Have a Splendid Friday!

[::Here is a "real" picture of our lady's river trip last weekend -- taken with one of those crazy, old plastic waterproof cameras. Wish I were there right now.]

I don't have any links for you this week, because...well, frankly, I was lazy! I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend planned, perhaps with a bit of laziness thrown in for good measure. Next week, "real life" [school] begins again, and lazy days will be few and far between. My birthday is on Monday, and we are having a party this Saturday. We will be grilling, drinking, dancing...and chasing chickens. Yes, you heard correctly!! My parents are letting us use their backyard for the party, and they have chickens! We are going to let them run around the yard and have a chicken-chasing contest. No worries, there will be no chickens harmed in the making of this party game. It is really fun for us city-folk to chase farm animals!! I will definitely try to get some good photos.

My friend Airam at Lost in a Spotless Mind inspired me to create a goal/resolution list for the start of the semester. Since I'm a perpetual student [and a teacher], the start of the school year always seems like a bigger deal than the actual start of a new year. What better time to ruminate on what I hope to get accomplished? Do you set goals for yourself from time-to-time? Do you write them down? Does this seem to work for you? I'm curious to know how well I will hold up my end of the bargains I am making with myself. I will try to:

1. Carefully make a list of Fall/Winter fashion items that I want and stick to it! This means, not getting distracted and buying things before thinking it through, and not spending money on items I don't need.
2. Work on compartmentalizing my time better. Set a goal for how much time I want to spend on each aspect of my work each week [blogging/teaching/my work at the Modernist Journals Project/dissertation research/research for personal projects] and be strict about it. I am going to time myself every day for a while to get a feel for much time I'm spending or wasting on certain activities.
3. Keep up some sort of exercise-regime. In the summer I bike, swim, play tennis, etc. But in the Fall it is much harder to stick to a routine. I want to try and get back to doing yoga at least once a week and use the indoor pool at my university.
4. Treat myself to a massage once a month. There is a fantastic little hippie-spa here in town with really reasonable rates on steam/massage/jacuzzi packages. I think the benefit will be priceless -- lowered stress and anxiety and a bit of quality-pampering time for myself!
5. Work on following my bliss [a phrase I think Joseph Campbell coined?]. Despite my hectic schedule and professional obligations, I hope to follow through on my creative inspirations and personal projects...and I must always remind myself that these things are worth my time!

I would love to know about your goals, too...