The shortest month

I've been looking forward to February. Sundance is over, and I don't have any trips until March. It's only twenty-eight days, but it's probably the least stressful of the spring months.

But February is filling up. The Olympics are starting in just over a week, and while I'm not an athlete, I am a Ravthlete -- and worse, an administrator in the Ravelympics, which so far has 7000+ participants. Because my weekends will be consumed with Olympic fever, I need to work on our taxes this weekend ... which is also Super Bowl weekend. And before the Olympics are over, I need to make serious headway on March's Spaghetti Junction of deadlines. I'm doing two presentations, moderating a session, and organizing the business meeting at the Southwest Commission on Religious Studies March 12-14. I've also agreed to present a paper at a local conference earlier the same week. If some writing doesn't get done in February, the first ten days of March are going to be very unpleasant.

So my job is going to be finding a way to perceive enough stress for the next week to get a head start on March. That's difficult for me, since I don't plan rationally but emotionally. Now that I've let you all in on my secret, though, perhaps I can obligate myself publicly. Before next Friday I will begin planning all four of the sessions for which I am providing content. You're my witnesses -- now hold me to it.