Space OUT major projects, events, and un-reschedulable-stuff.* For example, it was not the best idea ever to a) sign a house-buying contract during finals week; b) then have to schedule inspections immediately thereafter; all of this c) the day before one's spouse receives 40 finals to grade by d) MONDAY, which is e) the first night of Pesach**, for which f) one's 80-year-old grandmother is flying in from California.
It reminds me of once in college, when a former student, back from grad school, gave a talk. I remember nothing he (or possibly she) said except "Don't have your thesis defense and a baby in the same month. Just don't."
* You'd think I'd know this by now, eh?
** A holiday for which one traditionally cleans crumbs out of ALL THE THINGS, especially (ahem) my car, in which many a goldfish cracker has died, and my counter, where the flour lives, and my fridge, because I empty-and-clean it only twice a year. And this is one of them.
I remember that time I bought a condo, got married, moved to a new city, went on a honeymoon, and started graduate school within the space of 30 days.
ReplyDeleteI agree, spacing out the major changes is a good idea!
Aaaaack. Well! On the bright side, you're still married! To the same person, even.
Delete"Don't have your thesis defense and a baby in the same month. Just don't."
ReplyDeleteI don't know -- there can be a real benefit to having all of the stressful things happen at once so that the recovery from the pool of stress to begin.
As I defended at 36 weeks pregnant I basically DID have a thesis defense and a baby in the same month and it kind of sucked. :) So, you know, either way...
DeleteOh lady. Sometimes life doesn't let you do what's most logical, huh? Hope you survive. (Though, uh, when I've got 40 finals to grade next week I will not expect any special treatment, so ...)
ReplyDeleteAll except for the part where I didn't realize the inspection had to be by FRIDAY THIS FRIDAY LIKE IN TWO DAYS.
DeleteI hope your grading is less insanity-inducing than my spouse's.