Sabbatical Time

So, at 8 am this cold morning in Grove City, PA I sat in my recliner in my living room and drank coffee in my pajamas (yeah, I know scary visuals and too much information, etc.).  For the first time since May 1988 on a college/university class day, I was not in my office by 6:30 am and for the first time since 2004, not in the classroom teaching a class (excluding, of course, days I was ill).  Hooray for the sabbatical.

I have no official teaching duties until late August this calendar year.  I guess now I really have no excuse for not getting some good stuff written.  I look forward to challenge of appropriately managing my time and getting a few things written.  I have also decided on a few other agenda items for the break.  I want to read at least 4 journal articles per month related to the courses I teach.  I am going to do some online refresher courses for a few languages that I have some training in but have not used in many years (I am thinking Xhosa and Portuguese (African dialect), maybe Zulu).  I am even going to spend about a 1/2 hour per day working on my handwriting (love fountain pens, but I have really let my handwriting become quite sloppy in the last 20 years).

So, what else should I do...let me know if you have any ideas.  For my two cents, every academic should get a sabbatical every three to five years, I had to wait six to apply here and I think that is too long.  But, once you can apply, apply.