I know I’m not supposed to be exhausted on a Monday- but my older daughter visited me in the night for about an hour (3-4 am, if you must know)… claiming she couldn’t sleep, and she needed company while she couldn’t sleep- so she woke me up to fulfill that role. I had a big, big coffee after lunch, but I am seriously dragging myself around still.
I had great plans to work on my grant first thing this morning, but that train got derailed by a manuscript … 600 words over the limit… which landed heavily in my lap email this morning. This is an IMPORTANT CNS type manuscript (insert good laugh here, then cross your fingers for me), and I spent two solid days on it last week hoping that would take care of the major stuff. Now comes the shifting to the supplementary of cutting of 600 words. In the last few hours I’ve managed to cut out 419 words… and I thought those last 181 were going to kill me, so I threw it back in the lap of Seriously-Big-Cheese-Senior-Collaborator (SBCSC). SBCSC says 3061 words after the citations are in proper format- and could go out by weeks end. I’m exhausted, but delighted.
Yes, you caught me procrastinating grant writing with paper writing (and blogging BTW). I have realized how much I enjoy paper writing. I know that sounds kind of odd (or maybe it doesn’t to all the rest of you science geeks)- but I really do like looking at all the data, putting together the story, and putting everything into the context of what has already been shown. In all my paper writing of late, I have been thinking about how it must have been for PIs just a few years ago when you didn’t try to turn out an R01 size grant in every single cycle, so a much greater proportion of your total writing time must have been spent paper writing.
At least I feel like paper writing is taking me somewhere right now- when grant writing … not so much. I know I’m not supposed to be thinking like this, I’m supposed to be doing the never-say-die, never-give-up, Hilary Clinton-fight-to-the-end thing… but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a little bit fatigued by the continuous struggling with no end in sight.
But- the paper is going to go out- and it’s good work- and I’m pleased about that. It is keeping the fun in this business for me at the moment.
Blue Lab Coats 
good luck! I hope it gets in to ‘insert desired journal here’
Yes! In fact, discovering the joy of (some aspects of) paper writing has been a big part of what persuaded me that I wanted to stay in science.
Figure legends, OTOH…..
Pinus- We can have an online paper rejection party when it comes back ! 😉
Dr.J – (when I write that I always think of that little kid in the Indiana Jones movie- who calls indiana jones ‘docta J.’)- I’m quite enjoying it. And hey- at least I’m procrastinating grant writing by doing something else that’s productive- I could be watching All my children or something!
“I’m supposed to be doing the never-say-die, never-give-up, Hilary Clinton-fight-to-the-end thing…”
She taught us something, didn’t she? I was not a Hillary supporter, and I was deeply troubled by some of the ways she chose to fight ’til the end. But, I’m honored that she continued the difficult fight when it would have been easier to give up. It was a gift to see a woman unwilling to step down until she had lost.
Good luck (and, yes, never give up)
(and, sympathies for the kid-interrupted sleep. Mine has started coming to my room a few times a night. it’s tough.)
neurolover- Yes, she did. I’m glad that she didn’t let anyone push her out or convince her to quit.
As for the sleep thing- after two nights of unplanned slumber parties- I was hoping for a good night of sleep- and last night I had insomnia. Go figure. I’m throwing down the gauntlet tonight- better living through chemistry…