Weekend Wonderings – or maybe I'll wait ....

Periodically updated in green

So, I didn't get my snow day. Which means that I didn't clean my room and do all my grading and all the other work I needed to do. Yeah, right. Like I woulda done it anyway.

See, here's my problem. Procrastinitis.

It doesn't help when people like HeyJules constantly post all sorts of turbo-thought-provoking thoughts. Or JaneDark points out good avoidance tactics like Kingdom of Loathing, "an RPG where you fight cans of tomatoes, and possessed stalks of asparagus." And then there was I think the first post of eb's that I commented on, of 20 Things to Keep You Busy. (And then trying to figure out how I came across eb in the first place eats up a little more time.)

It's not like I don't have my own collection of world-wide-web-time-wasters.

Not to mention reading the paper or looking for resources for my classes.

Plus, that non-existent snow day.

Oh, and then all the blog-hopping that's possible. You know, you read comments on one of your "regular" blogs, then you click on the profile of another commenter, check out their blog, follow some links from them, and let the cycle continue.

Anything to avoid grading.

Or lesson-planning.

Or cleaning my room.

Or cleaning the bathroom.

Or anything else, for that matter.

But, this weekend it must be done. Yes, I know, I say that every weekend. But I really mean it this time!!!

So ... the question for the week:

What is your most-favored time-waster?
Your modus operandi of avoidance?
Your most-propelled-to procrastination practice?
Or, perhaps ....
Your most avoided task?
Although, the question I really should be asking ....
How you do get yourself to DO IT ANYWAY???(the avoided assignment, NOT the method of misapplying your mind)

See, a BIG part of my problem is the fact that I tend to only accomplish things when I don't want to be doing something else. For example, my room is an absolute pit of despair, and has been for quite some time now. As such, it has driven me absolutely batty. Do I clean it? No. But this weekend, now that I have school looming over my head ... I guarantee you that my room will finally find some order by Monday morning.

Rewarding myself when I finish the task doesn't help, because I know I'll do whatever the reward is anyway. The whole "If I get this much done in an hour, then I can watch Law & Order" doesn't fly, because if it's Law & Order time, I'm gonna be watching. Self-discipline is not always my strong suit.

I have found that external accountability helps sometimes, which is why I'm thinking I might take the lead of WhatNow, RussianViolets, and other various types (that I've just wasted more time looking for) who post some sense of a to-do list, to be updated as necessary, so I'm thinking I might give that a shot.

And here's (at least some of) what's gotta get done.
School:
••• Create wrap-up notes/handouts for two classes
••• Create study guides for two classes
••• 90-minutes/class sub plans for Tuesday (sophomore retreat)
••• (Ideally) create exams for two classes
••• Develop (and post) rubric for Gospel project
••• Empty the ever-expanding-bag-o'stuff by grading: It's at least sorted & organized now
»»»»» Welfare video reaction
»»»»» Chapters three and four review questions
»»»»» Chapters three and four wrap-up work
»»»»» Jesus' questions & your answers Thus concludes my sophomore grading ... until their next assignment, anyway. But on to the juniors!
»»»»» Retold parables These are, if I may say so myself, some of the most amazing writing since their Prodigal Son papers! Such good kids have I!
»»»»» Highlighting quizzes ever-so-slowly progressing along
»»»»» Gospel of John vs. synoptics another 1/2 inch of paper outta the way. Course, this round took longer because it's amazing the differences some kids were able to discover by just reading the passion narratives. Unfortunately for them (and fortunately for me), kids today aren't too into the book-thing. Which means, if they want some "additional assistance" on an assignment, they turn to the very same Google that I can turn to. Didn't take too excessively long to find out where the work really came from. But, then I had to dig back through the pile a few more time, since things on the website were sounding just a little too familiar to me. Ultimate results? 4 sites, 5 papers (at least). Then there are the two papers that I know came from somewhere, but I'm thinking I should only spend so much time on the search. Something about the synoptics "never [having] any passage that suggested what the emotions of Jesus were" and/or that "in this unique Gospel, John puts forth the idea that Jesus is the light that overcomes darkness, meaning that whoever believes in Jesus will overcome darkness" and that instead of parables, Jesus focuses on teaching about relationships. Not that any of those are bad ideas, but the phrasing seems kinda off, especially considering the other ones that have been tracked down. Sigh.
»»»»» Gospel logs the most formidable 2 inches of paper I've ever seen. Bonus shipment of Snowman Soup to whoever can explain what the heck I was smoking when I thought having each one of my 83 kids read either Matthew or Luke in its entirety, and answer several questions on every three chapters. Questions like what happened, who's involved, what do you think, etc. A nice idea, in theory, but then what was I doubly smoking when I decided that I had to read through all of them at the same time? Gets a little old ..... BUT, it's done. And now to Church!
••• Post grades and missing work

Home/Non-school (or at least, non-paycheck-riding-on-it):
••• Order medicine
••• Make snowman soup
••• Figure out student Christmas ... whatever
••• "Faculty Buddy" gift
••• Write scripture reflection for Monastery website
••• Monastery/Loovul Christmas plans
••• Christmas stuff for home folks
••• Christmas card innards (and outtards) very cool poem written, to be posted once schoolwork is done and I'm ready to do cards
••• Read about "monastic dress" for discussion (which involves finding papers about monastic dress) and now that that's settled ... until the next discussion ... and the community discussion ...
••• Grocery shopping Should I find it horribly unfair that I'm ADDING to the list more than crossing off?
••• Deliver recycling one of the many unknown/unexpected/unplanned tasks
••• Unclogging a toilet another one of the unplanned projects, which took probably seventeen-thousand times longer than it would've taken any of you, since I have this deep-seated terror of all things toilet-trouble-related
••• Clean room as good as it's gonna get, anyway! At least I have a chair, and desk, and bigger bits of floor than before!
••• OK, and I'm gonna stop this part of the list here, b/c it's too skeery!

So if you see me hanging out here or on your blog and the list isn't cleared out? By all means, please please PLEASE climb your way through these fiber-optic cables and rip my hands off the keyboard.

Thank you.