Lists

Gosh, 2013 already.

I meant to write a post about 3 weeks ago, but got very much carried away with Christmas chaos, not-quite finishing work but wanting a break anyway, and generally being a doctor. (Or nearly a doctor....once I've got my corrections finished. Procrastibaking/making has got to stop.)

Last term, Michaelmas as they call it in the Bubbles, I had the pleasure and challenge of doing quite a few things for the first time. I remember feeling quite intimidated as I drew out the first of many to-do lists last September, once I'd handed in my thesis and was preparing for 'freedom' (that being a myth I contrived). But, despite my anxiety, I managed to do them all, and arrive at Christmas. So, although most people in my lab probably had double the amount of things to do, and in many cases multiple babies to feed, I was pleased to have accomplished these things....and maybe I will survive this term too.

Here are the main firsts:
- teaching a sharp bunch of undergraduates about Organisms (I use teaching loosely here - guiding and listening is more appropriate)
- marking essays for the undergrads....excrutiatingly slowly
- demonstrating in a statistics workshop (I should never have been allowed - my viva proved that I'm not so hot at managing numbers)
- giving a lecture to some very forgiving masters students
- carrying out Admissions interviews, to decide which 18 year olds will be invited to study at Oxford (I was on the other side just 10 years ago - right/wrong?, bizarre, & emotionally challenging)
- presented a whistle-stop tour of my whole thesis to my lab (the home-made cookies contributed to their enjoyment of it)
- my thesis viva - BAM.

There are a whole load of unfinished projects, new projects, papers to publish, corrections to do, teaching of more organismy things I have no clue about, conferences to present at, running to do and vegetables to plant this term....so I'd best get to it.

Oh, and a few things I'd like to give thanks for as the new year starts....
- a break in the rain, for however long (if we're approaching a drought again we can simply call for another hose-pipe ban and it will rain for 8 months, solid)
- electric toothbrushes
- Twenty Twelve
- real farming and those working to improve the way we treat our soils
- friends who cook delicious dinners for me when I'm ill

Onwards and upwards.
Happy 2013!