Random musings as I'm preparing to set to work

The weather pattern is different than I'm used to.  Very little temperature variation--around 10-15 degrees, from 74-87, more or less--but the humidity varies, as does the breeze.  In the middle of the day, when it's hottest, the humidity is under 50%; at night, as it cools off, the humidity rises to ~75%.  Which is when the windows get closed and the air goes on--although that is largely because the trains do come by at night and are loud enough to wake me if the windows are open...

It's Sunday morning here: Yom Rishon, or the first day of the week.  Cars going by.  The little parking lot outside the door was empty on Friday and Saturday; this morning it's already full with commuter cars. I have way, way too much to do in the next few weeks.  On the other hand, I'm making some progress, so perhaps I'll actually get something done before it's time to leave...

Yesterday was quiet and felt quiet--few cars on the road, no trains at all, and a definite sense of peace.  Nevertheless, the things that mark Shabbat for me--family dinner, services, my community--are missing.  There are synagogues in Akko, but all are Orthodox and most Mizrachi. I SHOULD be interested in attending, simply to get a sense of differences, but the reality is that I don't want to work that hard on Shabbat. And this was the first service led by our new rabbi. I definitely ached to be there and be part of that. 

Nevertheless, it was a good day--a productive day, even if it was Shabbat. I am making headway on the things I need to do to find a publisher.  It is a bit daunting, particularly the part where the publishers want you to have a job and the job wants you to have publications.  Which makes me really wish I'd focused more on getting a paper or two published.  I didn't and every time I thought about it, I froze, so that's that.  I keep coming back to the part where it's one step in front the other.  Yeah, sure, I see the people who are way more able than I am to balance all those things--but I'm not them.  And what part of "don't covet" do I not understand? So...here I am, with a potential book, a CV, a letter of intro, and a list of publishers.  Now, to write the prospectus and table of contents (it's different for the book than for the dissertation).  My hope for the week's blogging?  Really, really boring: I got up.  I sat in front of the computer.  I wrote....