The sun has come out, thank God, and I am bringing my list forward. I may not be living well, but I am not falling prey either to the discourse of Reeducation or my first education, so this is a good thing. I have to get stronger and stronger so I do not fall prey to the discourse of the university when it starts.
I am considering never attending graduation again: we are required to every semester but I sometimes slip out; every time I do not slip out it puts a gris-gris on the whole break if I do not go out of the country, and the whole period before leaving if I do. It is an unpleasant experience for many reasons I could list and I may simply avoid it in the interest of doing a better job at the rest of my job.
Two telephone calls to California: Alice, Kate.
Four here: Patty,Jack,Douggie,Scott.
Two to Peru: Iris, Noris.
People to track down for general purposes: John, Ralph, Marta, Dalila.
One visit to car repair.
One visit to the office, and one e-mail from there to the outside world: Carlos and Gustavo; another to Cynthia or Joel.
One e-mail within Maringouin: Mickey.
Touch up paint in the bedroom.
Finish and mail New Years’ cards or letters: at minimum to Sally, Ken, Becky, Rebecca, Marilyn and Katrina.
Buy 2013 calendars.
Renew membership in LASA, ILLI, IAS, and maybe more — I am tired of scrimping on this.
Sew on one button.
Mend one seam.
Find that writing group.
Take that dress to be altered.
Finally dye that other dress.
Yoga and Pilates.
Consider going out of town.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
Doing a better job at the rest of one’s job seems like a good goal. If there are only a few things that get in the way, then by all means jettison them. I bet not all your colleagues go to graduation. I rather like it but we are only asked to go once every 3 years, and most years I have a good professional reason not to be there (conference), so when I do go I have a good time. I would hate to have to do it every year, though.
I should think about whether there is anything relatively simple about my job that I could just not do in order to be better at the rest of it. I fear it may not be that simple, but it is worth thinking about.
They all do go, that is the problem with going!
Not teaching freshmen would go a long way toward making me a better professor overall.