When I’m looking to give my friends who work 9-5 jobs a hard time, I send them texts like this one:

Before texting my buddy, the plan for this post was to go on to explain that even though I technically don’t have to be back on campus for another 238 days, there’s actually a lot of work to be done. That thought was inspired by those who say to my wife, “Since Bill’s not working…”

There is an online course to teach this summer that involves a lot of preparation before it begins, and once it starts a lot of reading and responding to online texts and emails. I always say I like to read student writing, but sometimes there is just too much of it. However, nothing like a glimpse into my friend’s Office Space work life to spur me on to try and make the most of this opportunity I have to be away from campus.

At St. John’s University where I teach, we faculty are fortunate enough that we still have the opportunity to be granted research leave. I was granted leave for the fall semester, and I’m feeling pressure to get myself organized to make sure I don’t misuse my opportunity. I know that I can be productive, but I want to be the right kind of productive. Below are some of the lists I’ve been working on so far.

Three Big Points of Emphasis:

1. Family time including coaching lots of girls basketball
2. Build Asheville creative connections: writing, film, comedy, performance
3. Write or edit film first thing each morning
4. Professional development
5. Experiments in building online conversations around this website and the Torg Stories podcast

Projects to Work On:

1. Short documentary film about students who come to the United States to study
2. Article based on interviews done with students who are studying abroad in the United States
3. Essays for a collection perhaps titled A Yankee in the South: Tales of a Native Hoosier… I don’t know what the end of that title is. When I first started dating my wife Megan, her mother used to tell people her daughter was “dating a Yankee.”  I’ve since learned that if you’re from places like Alabama, then the folks in Tennessee might be thought of as Northerners.
4. Pitching films to friends that might involve juice cleanses and lawn mower races.

Items for the Daily Schedule:

1. Write new stuff or edit film
2. Work the girls out
3. Teaching prep and reading student work (for summer)
4. work out
5. Read
6. Write reflections on reading
7. Podcast/blog work
8. Professional development (Final Cut Pro X, sound mixing to start)
9. look for publishing opportunities for written not published work
10. Go out and about and meet people in Asheville