I believe we'd be fine financially, although it feels like there's enough instability that we wouldn't seriously consider that now. Also, dh has some very interesting projects at work that he wants to continue working on - although some may be cancelled by the government. He is fortunate in that he also has a lot of private funding, but many of his NSF and NIH grants are currently frozen. Why the govt. wants to tamp down on technical and medical research is not understood by me; these areas are not where "wokism" is being propagated. It is also clear many people don't understand how research works or how universities are funded. Univ. friends have pointed out that this is also the fault of Univ. researchers who haven't explained these things to the public well. -- Maybe more than I should have said, but a big daily reality in a town where a major top tier research university, esp. in engineering and medicine, is located.
Another myth: No, being a university professor is not a cushy job. Good professors don't get summers off.
Good research happens year round. And last time dh clocked his work hours, it was 80/week, the same as R who is an MD. Might be less now? - but much more than 40/week. Even in the summer. Dh says efforts to gain tenure just cement workaholic tendencies in professors. LOL! OK - well, where did that come from!? LOL! On to my day.
The sun is trying to peek through clouds. I'm up and drinking coffee, dressed to jog. I'm planning to do the group 5K jog at 8 a.m. It will feel good to get that done first thing. Then, I'm meeting AA for coffee around 10. There is no CG1 tonight!! But we do have the gender reveal party at 5 - on zoom. I also hope to finish the piles in the study project.
Next:
- back exercises
- gather things
- otd at 7:50 to do the 5K jog
Later:
TaDas!
- up; weighed self -- way up -- but maybe that's salt in the restaurant food last night?
- coffee
- emai deletions + weather website
WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Sat 8 - 5K/ 10ish coffee with AA/ 5 - Gender Reveal Party online for DS + F /Dinner: from freezer, corn and black bean salad, roasted broccoli
Sun Church/ 3:30 - 5:30 CG2 @ AA? / 6 - ? Host dinner for up to 8 people/ 8:15 Family zoom call?
Mon 8:30 bfast with AC/ grocery store
Tue 6:30 host Tuesday dinner
Wed
Thu 11? - haircut in other town
Fri - Ys in town! (See them tonight?)
Sat - See Ys! (Friends from TX; KY was my BFF when we lived in Austin)/ Dinner out with Ys/ 8 - Concert at local venue with Ys
Sun See Ys?/ PACK for week long trip (dh's week long writing workshop with a publishing company) + CG1 camping trip/ Drive to Chicago - with AA?
June Brain Dumps
This Week - House
- clean fridge
- get 2 guest beds remade with clean sheets
- polish kitchen appliances
- possibly, polish stone counter tops
- repot my little orchid
This Week - Deskwork
General Brain Dump
- progress decluttering clothes - wip
- new phone eventually
- buy queen bed frame + mattress + box springs for dd26's room - wip
MOM
- shelves for her room?
- keep on sprucing up her wardrobe - pants
- scan and email test results to PA - figuring out an alternate way
- sign Mom up for the patient portal - PA at the NH
- check on dentist: when will they be at the NH next? -- called; didn't get a call back
Payroll
- update exam record
- start Exam Prep: 4 Reading + 1 Listening
Brain Dump - Mom and Trust
- get fire safe box for Mom's documents
- email church about the tools in Dad's workshop; Dad would have loved for the church workshop to have them
Good morning!
We have a friend who was a hosting professor in the USA this semester (he's doing theoretical math) so I wonder what he will say about his experience? We should see them next weekend. 
. 
. First off dh haircut.