Applying myself

I can't believe it has been a whole month since I've blogged. I've been so steadily applying for academic positions (a number of which had such ridiculous deadlines as December 31st, January 1st and January 4th) that I haven't had much of a breather since I left Postdoc city at the end of the semester. I had this nagging sense of guilt while I spent Christmas with my family, and sent out two applications on New Year's eve!

I'm flying back to Postdoc city tomorrow (after submitting one more application today, doing laundry and packing my bag.) I'll have a few days to sort things out before I get to work on the January 15th applications, but I'm ready to get back to full-time writing again as soon as I get back. I wish I hadn't spent so much time away from my writing, but I'm glad that I feel ready to start the writing engine up again. I think the cold weather in Postdoc City will work to my advantage there, because it will help me stay indoors and busy.

Though I'm not one for marking anniversaries, I do want to note some 2009 accomplishments: I published my first paper (in a big journal), finished five sewing projects and four knitting projects in 2009. All of these sewing and knitting projects were gifts that I was very happy to share, but in 2010, I am shifting towards prioritizing my own needs and wants. For some reason, it doesn't come naturally to me.

Speaking of which, there is still one knitting project that is hanging on into the new year, and it is a cardigan for me. Mostly done, and I hope to finish it up on the plane, but I can't seem to decide on how ruffle-y I want the edging, so we'll see how it goes. Whatever I do, I'll definitely be posting photos of this one when it is finished.

What about you? Do you ever feel like you're too generous or have trouble prioritizing yourself over friends and family?