Routines and Menus

Real life - it's a rather fascinating concept. One that I am slowly transitioning into. First things first...

Job

I delegate well, and I organize and manage well - I do not deal with excuses, blameshifting, or avoiding responsibilities well. When I say this - I mean that when others try and do anything on the previous list, it tries my patience. Big time. So, I'm trying to remember that it's sugar and honey (as opposed to vinegar) and that I need to remember to build in time to go for a run at least twice a week.

Big projects that are in full swing:

10 Ideas Series distribution - a massive undertaking and one that I'm coordinating. Whoo hoo. This involves: collecting all addresses of chapter leaders (so each school/chapter gets two copies), adding in the right number of extra journals for authors that wrote at that school (and tracking down individuals who were not at a chapter or who have graduated); ordering enough envelopes for sending these all out (mostly done); printing out address labels so no one gets a writers' cramp (so not done yet); getting 200+ sets of journals tied up (six journals per set) with ribbons so they can be set out looking nicely (about 15 are done); and finally, getting them to the damn post-office (and we're shipping media mail which I don't think they come pick up). grrrr. Fun? Well, no. Necessary? without a doubt.

I should note here that our science journal "Catalyst" also needs to be more specifically distributed to chapters and authors - and that this project is also a current shit show. Whip Cracking? You bet.....but seriously, I don't have enough hands for all the whips I'm supposed to be cracking.

Next Years' 10 Ideas Series Action Plan

Happily, this project is largely completed. I had to begin by talking to our policy director and head of the editorial board, as well as our layout specialist to make sure the dates I settled on were agreeable to all teams involved. Then I had to write out what would happen and when. Next came a memorandum on the editing communication between the editorial board and the policy strategists (about the selection and notification process). Then I had to create a submission form for all who submit pieces....and finally, this stuff has to be uploaded into a google calendar (and this last step is the only one that hasn't really been completed). Score.

Annual Fundraiser:

Previously, left something to be desired in terms of coordination, organization and professionalism. Oh well, live and learn. But now, it's my baby (one of many). I've laid out a calendar, thought through all the steps to the process (coordinating between our office and our NY office); what materials we need, who we're targeting, if we should do an email and a hard copy mailing; etc etc etc. This is a huge thing though and it's only going to get more stressful as time goes on. Seriously though, it can wait until after the 10 ideas go out next week. But they do have to go out.

Then there are the various odds and ends, Thursday I send out the internal staff blast, Monday is our staff meeting and my meeting with Hilary - Tuesday is our all office (NY DC and Hyde Park) call at 3:30. Monday I've got to get my bank account set up (yah real life!). I've started going out some and seeing friends who are here. Tuesday I have an NCIS night with the family I've stayed with in the past.

Overall though, I'm finally starting to figure things out and settle in. There are a few new things that continually come up and things that I need to deal with - but all-in-all it's under control.

The menu and eating thing has been the most interesting (I'm sure many of you know that I don't cook)...bake maybe, cook? hahahah. But, although the house always has food (if I get totally overwhelmed and don't have time), I prefer to do my own thing.

Sample menu for this week. Goals? Easy - somewhat well balanced, not time consuming, avoid buying lunch, and for a total eating bill of about 50 dollars. See if you agree (the food bill for today by the way was 41.98).

Monday:
Lunch: Cheese and Tomato sandwich; tortilla chips (10 minutes in the morning to make)
Dinner: Tuna and Potato Casserole (left overs)

Tuesday:
Lunch: Shrimp Caeser Salad (cooking shrimp on the weekend) (monday night prep)
Dinner: NCIS night

Wednesday:
Lunch (Chicken -rice and steamed veggie) - all cooked on the weekend
Dinner: Pasta, salad and garlic bread (probably about 25 minutes to cook, heat sauce, create salad, garlic bread is already pre-made, so good!)

Thursday:
Lunch: (chicken rice and steamed veggie) - ibid
Dinner (Salad and pizza) (oven, rabbit food chopping)

Friday - too far ahead to think about....

So - I think that's about it for now. It's Saturday, been sleeping in the past two days, tonight I'll do some food preparation for this week - do laundry and watch a movie...maybe do some work as well. Last night I went into Dupont, had some coffee and a drink with one friend and dinner and more drinks with another friend at the James Hoban (named after the dude who designed the house over there at 1600 PA Ave).

This weekend (the holiday one), I'll probably work from home on Monday and I'm headed to the Berkshires on the 15th. Reunion at Middlebury, week working from home and probably visiting a few schools, and then the Yale Fall Conference in New Haven on the 23rd and 24th, I'll fly back to DC on the 26th.