I have a Serendib and a SLF planning meeting, but otherwise unscheduled, and with no major looming things I need to be frantically working on, which is a nice change.
I’m working in my shed, windows open to enjoy the opening lilacs, looking over the week — it’s finals week, and my students’ papers and portfolios are due Friday midnight — usually I have them due earlier in the week, but this pandemic season, I figured I’d give them as much time as possible. It means a busy grading weekend, but also this week is unusually open, unless any of them have crises they need help managing. Hopefully not!
I’m alternating reading with e-mail work — mostly calendars and finances. I still need to finish up some campaign finance stuff — my swearing in ceremony is tomorrow, after which there will be many school board meetings.
Hopefully not *too* much parents yelling; we’ll see. Still thinking about the best way to do community feedback; I honestly don’t think making people show up in person to do public comment is a good use of time for anyone, and it’s an equity issue too, since not all parents can take the time to come in — what if they’re a single parent who works evening shifts? How are they supposed to come advocate for their child?
They can send an e-mail, of course, but it seems like there should be better options. Would allowing people to submit video comments be helpful, or opening the gates to a flood of videos that we then wouldn’t have time to review? I’m not sure. (Please remember that all school board members, at least here, are volunteers. I don’t actually know if other school board members get stipends? Which is also an equity issue.)
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Calendar-wise, I’m mostly trying to figure out the next month right now, although there’s also some longer-term planning. I think I’m going to visit CA in June, if I can make the dates work around biweekly school board meetings. That would be writing retreat at Alex’s and visiting Jed (not in that order).
I’m mostly anticipating a quiet summer at home, but in the fall, some conventions are starting up again. ICFA is doing a mini-ICFA in October, I think it is, and I said I’d go to that. It’ll be nice to visit Florida again.
World Fantasy is in Montreal this year, and I might try to combine that with something in Toronto, see my Canada cousins and maybe do an event with SJ Sindu. But I’m worried about Canada not having access to vaccines yet. I’m hoping that as the U.S. finishes up vaccinating all the adults who are eager, we can stop hogging vaccines and release some to Canada. So much of the world is in desperate need, it’s really heart-breaking if you look at what’s happening in India. It feels weird / almost obnoxious to be planning travel now, even work travel, much less personal. This has been such an unevenly-distributed crisis. 
I’m hoping Kavi and Anand are both vaccinated by Thanksgiving, in which case we’ll likely visit the grandparents in CA (or meet them somewhere even warmer).
WorldCon has moved to December 15-19 for this year, so I think there’s a good chance I’ll attend (Sharms, coming to D.C.! Benjamin, maybe a good chance to visit your family and promote your fabulous novel at the same time?).
All conditional, of course, based on what happens with the pandemic. Vaccinate vaccinate vaccinate, people. Kevin got his second shot on Saturday; two weeks until he’s fully vaccinated. It’ll be a weight off my mind. Kavi turns 14 soon, so hopefully she’ll be in the next batch approved. Anand will be 12 in September. Crossing fingers and toes.
