Is it just human nature to be perverse in one’s work habits?

When I have all the time in the world, I have no interest in doing anything work-related.  When I have other pulls on my time, I want nothing more than to sit for hours with my work.

I feel like a freaking weathervane. If it’s rainy and grey-skied, I have no energy to work.  If it’s sunny and blue-skied, I’m raring to go, but only after I’ve spent most of the day in the sunshine with a book.  So, I end up working in the evening hours, only I don’t want to work in the evening since that’s the time I have to spend with SG.

And now, I finally have an opening to focus on my research.  The co-authored papers are off with my co-authors; the conference proposals are submitted; the grad students are focusing on their own efforts this week.  I’ve written the reference letters, I’ve answered the emails, I’ve reviewed the grad files.  Nothing else is on my plate except the research tasks that I’ve been nibbling away at for months.

So, of course, I’m leaving tomorrow to visit the family.  SG’s new home is a day’s drive from the ancestral home, so much closer than I usually am; I need to take advantage of this while I can.  I’ve made arrangements to stay with my sister; I’m spending some quality time with N#3; I’m having dinner with N#2 tomorrow night; I’m going to Adorable Nephew’s basketball game on Friday night; I’m catching up with college friends on Saturday night.

When it comes to my professional life, my timing is so, so off.