I’ve always thought that the amount of work would plateau at some point. That the busyness would no longer increase. But nearly 20 years into being a faculty member, it doesn’t seem to be true. 

This is a semester in which I have a new and very challenging course that takes a lot of energy; several committee assignments that take more time than they would have to but there isn’t much I can do about them; too many grant proposals on which I am working simultaneously; several new collaborations; work with my graduate students and papers that need to go out; editorial duties at two journals, one of which is keeping me very, very busy. I know, these are all normal, but there’s more of each of them than before, or maybe I am more tired than before, or perhaps both, so it all feels just a little bit overwhelming. 

The fuckin’ service is the worst. So much work that totally wouldn’t have to be done. It’s entirely self-inflicted. More precisely, college-or-department-inflicted. Ugh. 

I feel like I might have written all of this every October for the past 10+ years. I also might be writing the same thing in April. 

How’s the spooky month treating you, academic blogosphere?