Gillian Polack's Blog, page 114
May 30, 2013
gillpolack @ 2013-05-31T11:55:00
Today is a little bit exciting, for I have been interviewed on SF Signal by Helen Lowe. The interview is here: http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2013/05/fun-with-friends-helen-lowe-talks-with-gillian-polack/
I've also finished 2/3 of a trilogy, for reviewing. I'm piling up the finished review books so that I can have a writing spree over the weekend and get them out of the way. Next week is going to be terribly busy, and I want to be able to slow down in other areas. So today is about pushing through as much as I can of various things (the 'stuff' I've been mentioning all week) and clearing the decks. This weekend will be about working through the wave of logjam that is resulting from this week's busy-ness and then I am clear to focus on bigger stuff next week. In theory. In practice I'm expecting more review books, but at least I'll have finished with the last batch. I only have 5 to go from the last batch. A cinch... (but I may not get through all five by 5 pm today - it may have to be added into my weekend).
In the interests of not diluting my attention today, I'm having a PJ day. I have my favourite black t-shirt on and some very floral pyjama pants. This means I can't run messages or even go outside and it's very focussing. Also comfortable.
My current book is by KS Nikakis, in case you were wondering. That's my current fiction. My current non-fiction is about landscaping in the Middle Ages. These are the two that need to be finished by 5 pm (there's a 3rd I hope to get a good start on as well, for otherwise I shan't get through all my reading this week). I want to alternate pages (read page 30 of one then page 30 of another), but I rather think I shall finish the Nikakis first, for it's the third part of a trilogy and I'm at the 'must know what happens next' stage.
When I finish the Nikakis I have some computer stuff to do, for these things are so ongoing it isn't funny.
This time of year is always busy. I've not seen it quite as impossibly busy as this, though. I think it's a good sign. Maybe.
I've also finished 2/3 of a trilogy, for reviewing. I'm piling up the finished review books so that I can have a writing spree over the weekend and get them out of the way. Next week is going to be terribly busy, and I want to be able to slow down in other areas. So today is about pushing through as much as I can of various things (the 'stuff' I've been mentioning all week) and clearing the decks. This weekend will be about working through the wave of logjam that is resulting from this week's busy-ness and then I am clear to focus on bigger stuff next week. In theory. In practice I'm expecting more review books, but at least I'll have finished with the last batch. I only have 5 to go from the last batch. A cinch... (but I may not get through all five by 5 pm today - it may have to be added into my weekend).
In the interests of not diluting my attention today, I'm having a PJ day. I have my favourite black t-shirt on and some very floral pyjama pants. This means I can't run messages or even go outside and it's very focussing. Also comfortable.
My current book is by KS Nikakis, in case you were wondering. That's my current fiction. My current non-fiction is about landscaping in the Middle Ages. These are the two that need to be finished by 5 pm (there's a 3rd I hope to get a good start on as well, for otherwise I shan't get through all my reading this week). I want to alternate pages (read page 30 of one then page 30 of another), but I rather think I shall finish the Nikakis first, for it's the third part of a trilogy and I'm at the 'must know what happens next' stage.
When I finish the Nikakis I have some computer stuff to do, for these things are so ongoing it isn't funny.
This time of year is always busy. I've not seen it quite as impossibly busy as this, though. I think it's a good sign. Maybe.
gillpolack @ 2013-05-30T23:28:00
Tonight's class was decidedly interesting.
We're up to week 5 of "Medieval Places" and I have an exceptionally good group of students. They ask questions. They apologise for asking questions, but they ask questions. And they're not frightened to hear the not-so-happy side of history and they're very curious about links across time.
We revisited Winchester and Canterbury now that my missing documents have reappeared (a byproduct of all this paper-sorting, and a by-product I'm very happy about) and they collaborated in interpreting Canterbury over time (for I have a sequence of maps showing archaeological discoveries) and understanding Winchester's very interesting physical location and structure. We managed to pull together the stuff of last week and I'm pretty certain that each of them understands that buildings meet specific needs and that it's important to understand those, rather than to have an idealised, Disney Middle Ages.
They also now know a bit about the blood libel and the ritual murder accusations and a bit more about Jewish England.
We were going to spend the whole evening exploring abbeys, but instead we spent about half of it. I kept worrying that we were going too far from what the course outline said and they kept reassuring me that they were learning interesting stuff. I need to take my special bag of tricks next week, for this group deserves it.
We're up to week 5 of "Medieval Places" and I have an exceptionally good group of students. They ask questions. They apologise for asking questions, but they ask questions. And they're not frightened to hear the not-so-happy side of history and they're very curious about links across time.
We revisited Winchester and Canterbury now that my missing documents have reappeared (a byproduct of all this paper-sorting, and a by-product I'm very happy about) and they collaborated in interpreting Canterbury over time (for I have a sequence of maps showing archaeological discoveries) and understanding Winchester's very interesting physical location and structure. We managed to pull together the stuff of last week and I'm pretty certain that each of them understands that buildings meet specific needs and that it's important to understand those, rather than to have an idealised, Disney Middle Ages.
They also now know a bit about the blood libel and the ritual murder accusations and a bit more about Jewish England.
We were going to spend the whole evening exploring abbeys, but instead we spent about half of it. I kept worrying that we were going too far from what the course outline said and they kept reassuring me that they were learning interesting stuff. I need to take my special bag of tricks next week, for this group deserves it.
May 29, 2013
gillpolack @ 2013-05-30T14:04:00
Today is more-of-same and none the worse for that. I'm sorting and thinking and getting life a bit in order. I have all my papers containing the work for the post-teaching part of the week in order and just have to go through them, one by one, starting tonight. I have a full afternoon's reading and teaching prep and stuff (more 'stuff') which will take me through til 5 pm, along with more phonecalls about the body corporate thingies. And after teaching is probably going to be finishing off the bits of this I didn't quite get to before 5 pm today.
It's a long week, but next week will be a bit easier and, after that, nothing's going to be straightforward until mid-July, so I'll be very glad to get through my pile of must-be-dones today. Everything I finish doesn't simplify life, but it does prevent problems later on.
I've started factoring in a social life, for sanity's sake, and I had a lovely lunch with a friend today and saw the new Star Trek movie with another friend on Tuesday. It turns out that the closest cafe to me does a really good salad, so today's lunch was healthy.
I just realised, all the friends I've caught up with this week have the same first name! This is my useful information for today.
It's a long week, but next week will be a bit easier and, after that, nothing's going to be straightforward until mid-July, so I'll be very glad to get through my pile of must-be-dones today. Everything I finish doesn't simplify life, but it does prevent problems later on.
I've started factoring in a social life, for sanity's sake, and I had a lovely lunch with a friend today and saw the new Star Trek movie with another friend on Tuesday. It turns out that the closest cafe to me does a really good salad, so today's lunch was healthy.
I just realised, all the friends I've caught up with this week have the same first name! This is my useful information for today.
gillpolack @ 2013-05-29T22:33:00
I missed blogging yesterday. It was the aftermath of a two day migraine, plus the last day of one of my courses, plus my internet went terribly slow and I didn't know if it was my computer or the net or whatever. My ISP's wonderful tech-arm has solved part of it and I shall wing the rest.
I haven't achieved a lot this afternoon, thanks to my computer being a messy place, but at least I am online fully again, which will make a big difference. And I taught. And I read a book. And I unexpectedly went shopping, thanks to a timely phonecall from a friend. I now have mushrooms and capsicums (why isn't the plural of capsicum capsica?) and I bought a chicken and roasted it for dinner, which means the beef hot pot I had planned to eat tonight will be all ready for tomorrow after class, when i will need it much more. Plus I have lots of leftover chicken to freeze. And I have tomato paste and artichoke hearts in brine.
My brain has gone walkabout, in case you didn't quite realise from the disconnectedness of the above. The rest of my evening will be spent trying to pick up where my computer left me (it left me at the beginning of a meeting - sorry, K - and I've emailed to say "Hey, I'm back" but other things have probably intervened at the other end) and sorting paper and things. Mostly things. I spent about an hour sorting old papers and various stuff while I was trying to think out problems earlier (today really was a bit miscellaneous and unformed) and it struck me that i need to do that for my workspace. There are bills due tomorrow, I believe, and jobs to apply for and stuff. Again stuff.
My background music tonight is a bit varied. The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band is on now, but I shall soon move to Bukharan music and then maybe to Japanese court music, to finish the evening on an elegant note. Now that I've sorted my music out a bit, I'm remembering what I used to listen to. It's a lot of fun rediscovering all my favourites.
I haven't achieved a lot this afternoon, thanks to my computer being a messy place, but at least I am online fully again, which will make a big difference. And I taught. And I read a book. And I unexpectedly went shopping, thanks to a timely phonecall from a friend. I now have mushrooms and capsicums (why isn't the plural of capsicum capsica?) and I bought a chicken and roasted it for dinner, which means the beef hot pot I had planned to eat tonight will be all ready for tomorrow after class, when i will need it much more. Plus I have lots of leftover chicken to freeze. And I have tomato paste and artichoke hearts in brine.
My brain has gone walkabout, in case you didn't quite realise from the disconnectedness of the above. The rest of my evening will be spent trying to pick up where my computer left me (it left me at the beginning of a meeting - sorry, K - and I've emailed to say "Hey, I'm back" but other things have probably intervened at the other end) and sorting paper and things. Mostly things. I spent about an hour sorting old papers and various stuff while I was trying to think out problems earlier (today really was a bit miscellaneous and unformed) and it struck me that i need to do that for my workspace. There are bills due tomorrow, I believe, and jobs to apply for and stuff. Again stuff.
My background music tonight is a bit varied. The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band is on now, but I shall soon move to Bukharan music and then maybe to Japanese court music, to finish the evening on an elegant note. Now that I've sorted my music out a bit, I'm remembering what I used to listen to. It's a lot of fun rediscovering all my favourites.
May 26, 2013
gillpolack @ 2013-05-27T15:15:00
Today is too exciting. For a start, I have a migraine. It's a low headache one, but it has all the other symptoms and I'm handling it, but not with style. Things are going wrong around me, as often happens on migraine days. I don't understand how a migraine could cause my computer to develop a false trojan. I think migraine days are just not good places to be.
Since I'm too busy to stop doing things and since I can't do anything terribly thought-inducing, I'm working through background stuff that has to be done. Little things. Time-intensive things. The migraine automatically makes the rest of the week rather busy (though I still hope to take tomorrow morning off and unwind a bit) but at least I am doing stuff that needs doing.
When one thing goes wrong, I move to another. It's very disorganised, but it means I'll end up having done a fine amount of small catch-up work by the time I'm back to normal. All my real work will have to be done, but there will be fewer idiotic tiny tasks haunting the background.
All that will have to wait, however, for I'm reaching the stage of the migraine when I need to act like a mushroom for a bit. Obviously it's about to hit its peak. Not such a bad thing. It will be over by tomorrow, this means, and I have no teaching today.
Work that I've done: ordering books I need to read, thinking about a presentation, sorting out contracts. Everything else will be tackled this evening, when I have a meeting and more work. Real work. But, hopefully, no migraine.
Since I'm too busy to stop doing things and since I can't do anything terribly thought-inducing, I'm working through background stuff that has to be done. Little things. Time-intensive things. The migraine automatically makes the rest of the week rather busy (though I still hope to take tomorrow morning off and unwind a bit) but at least I am doing stuff that needs doing.
When one thing goes wrong, I move to another. It's very disorganised, but it means I'll end up having done a fine amount of small catch-up work by the time I'm back to normal. All my real work will have to be done, but there will be fewer idiotic tiny tasks haunting the background.
All that will have to wait, however, for I'm reaching the stage of the migraine when I need to act like a mushroom for a bit. Obviously it's about to hit its peak. Not such a bad thing. It will be over by tomorrow, this means, and I have no teaching today.
Work that I've done: ordering books I need to read, thinking about a presentation, sorting out contracts. Everything else will be tackled this evening, when I have a meeting and more work. Real work. But, hopefully, no migraine.
May 25, 2013
gillpolack @ 2013-05-26T16:31:00
I have given into temptation. I'm playing Yemeni Jewish folk music (by Lea Avraham) while wearing Tibetan felt shoes. The crunch came at midday when it was about 3 degrees and my heater couldn't get the room above 17 degrees. I realised that this winter I need warm feet, otherwise it will be chillblains and colds all the way. The shoes were on sale and the shop is closing down and it's going to be a bitter winter and...well, it was impossible to resist. I can get rid of two pairs of dying footwear and keep my toes warm to boot. And they're pale purple (not quite mauve) and look as if they're the stuff of elfdom. They have pointy bits and bobbles! Along with my white down dressing gown, I have the cold beat and can continue working. I do not look elegant, but the does make an immediate difference to my comfort level. It's still only 17 degrees inside (for it only reached 11, even after the sun came out) and I am wearing a t-shirt and wondering where the cold went.
A friend has solved several of my computer problems and I've sorted out so many papers it's impossibly efficient. I found papers that had gone walkabout, papers that has lost themselves and papers that ought never have existed.
So, today is good. I have no idea what happened to all the tings I was supposed to do, but I'm having a fine day. I might even play Der Yiddisher Pinafore later, or go back to the Middle Ages.
A friend has solved several of my computer problems and I've sorted out so many papers it's impossibly efficient. I found papers that had gone walkabout, papers that has lost themselves and papers that ought never have existed.
So, today is good. I have no idea what happened to all the tings I was supposed to do, but I'm having a fine day. I might even play Der Yiddisher Pinafore later, or go back to the Middle Ages.
gillpolack @ 2013-05-26T11:29:00
I'm sneezing because I've had close encounters with dust this morning. I meant to catch up on reading, but instead I had a frenzy of paper sorting. Both had to be done and of both there remains a significant amount, so it's not a morning wasted. I have diminished my possessions by six big bags, or will, when the various objects attain their new homes. Much will find a new home in the recycling bin, of course, but amidst the paper sort I managed to divest myself of unwanted clothes and scarves and folders. The folders will go to my students on Wednesday. The clothes will go to the opp shop. By the end of the week I shall be in a spacious zone! Or I'll find more things to sort...
I don't know where my English is coming from today. I've lost all my vernacular, I think. It's just as well I'm delaying writing and doing other things. People seem to prefer it when I make sense.
The other thing I'm delaying is sorting the stuff in my storeroom. It has to be done. And it has to be done reasonably soon, for I need to hand over all my women's business archival material (the CAPOW! stuff, the Beijing and Beijing + 5 stuff, the NCJWA stuff, The Ministerial Advisory Council stuff, and the Women's History Month stuff, mainly) to Lulu who will combine it with hers and work with it all then find it a happy home in a major repository. I find it amusing that my past contains this, but that I never get asked if I want to be convenor for an Aurealis panel - I always end up a junior judge. This doesn't worry me. I've run national organisations: other people can have the fun of co-ordinating a judging panel. It amuses me, though, to see how our knowledge of each other is shaped. I'm sure there are good reasons for never asking me, but normally the reasoning is "Gillian gets things done - let's get her to do the difficult stuff" and obviously someone is not seeing this side of me. I possibly should not be saying this anywhere where people hear and get the idea that my life is all about committees. I'm good at committee work (and will do it - it's part of living in this world, and besides, the people are always cool and the coffee plentiful), but I'd rather write novels, and teach, and research.
I don't know how much volunteer work I'll get done this year (apart from Aurealis, obviously), for it's such a very strange year. Even in the annals of Gillian it's a very strange year. It's a strange year with a pool of paper on my loungeroom floor. I ought to tidy it and recycle it and pretend it never existed but, really, I want a cuppa. I have earned a cuppa.
I don't know where my English is coming from today. I've lost all my vernacular, I think. It's just as well I'm delaying writing and doing other things. People seem to prefer it when I make sense.
The other thing I'm delaying is sorting the stuff in my storeroom. It has to be done. And it has to be done reasonably soon, for I need to hand over all my women's business archival material (the CAPOW! stuff, the Beijing and Beijing + 5 stuff, the NCJWA stuff, The Ministerial Advisory Council stuff, and the Women's History Month stuff, mainly) to Lulu who will combine it with hers and work with it all then find it a happy home in a major repository. I find it amusing that my past contains this, but that I never get asked if I want to be convenor for an Aurealis panel - I always end up a junior judge. This doesn't worry me. I've run national organisations: other people can have the fun of co-ordinating a judging panel. It amuses me, though, to see how our knowledge of each other is shaped. I'm sure there are good reasons for never asking me, but normally the reasoning is "Gillian gets things done - let's get her to do the difficult stuff" and obviously someone is not seeing this side of me. I possibly should not be saying this anywhere where people hear and get the idea that my life is all about committees. I'm good at committee work (and will do it - it's part of living in this world, and besides, the people are always cool and the coffee plentiful), but I'd rather write novels, and teach, and research.
I don't know how much volunteer work I'll get done this year (apart from Aurealis, obviously), for it's such a very strange year. Even in the annals of Gillian it's a very strange year. It's a strange year with a pool of paper on my loungeroom floor. I ought to tidy it and recycle it and pretend it never existed but, really, I want a cuppa. I have earned a cuppa.
gillpolack @ 2013-05-25T19:11:00
Today is Bad Luck Book Day. Every book I pick up is less than it should be, and I'm not in the mood to write scathing reviews. I'm seldom in the mood to write scathing reviews, to be honest, but I'm even less so than usual today. I've decided (since there is a repeat of Eurovision on tonight and I missed it last week) to watch Eurovision and eat choc-coffee beans and drink much tea and claim my eyes need a rest. I shall give the various stacks of books evil glares and inform them that they'd better behave tomorrow, or else.
Since obviously reading isn't going to be much chop tonight (due to the sad misbehaviour of books) I shall return to working on one of the big projects, just for a little. I think I've solved two of its major problems, you see, and I just want to get that sorted while it's still clear.
I do wonder, though, if the books are misbehaving because of the giant moon? Do the pages rearrange into nonsense under its influence?
Since obviously reading isn't going to be much chop tonight (due to the sad misbehaviour of books) I shall return to working on one of the big projects, just for a little. I think I've solved two of its major problems, you see, and I just want to get that sorted while it's still clear.
I do wonder, though, if the books are misbehaving because of the giant moon? Do the pages rearrange into nonsense under its influence?
May 23, 2013
gillpolack @ 2013-05-24T13:40:00
My life is still appallingly exciting. Since yesterday I've put the rubbish out and finished The Wheel of Time. I'm 3/4 through the review and quite possibly procrastinating, for when I finish this review there are several others to which I owe some attention and a synopsis to be written and...and...and... lots of 'ands' to be done.
If I don't get a move on, it will be a very long day. My answer to this is that, quite obviously, I need a big cup of tea.
Tonight's dinner (for the curious and yes, I will have extra should anyone be curious enough to want to invite themselves over) will be a pot roast. My cooking method is based on Rashi's description, so it's very Medieval except for the beef, which is Belted Galloway, so a bit more recent but still, at least, heritage. It will be accompanied by baby zucchinis lightly fried with shallots, and all of it served with artichoke-flavoured rice or ureniki in coconut milk with pandan (which is not Medieval at all). If the curious intend to come, the curious should really let me know*, for my place is in teaching mode and teaching mode is busy and very, very messy and I might do some tidying in your honour. I might also wash the floor. And maybe wash some dishes**.
The quantity of food about equals the quantity of mess (because of the size roasting piece I have) and is in inverse proportion to the time I have (I have a meeting this evening, so it won't be a long dinner) which means my day is in perfect harmony.
*And if friends actually take me up on this, I might make stuffed zucchini flowers for entree. Just to round the meal out. Dessert would be chocolate, of course, and, if you ask politely, 16th century style coffee.
**I skipped floor and dishes today in honour of washing linen.
If I don't get a move on, it will be a very long day. My answer to this is that, quite obviously, I need a big cup of tea.
Tonight's dinner (for the curious and yes, I will have extra should anyone be curious enough to want to invite themselves over) will be a pot roast. My cooking method is based on Rashi's description, so it's very Medieval except for the beef, which is Belted Galloway, so a bit more recent but still, at least, heritage. It will be accompanied by baby zucchinis lightly fried with shallots, and all of it served with artichoke-flavoured rice or ureniki in coconut milk with pandan (which is not Medieval at all). If the curious intend to come, the curious should really let me know*, for my place is in teaching mode and teaching mode is busy and very, very messy and I might do some tidying in your honour. I might also wash the floor. And maybe wash some dishes**.
The quantity of food about equals the quantity of mess (because of the size roasting piece I have) and is in inverse proportion to the time I have (I have a meeting this evening, so it won't be a long dinner) which means my day is in perfect harmony.
*And if friends actually take me up on this, I might make stuffed zucchini flowers for entree. Just to round the meal out. Dessert would be chocolate, of course, and, if you ask politely, 16th century style coffee.
**I skipped floor and dishes today in honour of washing linen.
May 22, 2013
gillpolack @ 2013-05-23T13:45:00
My day is appallingly exciting. I just got a phonecall from someone who wants money. A rather nice charity, but, still.. They were very polite. When I said "This is a workplace and if it's not related to my work would you mind ringing someone else?" he did so. Still, my train of thought was interrupted and I am annoyed.
I have already got a paper to 4/5 of where it needs to be. The last 1/5 is going to be hard work, and it's this train of thought that was interrupted.
It wouldn't have been nearly as bad if my reading of the last Wheel of Time book had been interrupted. I'm halfway through and have drafted some notes for my review. Just over 400 pages more and I'm done. Then I can write up the other stack of review books I have read for ticon4 and Liz can get a sturdy email where I justify the beautiful books she has sent me. Then I can wonder at the size of the Wheel of Time series. And at the need for 900 pages to finish it off. Some of this wonder might appear in the review, but I have other things to say, too, so we'll see.
What else have I done so far on this appallingly exciting day? I have prepared for tonight's class, which is on castles. Medieval castles. I need more pictures of Welsh castles, really, but have run out of time for scanning (and they're in hard copy, alas). My hard copy is in big books, I think, and I already have more big books packed for this class than I really should be carrying. I've three hours to contemplate this, during which time I shall try for that last 1000 words and do the first draft of a synopsis and send some urgent emails and stuff.
Appallingly exciting, I tell you.
I have already got a paper to 4/5 of where it needs to be. The last 1/5 is going to be hard work, and it's this train of thought that was interrupted.
It wouldn't have been nearly as bad if my reading of the last Wheel of Time book had been interrupted. I'm halfway through and have drafted some notes for my review. Just over 400 pages more and I'm done. Then I can write up the other stack of review books I have read for ticon4 and Liz can get a sturdy email where I justify the beautiful books she has sent me. Then I can wonder at the size of the Wheel of Time series. And at the need for 900 pages to finish it off. Some of this wonder might appear in the review, but I have other things to say, too, so we'll see.
What else have I done so far on this appallingly exciting day? I have prepared for tonight's class, which is on castles. Medieval castles. I need more pictures of Welsh castles, really, but have run out of time for scanning (and they're in hard copy, alas). My hard copy is in big books, I think, and I already have more big books packed for this class than I really should be carrying. I've three hours to contemplate this, during which time I shall try for that last 1000 words and do the first draft of a synopsis and send some urgent emails and stuff.
Appallingly exciting, I tell you.
