The pollen count has been four times higher than normal lately, and for whatever reason that always makes me quieter. Probably because I’m too busy with the Kleenex to type. But I have managed to free my hands enough to pack a carload of stuff, and we’re heading out this morning for the Annual Center-Sectional Tour. This year it takes us over through the Dakotas (Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, maybe some mammoths), down through Nebraska and Kansas to in-laws in eastern Oklahoma, then over to Little Rock for my family and friends, and then another few hours east to Memphis for RSA. All of this plays out over the course of two and a half weeks, and then we drive straight back really quickly so I can get back to the Project beta launch on June 1.

It’s very hard to stop working, though. Especially with the exam clock ticking. I’m determined not to work for five days as we drive down. I’ve packed the articles for my subfield in a 3" binder, and put it and two of the slimmer books in a bag that will be hard to get to until we unpack the car. But once we actually light somewhere, I’ve got to start throwing down some daily page counts.

I’ve been sort of proud of the balance I’ve managed this past year, which involved a fairly finely-tuned balance of work and goofing off. There’s been some recreational reading and trips around town. I feel that balance starting to slip now, which I suppose is pretty normal for exam-time. But still, if I lose sight of it altogether (as I’m prone to), I’ll be burnt out by August. Must remember to play.