We should all be the multitaskers that Daddy is
Daddy makes us so proud with what he does, but lordy does it keep that man busy. As he used to tell his graduate advisors in Seattle, "I may not be smart, but I'm the hardest worker you've ever met." Once, one of them retorted, "Is there a difference?"
Last week was probably the busiest week for him in the history of his job, and that is saying a lot. Let me try to break it down for you what the man accomplished last week, in chronological order, because it is just that impressive. I promise I am leaving something out.
*Taught a 100-level geography class, three times. Also wrote their midterm from scratch.
*Taught a upper-level geology class once.
*Drafted and turned in a proposal to the University to fund a new certificate program of his own design (which they are giving him at least a half-million dollars to implement)
*Drafted and turned in a proposal to NASA with his co-instructor to support a brand-spankin' new line of research
*Drafted and turned in two proposals for undergraduate funding for his field trip this summer
*Edited at least two papers for his professional journal
*Helped two Master's students finish their theses by Friday
*Helped same students prepare for their successful defense talks (which happened on Friday)
*Wrote a recommendation letter for one of his graduating Master's students
*Worked on a paper (on which he is the first author) that will be submitted to Nature in a month
*Worked on a paper (on which he is the second author) that will be submitted to Science in a month
*Helped a grad student move into our basement
When Daddy was offered this job, they asked him if I wanted one, too. I said NOooooOO because, while it would have been an amazing opportunity, I know myself. While I don't deny that I have some brains, I know these brains could never wrap themselves around a to-do list of this size. We are all lucky that Daddy, who also has brains (despite what he says), has the internal fortitude to enjoy the taste of the fifty-or-so pies into which his fingers must necessarily dip.
Last week was probably the busiest week for him in the history of his job, and that is saying a lot. Let me try to break it down for you what the man accomplished last week, in chronological order, because it is just that impressive. I promise I am leaving something out.
*Taught a 100-level geography class, three times. Also wrote their midterm from scratch.
*Taught a upper-level geology class once.
*Drafted and turned in a proposal to the University to fund a new certificate program of his own design (which they are giving him at least a half-million dollars to implement)
*Drafted and turned in a proposal to NASA with his co-instructor to support a brand-spankin' new line of research
*Drafted and turned in two proposals for undergraduate funding for his field trip this summer
*Edited at least two papers for his professional journal
*Helped two Master's students finish their theses by Friday
*Helped same students prepare for their successful defense talks (which happened on Friday)
*Wrote a recommendation letter for one of his graduating Master's students
*Worked on a paper (on which he is the first author) that will be submitted to Nature in a month
*Worked on a paper (on which he is the second author) that will be submitted to Science in a month
*Helped a grad student move into our basement
When Daddy was offered this job, they asked him if I wanted one, too. I said NOooooOO because, while it would have been an amazing opportunity, I know myself. While I don't deny that I have some brains, I know these brains could never wrap themselves around a to-do list of this size. We are all lucky that Daddy, who also has brains (despite what he says), has the internal fortitude to enjoy the taste of the fifty-or-so pies into which his fingers must necessarily dip.
posted by Claire at 11:11 PM
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