Working It

It is amazing what I will do to avoid editing a journal submission.

You know, I haven't done this very much - I just submitted my first original manuscript, and I have a review article (which apparently counts for very little in the academic world) in the works. But that original submission? I simply cannot look at it anymore. The idea that they will probably send it back for revisions makes me very slightly ill.

I'm supposed to take some hours today and work on a different article. But I'd so much rather just sit around and think of cool things to study than actually (1) study them or (2) write about studying them. I believe this is a common condition.


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Hey, The Bearded Economist [TBE] has a job! Hurray for him!

This is totally what we wanted, and a privilege in these economic times. But we are also adjusting. Someone said to me yesterday: "You used to live money-poor, now you have to live time-poor". Actually, not true. We have always lived time-poor; the downside to our long training has been that for the most part we didn't have the time OR the money. The upside to that is that the infrastructure is all there - the kids have had no change in daycare, the household stuff is already as automated as I can make it, and if it can be outsourced, I sent it out a long time ago.

What we're lacking right now is really flexibility. The last day before TBE started work, Dav had some sort of wheeziness at school. TBE picked him up, nebulized him, took him to the pediatrician appointment I made on my office phone while on my cell phone, instructing the teacher about how to count a respiratory rate.*

This is basically my new nightmare scenario, a sick child who needs to be picked up (and assessed) urgently. I know that if  we had to, clearly one (or both) of us would leave work. But because of this, I have gotten worked up when TBE is not IMMEDIATELY responsive by email/text/phone (which is, you know, actually reasonable) because what if school called him instead of me with a sick kid and couldn't get through? And what if it was a really sick kid? And what if, what if, what if?

Given that we have three kids, this sort of scenario has not actually happened that often. I have kind practice partners and some research/didactic time that grants a bit more room for breathing, if I had to leave. And TBE was very clear with the job that he has responsibilities at home, and they were very understanding.

But (especially given our terrible adventures this past autumn), I spend a lot of time strategizing about these unexpected illnesses and sort of ineffectually worrying about it. Some of it is leftover-slash-now-permanent anxiety, but some of it is legitimate, as last week's asthma adventure showed us.

Thoughts? Strategies? I know that Cloud of Wandering Scientist has dealt with this a lot (and without a nanny/babysitter) - anyone else?



*I really thought he had grown out of his proto-asthma. I was wrong. Now everyone has been oriented about Signs and Symptoms and When To Call 911. He's fine, although it took a LONG time for the wheeziness to resolve. Why yes, I am still a bit freaked out.