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Spring is here, the grass is riz. Only the grass hasn't risen very far because it's a little bit chilly. -7 is how our wonderfully warm Australian Spring began this year. The birds weren't very noisy at all this morning. I rather suspect huddling affected their song. Or the ice froze it in mid-air.

It's warming up apace and will be zero degrees by the time I leave for teaching. If it isn't, I'll want to know why. I might have to put handwarmers in my pockets, though, to make sure my fingers are able to operate white board markers at the far end, for there is over a mile of walking to do to reach today's classroom. Not that over a mile is very far, but that I suspect my fingers will assume that it's very far.

Happy first day of Spring, everyone southern enough to be experience this particular and delightful change of season. And please, please stop laughing, all my more northerly and equatorial friends.

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I taught twelve hours this week. Today's session was particularly good, for I tested out the stuff I've been researching. It works in class. I can use my work of the last couple of years to teach more skills to writers. It's good.

I have just three weeks of this term to go, then Conflux, then a bit of a break in case I have PhD panic. After that, there's just one more course this year.

Planning is already underway for next year. I hope I get a job, one day, sometime, but if I don't, it's rather good to know that all the places I teach at regularly want me back. It's life as usual until things change. Instead of doing my doctorate, though, I'll be working on the project I was partway through before the doctorate. I want it finished and in print and being used. That's the other upshot of today. The work I was doing got used today and my students wanted more. I have taken notes, so that in a couple of months I can then think about how to proceed.

Right now, how I shall proceed is by squinting evilly at Chapter Five until I discover what is making me dislike it. Van is happy with it, but I am not. I want to send him the revisions as soon as the conclusion is fit to go on, so tonight is the night.

(no subject)

I think I might have talked myself out of going to ICFA next March. It would cost me about $3,500, which is doable if all else goes right (because of the amount of teaching I've had this year) but could leave me in hot water if things go pear-shaped again. Also, I've been to a convention with Gaiman as guest of honour and, while he is enormous fun and worthwhile for many reasons, it changes dynamics. I wanted to give a paper and to spend time with friends and to make contacts in my field. I rather suspect ICFA might be better in 2014. If I get funding for it in time (which is unlikely at this stage) I shall, of course change my mind, for ICFA is still something I very much want to attend.

I don't know what other conferences I should be considering at this stage. I rather suspect that spending that kind of money on overseas travel ought to wait until I have a more secure income. This means either NZ or Australia. I've already sorted one in Melbourne in November (at which I may or may not be giving a paper), so maybe I should sit for a little and see what comes into my in-box.

I am perplexed by the whole end-of-doctorate thing, I think. It's such a wavery condition.