Sunday, January 22, 2012

Sabbatical Success

They say that sabbatical is related to the word "sabbath" - as in "abstinence from work"... rest. And I'm not going to kid anyone here: I intend to relax a little. But I also plan to complete projects I'd never had time or bandwidth to attempt during the regular academic year.

Just for fun, I'll keep track of 'em on this page.

Fri, Jan 20: Updated laptop to OSX Lion to start playing with iBooks Author.

Sat, Jan 21: Downloaded Zotero desktop version and finally got my small but growing reference library integrated with Word.

Sun, Jan 22: Got Networked Blogs to post Woodland Shoppers Paradise-posts onto my Facebook account.

Mon, Jan 23: Created my first interactive graphic on iBooks Author.

Tue, Jan 24: Went on my first run in about two years. Only a mile (and a pretty pathetic time at that) but a start to better health. Used Nike's GPS runner's app to track my course, distance, and time.

Wed, Jan 25: Installed a piece of software (EndNote - a potential competitor to Zotero as my primary bibliography management system) and made solid progress on COMM ebook.

Thu, Jan 26: Started building a Picaboo book on roadside relics.

Fri, Jan 27: Finished first draft of Roadside Relics book.

Sat, Jan 28: Jenny and I managed to repair and reinstall our chimney cap - without falling off our roof.

Sun, Jan 29: Uploaded final draft of Roadside Relics.

Mon, Jan 30: Installed new versions of Photoshop and Acrobat. (Seriously, I've had this software for more than half a year and never had time to get the serial numbers to complete the installation process.)

Tue, Jan 31: Finished and mailed “Origami Urbanism Amid the Flat City: An Omnitopian Analysis of Commercials Depicting Mutability in Urban Life.”

Wed, Feb 1: Revised every voice-over and almost every edit of my GTI video.

Thu, Feb 2: Wrote abstract for potential NCA paper, "Trade Your Trouble for a Bubble: Imagining the Enclavic Future at the 2010 Shanghai World's Fair."

Fri, Feb 3: Starting getting my head around Pinterest. Started DPRK visa process.

Sat, Feb 4: Began building Roadside Relics iBooks version.

Sun, Feb 5: Continued developing Roadside Relics for iBooks, watched Super Bowl commercials.

Mon, Feb 6: Learned how to create Keynote "video" that can be exported to iPad.

Tue, Feb 7: Built iBooks interactive graphic for APA referencing.

Web, Feb 8: Prepped kick-off meetings for Salzburg and Beijing summer trips.

Thu, Feb 9: Created COMM 101 graphic that illustrates how student-selected articles can build upon one another - and built a Salzburg Talking About Global Topics Activity.

Fri, Feb 10: Participated in kick-off activities for Salzburg trip.

Sat, Feb 11: Led kick-off activities for Beijing trip.

Sun, Feb 12: Built personal Google-map for upcoming solo trip itinerary.

Mon, Feb 13: Organized visa applications for Beijing 2012 students.

Tue, Feb 14: Worked on all sorts of projects (but more importantly) sent hourly Valentines to Jenny.

Wed, Feb 15: Lengthy lunch with longtime pal (and future office-mate).

Thu, Feb 16: Photographed West Oakland street art.

Fri, Feb 17: Organized Salzburg passport information for airfare purchase

Sat, Feb 18: Photographed East Oakland street art.

Sun, Feb 19: Enjoyed Battlestar Galactica marathon with the fam.

Mon, Feb 20: Began prepping Humanities Honors lecture on 20th century art.

Tue, Feb 21: Took care of bank wire for international travel. Prepped more of honors lecture.

Wed, Feb 22: Prepped more of honors lecture.

Thu, Feb 23: Met with colleague to discuss potential book project.

Fri, Feb 24: Attended to logistical issues about three back-to-back trips.

Sat, Feb 25: Built collaborative Beijing map.

Sun, Feb 26: Improved Beijing map and began to finalize RSQ article edits.

Mon, Feb 27: Completed version 2.0 of "Regionalization and the construction of ephemeral co-location."

Tue, Feb 28: Arranged itinerary for upcoming solo roadtrip.

Wed, Feb 29 [Leap Day!]: Planned flights for summer Europe trip and brainstormed with colleague for potential book project.

Thu, Mar 1: Finished initial layout for Humanities Honors lecture on modern art

Fri, Mar 2: Updated itinerary for solo roadtrip, discussed Humanities Honors performance with colleague, shot animated neon sign in Boulder Creek

Sat, Mar 3: Dinner at home with friends

Sun, Mar 4: Met with writer's group to discuss new projects

Mon, Mar 5: Completed (mostly) the Salzburg student ticketing process and five hours of consulting

Tue, Mar 6: Chased down paperwork, composed massive Beijing 2012 update message, and built Salzburg 2012 map

Wed, Mar 7: Picked up Beijing 2012 visas and continued Oakland street art search

Thu, Mar 8: Revised RSQ article and read Liquid Modernity

Fri, Mar 9: Wrapped up Weimar travel plans and began COMM 149 refresh

Sat, Mar 10: Devoted most of the day to COMM 149 refresh

Sun, Mar 11: Improved, revised solo road trip

Mon, Mar 12: Completed solo road trip itinerary

Tue, Mar 13: Skyped with colleague about literature review project

Wed, Mar 14: Met on campus to discuss Salzburg video revisions

Thu, Mar 15: Resolved minor software crash (not all sabbatical projects are fun)

Fri, Mar 16: Freed up gigs of hard drive space (again, not all sabbatical projects are fun)

Sat, Mar 17: Attended Salzburg BBQ and packed for epic three week road trip

Sun, Mar 18 through Sun, Apr 8: 7,400 mile road trip from home to L.A., across the south to Georgia, then north to Chicago, and back to L.A. across Route 66 - and then back home to Scotts Valley. Final weekend back home: editing video and pix.

Mon, Apr 9: Wrote two "nodes" for literature review project

Tue, Apr 10: Visited Santa Cruz court house for potential jury duty

Wed, Apr 11: On-site jury selection process slowly proceeds

Thu, Apr 12: Three days of jury selection - oaths in court, voir dire, the whole bit - and my number never came up. I appreciate that serving on a jury is a privilege, and I know how fascinating it can be, but in this case, wow, I'm grateful they didn't call my name.

Fri, Apr 13: Edited and posted pix of St. Louis street art

Sat, Apr 14: Edited Blue Swallow Motel video

Sun, Apr 15: Began prepping 20th Century arts lecture

Mon, Apr 16: Wrote John's Modern Cabin's blog post, continued prepping 20th Century arts lecture

Tue, Apr 17: Wrote "Bigger Classes, Better Outcomes?" blog post, reviewed thesis prospectus, worked on literature review project

Wed, Apr 18: Continued prepping 20th Century arts lecture

Thu, Apr 19: Reviewed thesis topic sentences and prepped Beijing 2012 course

Fri, Apr 20: Adopted Fall 2012 books, prepped for 20th Century arts lecture

Sat, Apr 21
: Posted my Route 66 video on Buzzfeed and finalized 20th Century arts lecture

Sun, Apr 22: Practiced 20th Century arts lecture

Mon, Apr 23
: Practiced 20th Century arts lecture

Tue, Apr 24
: Presented 20th Century arts lecture and had a celebratory beer with colleague

Wed, Apr 25: Flew to Chicago for Illinois Institute of Technology department review; dinner at Mercat a la Planxa

Thu, Apr 26
: All-day work on Illinois Institute of Technology department review; dinner at Chicago Club

Fri, Apr 27: Co-wrote Illinois Institute of Technology department report; returned home

Sat, Apr 28: Relaxed at home with Jenny; enjoyed Scorsese's The Departed

Sun, Apr 29: Finally cleaned bedroom post-painting mess

Mon, Apr 30: Final edits (I hope!) on IIT document; reviewed Beijing handbook

Tue, May 1: Wrote Missouri rest stop blog; ditched crazy-unwieldy collection of to-read clippings; integrated Pocket snipper/saver into my workflow; wrote two more literature review nodes

Wed, May 2: Addressed lotsa Beijing 2012 logistics in the morning; started planning Weimar keynote lecture in the afternoon

Thu, May 3: More work on Weimar talk

Fri, May 4Finally resolved (I think!) my dual Google account problem. At last, one account to rule them all!

Sat, May 5: More work on Weimar talk, studied the cinematography of Michael Mann's Heat.

Sun, May 6: Much-needed relaxation with the family - even took a long walk together!

Mon, May 7: Consulting in the morning; Lit Review project in the afternoon

Tue, May 8: Laborious correspondence and campus details in the morning; Fresno Street Art project in the afternoon/evening

Wed, May 9: More correspondance - then some editing and time with our foster kitties

Thu, May 10: Sent feedback on RSQ page proofs

Fri, May 11: SJSU premier of Salzburg video "Ripples Across the Pond"

Sat, May 12: Started playing with HandBrake software

Sun, May 13: Enjoyed Mother's Day with Jenny and Vienna

Mon, May 14: Began packing and granular writing process for Weimar speech

Tue, May 15: More Weimar logistics and two new Lit Review project nodes

Wed, May 16: Picky travel details (calling banks, etc.) and Weimar work

Thu, May 17: Wrote "Omnitopia as Urban Epistemology"

Fri, May 18: Weimar talk prep and dinner with friends

I'm concluding this post here, given that my sabbatical ends with the spring semester. In summer I'm traveling to Europe and to China (twice!), and I'll be blogging much less than normal during that time. Later on, I'll reflect on the value on this sabbatical. I didn't do all the reading I'd hoped, but I did finish projects large and small that would never have been possible during a typical semester - and I made real headway toward one (and potentially two) book projects. As always, I'm grateful for the time and investment that SJSU made in my personal and professional life. I hope that the results are worthwhile!

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