It seemed like a good idea at the time

I submitted the smallish completed application for a training grant this week, so there's one thing crossed off the list. Hooray for the itty bitty victory. Now on to the list of events and things to do (most of which are going on in the next 6 weeks or so... I love my life). Things that seemed like a good idea at the time have accumulated into a "what was I thinking" list:

• Write an amendment for an animal protocol
• Finish revising/rewriting the draft of my final paper for Bear (no, I couldn't really do it until this summer because Bear was rewriting another former student's manuscript and wanted mine rewritten in that context. Yes, I suppose I could be working on that now instead of blogging, but my brain has not quite reached that level of functionality yet.)
• Write/help write 2 to 3 more grants--at least one more fellowship app and a grant for the lab
• Attend to responsibilities to professional society
• Prepare a poster? The ? is regarding the fact that no one has explicitly mentioned it but...
• Department retreat
• Family visiting-this weekend-which although they are (un)fortunately not staying at our place, means:
• Cleaning and organizing our apartment over the next 40 h
• Devising an entertainment schedule (as if I have any idea there is to do in this city that might be considered 'fun' by 2 late-twenties, a 50-yr old, and a 70+ yr old, especially since only half of us drink)
• Pulling out a massive dose of patience (one of them I have no problem with; the other certainly knows how to try me)
• Generate the ever-so-important preliminary data for the aforementioned grants
• Process and analyze 100+ samples
• Start planning a trip to the 'homeland' so I can get the fam off my back (one of the perils of moving several hundred miles away from a locale where everyone else never leaves)
• Lots of science reading (I'm so far behind I have no hope of catching up)
• Learn how to do the in vivo experiments I'm proposing in aforementioned grants
• Crank up my time on the road (running and biking) and in the gym

In recent weeks, my capacity to blow through some of these things has been hindered by the fact that at least one or two days a week I am at far less than 100% and even reach the point of not being able to remain in the lab because I'm sensitized to a range of particulates and volatile chemicals and some people insist on (a) wearing heavy cologne/perfume to work and (b) doing mouse work at their benches.

Yes, I am whining. And slightly overwhelmed by the size of pile I have accumulated. But I also know that I've felt this way before and still managed to get through it all--perhaps not in the time that I or others want me to, but it always gets done.

Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to get to that list.