Ultra Tiny Bullet Points

Sometimes it may seem surprising, but with a relatively busy schedule to begin with, having a "day off" due to illness, like I had last week, can be akin to throwing a monkey wrench in to the gears.  This is what I am finding at the moment.  

My day off, though necessary as it was (since I could not talk in the slightest), and even with still working on my infernal computer while I was sick at home to try to do things I could.... I am still feeling a rather exponential ratcheting up of the things I need to do.

Hence, I am writing here today in brief bullets (or what pass as "brief" for me, anyhow):

• With Tuesday being this semester's BUSIEST teaching day (Thursday is pretty much the same TEACHING level, but with my not scheduling any research or service work AFTER lecturing on Thursday (due to the Retiree's Cigar Group), it feels LESS busy..... Today (Tuesday) has been exhausting as I have have to be especially lightning sharp, focused, and vigilant on everything I talked about to try to get back on track.
• The three, ninety minute lectures I had today revolved around a) the cellular processes of how muscle tissue contracts and is regulated by the biochemistry of the neuromuscular junction, b) a lecture about the neurophysiology of hearing (auditory) and the neurophysiology of our vestibular system (the portion of the ear that perceives balance, body position, and movement), and c) an extensive lecture on the physiology of the nephron (the tubulature within the kidney that obtains cellular wastes to concentrate these wastes into excretable urine).  In this lecture, I especially focused upon the role of specialized, high pressure, fenestrated capillaries in the glomerular capsule that is the physiological junction between the circulatory system and the urinary system.  
• While lecturing, I wrote with 5 different colors of markers (three of each color... spread across the 30 feet or so of white board I have in the big lecture hall, projected perhaps 60-70 different PowerPoint images on the giant screen above the white board).  Three of my markers gave up the ghost so I had to dispose of them while in class, and I also had to replace a battery in my electronic pointer/slide advancer as it gave up part way through the day.  
• My voice is tired.  
• I am still feeling frustrated that I had to skip last Thursday's Retiree's Cigar Group (even my typical late arrival this semester) because of my damn illness.  I have been already looking forward to going, come hell or high water this Thursday.... again, regrettably late, but with the hope one or two stragglers will still be there.  
• I sent out information (that I just received) for a next batch of research talks my students may potentially wish to pursue with our research.  This Conference is in May.... so we will see how many take the opportunity (with my help) to submit an abstract for consideration.  In the last go around, I had six groups submit an abstract and all six were accepted.  
• "Tacos" tonight for dinner.  "Tacos" is a bit of a euphemism for what I make.  I actually make a) two robust, super low-fat bean burritos on extra-high-fiber tortillas, two super low-fat bean toastadas (using smaller extra-high-fiber tortillas I bake to crispness so they are virtually fat free), and a taco salad (extremely low fat, bean forward, but also with a bit of diced chicken) that is in my usual salad mode..... made in a 8"x8" glass baking pan and piled high to be bigger than my head.  I will feel pleasantly full.
• I do not know if I mentioned that when I was sick I missed some running.  This discombobulated me somewhat.  I have ran consistently yesterday and today, and with such, I feel more up-to-snuff.
• I have been fussing with my pipes a fair amount in the evening the last couple of days.  It feels very good to hold and manipulate them.   I even filled a bowl of one with some lovely pipe tobacco (Three Star Blue, Iwan Reis), but after a few minutes knocked the leaf out back into the canister as I was feeling a rather too pointed and vivid urge to grab my Zippo as well.  It would have been very easy to do.  
• This time of year, the weather is SO frustrating.... beautiful (in the high 40s to maybe 50 for one day) and then a plunge back to below freezing for 3-4 days. It is POSSIBLE, tomorrow may be another day we MIGHT reach 50.  

 PipeTobacco