Inaneness...

After my family departed NZ for the US six weeks ago I embarked on what will be the last HUGE experiment of my PhD. While I still have a good deal of data to collect this experiment represents the last stretch of time where I work seven days a week, six of those starting data collection at 6:30am, for several months straight. In truth it's exciting to be acquiring so much data but right now I'm three weeks in and am starting to run on empty. Timmy and I make a concerted effort to go to bed at a decent time but the days become insanely long when you leave for work at 6am and sometimes don't get home until after 6pm. Now I've really been trying to escape the lab after working eight hours like a normal person but, for the most part, that has proven impossible. There's always some additional lab work to be done and I never would've guessed that all these preparatory tasks would take as much time as they do. When I start collecting data in the morning I barely get things set up and do some other small tasks and eat breakfast but before I know it it's time to break down my experiment so the next student can use the equipment. In addition to collecting data Tim and I have both been participating in the Postgraduate Student's Association (PGSA) here at Vic. And while we've worked on numerous projects that are resulting in truly positive outcomes for students it takes quite a bit of time to prepare. As of October last year Tim took over the presidency and has done an amazing job coordinating work for the Executive Board. I sit on that Board as well as participate as a postgrad representative for Academic Board, Academic Committee and the Animal Ethics Committee. Over the past three weeks I've had long meetings with ridiculous amounts of reading for Academic Board, Academic Committee and Ethics. So with data collection getting us to campus early in the morning PGSA work often keeps us on campus until 5pm or later. And for that reason we are starting to feel the strain. In discussing how to manage our fatigue, because I will have this schedule until at least the beginning of May, Tim made a fantastic suggestion. A prescription for all things inane. In an effort to escape work, even for short periods of time, we have decided to pursue activities that require no brain power. I've realized that I don't have any to spare anyway. :) Therefore, in our limited free time we play video games and read mindless fluff books or watch TV that we stream from the US. I never thought these things would help to bring balance to overworking but they do. Here's to not using your brain!