Monday, December 30, 2013

"The Humble Brag," From Dr. Amelia.

So it's the holidays. And maybe you've had enough of the darling nieces and nephews, so you are catching up on your social media. For the love of all things good and for my tea-partying sanity, please resist posting:

"I am so blessed to be a professor. I took my three weeks at Christmas to jet off to Paris with my s.o. Look at my pictures of croque monsieur!"

"I just finished grading. Time to get to work on next semester's assignments. I work so hard."

"I just finished grading. Time to get my research done. I work so hard."

"I am so blessed to have the time over this break to spend 10 hours on Christmas Day working on my research."

"Just finished eating the most delicious cookies my Kelly Keener gave me to thank me for teaching her. I have such great students!"

36 comments:

  1. UnknownDecember 30, 2013 at 5:41 PM

    I just finished scrubbing my toaster oven. I am so blessed to be hosting my OCD sibling for nine days of my semester break.

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    1. Sawyer in Student ServicesDecember 30, 2013 at 6:21 PM

      Shouldn't they be the one scrubbing the toaster oven? I'm blessed to have both a parent and a parent-in-law with those tendencies and I long ago embraced the maxim, "You just can't change people," so my house is never cleaner after they leave and I don't feel a bit of guilt about it.

      Delete
    2. Sawyer in Student ServicesDecember 30, 2013 at 6:26 PM

      And I'm not saying it to make light of it. Nothing anyone else can do is "good enough" so I make the house as presentable as possible and let it roll.

      Delete
    3. Professor ChiltepinDecember 30, 2013 at 6:43 PM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    4. EC1December 30, 2013 at 7:23 PM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    5. UnknownDecember 30, 2013 at 11:14 PM

      @Sawyer: Thanks for the boost. I needed your wisdom.

      But *they* aren't here yet. I'm making the house as presentable as possible and will then let it roll. But cleanliness, unfortunately, is a slippery slope. Shine up one thing, and the thing next to it looks an order of magnitude shabbier than it did before.

      Delete
    6. Annie OakleyDecember 30, 2013 at 11:32 PM

      A friend of mine has an in law who is OCD about cleanliness AND had a parent who worked in biological warfare. The only way to clean well enough for this relative is with a blow torch.

      Delete
  2. The Contemplative CynicDecember 30, 2013 at 6:38 PM

    I'm eating an entire bag of Maui Onion Lay's Kettle Chips for dinner because I ran 5 miles this morning and I need fortification to prepare me for another soul-killing round of snowflake entitlement.

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    1. StrelnikovDecember 30, 2013 at 8:34 PM

      ".....I need fortification to prepare me for another soul-killing round of snowflake entitlement."

      I assemble,disassemble, re-assemble a well-worn AKSU-74 in a darkened room blindfolded. I do it over and over again until the firing-pinless gun can be put together in less than 3 minutes. Then AND ONLY THEN am I ready for the derpy hordes they throw at me.

      Delete
    2. The Contemplative CynicJanuary 2, 2014 at 12:34 AM

      My way sounds less likely to result in my shooting myself in the foot.

      Delete
  3. Annie OakleyDecember 30, 2013 at 7:10 PM

    I started the day off at the vet with one of my cats. What seemed to be a slow healing injury turned out to be a fast moving cancer. My cat friend is now buried under a tree in the yard, not laying on my lap.

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    1. AnonymousDecember 30, 2013 at 7:20 PM

      Annie, that's so sad. I'm sorry you are dealing with that.

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    2. The Contemplative CynicDecember 30, 2013 at 7:35 PM

      Aw, I'm so sorry, Annie!

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    3. Surly TempleDecember 30, 2013 at 7:59 PM

      Aw, Annie, kitties are the best. I'm very sorry for your loss.

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    4. AnonymousDecember 30, 2013 at 8:26 PM

      Annie, I am sincerely sorry; your feline friend was safe and happy with you. A peaceful end is the part of the contract we wish we never have to fulfill.

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    5. Dr. PythonDecember 30, 2013 at 9:52 PM

      My heart goes out to you!

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    6. UnknownDecember 30, 2013 at 11:16 PM

      What an awful thing to face, and so sudden. I'm very sorry for you.

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    7. CrayonEaterDecember 30, 2013 at 11:17 PM

      I am so sorry for your sad loss.

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    8. Frog and ToadDecember 30, 2013 at 11:18 PM

      Oh kitty! I am so sorry he/she is gone...

      Delete
    9. FrennaDecember 30, 2013 at 11:21 PM

      So sorry Annie!

      Delete
    10. Annie OakleyDecember 30, 2013 at 11:30 PM

      Thanks. It wasn't even on our radar as a possibility when we took her in. Kind of in shock.

      Delete
    11. Grumpy AcademicDecember 31, 2013 at 9:02 AM

      Oh I'm so sorry. At least you were able to spare kitty suffering, and to be with them, but that's not much comfort when you have to face the gap they leave. Much sympathy

      Delete
    12. introvert.profDecember 31, 2013 at 9:36 AM

      Annie, I'm so sorry. We lost a longtime canine companion to old age last month. Even though we are a multiple-pet family, each such loss leaves a hole -- they're all unique, and can't truly be replaced.

      Delete
  4. EC1December 30, 2013 at 7:22 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. AnonymousDecember 30, 2013 at 7:23 PM

    I went into work just to avoid being around my family. I love them but it's easier to love them when the kids are in school all day.

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  6. UnknownDecember 30, 2013 at 7:39 PM

    I am sick. Christmas break is the only time I have time to be sick.

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    1. UnknownDecember 30, 2013 at 11:54 PM

      Sorry, Mildred. Isn't it weird how often we get sick after grades are in? I hope you have a warm comforter and plenty of tea or other tasty liquids.

      Delete
    2. The Contemplative CynicDecember 31, 2013 at 8:41 PM

      Me, too! Well, I was sick the week after finals. And my only thought was how relieved I was that I was sick over break. Sad. Get better soonnnnnn!

      Delete
  7. Surly TempleDecember 30, 2013 at 8:07 PM

    Do people really post shit like that? Eeeww. Time to learn to use the subtle but glorious "block all posts from this user" feature.

    I'm drinking wine and binge-watching Sherlock fwiw. It's not a vacation unless you get bed sores is my motto.

    I hate the "my struggles are more valid than yours" game. It's toxic nonsense, and the older I get the less time I have for colleagues trying to drag us all back to middle school.

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    1. UnknownDecember 30, 2013 at 11:18 PM

      "I'm drinking wine and binge-watching Sherlock fwiw. It's not a vacation unless you get bed sores is my motto."

      Great motto!

      Delete
  8. Quarter Wave VerticalDecember 30, 2013 at 8:14 PM

    At the place I used to teach at, this sort of thing was a favourite game that many of my colleagues played.

    Sometimes, it was used for oneupmanship ("I'm just *so* busy, so I'm better than you."). Sometimes it was intended to goad or insult someone ("I spent my entire holidays with my kids. Oh, I forgot--you don't have any, so you must be *soooooo* jealous, aren't you? Or are you someone who doesn't--ahem--want any?")

    Small things to amuse small minds....

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  9. Dr. PythonDecember 30, 2013 at 9:54 PM

    I watched five episodes of Game of Thrones after spending the morning napping and reading. Just about the time I figure out how to settle down during break, it's time to get moving again. If we could have one more week...

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  10. Frog and ToadDecember 30, 2013 at 11:20 PM

    Laundry, dishes, mommy I'm bored, toy pickup, more dishes, snack preparation, walk dog, more dishes, more toy pickup, mommy mommy mommy.

    There you are.

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    Replies
    1. introvert.profDecember 31, 2013 at 9:38 AM

      Sounds oddly like Christmas with my adult children.

      Delete
  11. FrennaDecember 30, 2013 at 11:23 PM

    I am joyously reading fiction that has no use whatsoever in my professional life. I just wish I had more time before I had to start writing my syllabus...

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  12. Peter KDecember 31, 2013 at 2:21 AM

    I'm spending entire days curled up on the sofa with The Strangest Man, Graham Farmelo's biography of P.A.M. Dirac, peeking every now and then at the marathon re-run of Breaking Bad and sampling from the substantial amounts of great alcohol I got for Christmas. Not in any hurry to start preparing anything.

    ReplyDelete

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