Apologies for the bloggy silence: I returned Stateside a week ago, immediately came down with a cold, discovered the back yard had become a jungle in our absence, had to assuage the needs of two cats, and decided that jetlag + headcold = awesome time to move offices. Because yes: upon earning tenure I also got a new office, one with a huge window that looks into the arms of a giant tree.
Getting tenure and scoring this particular office aren't directly related; one person is leaving, one person is coming in, and our old department chair is stepping down as our new one steps up, so there are several offices in play. Still, I enjoy both the symbolism and the ritual change inherent in the move: the office itself is only a bit better than my old one (which had a ridiculously tiny window but was otherwise spacious and agreeable), but thinking about how to organize and decorate a new space and going through, God help me, six years of lesson plans and course evaluations and administrative memos and plagiarism paperwork--and throwing out 2/3 of it and reorganizing the rest--has felt like an agreeable bit of housekeeping, an agreeable new start.
Whatever else tenure brings, occupying a new position within the department (literally!) and getting a new perspective on the world outside it (also literally!) seems like a nice way to begin.
14 comments:
Just stopping by to affirm this. Which is awesome. (Literally?)
w00t!
Surely it's too hot to wear cats.
Sis:
Unless you're talking about my Twitter photos, I don't know what you're talking about. And if you AREN'T, you should look at them. (And if you ARE, well, it's cooler here than it's been in much of the country.)
Oh, I envy you your new office! I have a window... looks onto the Women's restroom...and the attached hallway.
I envy the office next to mine. Someday, I'll get it!
Congrats on the new digs!
Unless you're talking about my Twitter photos, I don't know what you're talking about.
But of course I am! Cats are even more exciting than a brand shiny new office!
PS congrats on the office!
(Will you paint it snazzy colors? Post pics!)
I heard that the person with office next to mine (corner office) is leaving. Immediately got office envy...
Don't forget to set traps for trespassing administrators.
An office with a huge window? That looks into a tree? That's awesome.
A very nice way, indeed! I must admit, I'm a little jealous of your symbolic move and your literal view since tenure doesn't mean a move from my cave. I might take a stab at some rearranging, though, and see if I can spice up the window-less atmosphere.
Belle: my office *door* looks out onto the women's restroom, and the way my desk is positioned, if my door is open I can stare right at it all day long. I'm less thrilled about that part of the arrangement!
Sis: once I get my artwork hung, I will totally post pics! I won't be painting, though: RU is breaking ground this summer for a new humanities building, so we'll be moving soon enough (approx. 2 years) that it's not really worth it.
Many belated congrats on tenure!! Enjoy the new space!
That's great news about the new office -- hurrah! Having big windows is one of the best parts of my job, good for what ails me on a regular basis. I'm glad you'll get to stare into a nice big tree every day!
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