There had better be time on the plane...

We're 11 days into March and the only real progress I've made on my Loopy Academy projects is that I wound all of the wool for the Spring Junior Year stuff. And considering the price tag on those (I went with Wollmeise DK for one project...) I need to get things underway and make good use of that wool and money.

Unfortunately, I've been snowed under entirely with work stuff: I'm mid-manuscript with one colleague, facing down another manuscript that needs to be entirely written here shortly with another, working on a conference presentation with two more, and the usual grading, teaching, give presentations, and other day job stuff.

I love working with a variety of friends and colleagues on projects though, it's wonderfully inspiring to work with such smart women and figure out who it is that knows the information I'm seeking. Add us together and we can speak or write about nearly everything.

But it doesn't get the knitting done.

 Gypsy being snuggly to break
up the wall of text

As I'm headed east to Maryland to visit Sibling-the-Younger and attend a conference, I'm planning my travel snacks. I've narrowed down what I use in my regular mix: Cheerios, Parmesan goldfish, Peanut M&Ms, and Reese's pieces.  Chocolate,  peanut butter, salt, and carbs. Yum.  That's coming on Wednesday in my grocery order.

The concession we made to my tenure obligations a few years ago was grocery delivery. Peapod is local to us [referral link for $20 off if you're interested]. Their selection is good, the prices--especially if I catch things on sale--are comparable and it has been well worth the delivery fees for a polite man to show up at my door at the specified time with food.

I find it also means a lot less impulse purchasing of junk food or even just random food that tends to hop into ones cart. I'm not meandering past aisles of chips and chocolate and that means I have to consciously think to go look up chocolate pudding and add it to the order. Don't worry, Kraft Mac and Cheese is still a staple in my book. When I'm planning for a few recipes, it also means I just work down the list rather than hop around a building which totally equates to far less frustration on the "well, where do *you* think they put the toothpicks" front.

The balance with that though is that I don't always think about fresh produce. I don't see that today this fruit look delicious or they are just unpacking some fresh interesting greens. We're still six weeks away from the first outdoors farmers market so I'm not supplementing that way as yet. I need to make a conscious effort to look at what fruits and vegetables are best/most available right now and put them in my cart.

Today is a writing day though and hopefully by the time I get on a plane next Friday, my biggest concerns will be just how much knitting I can charge through in 9 days. Back to the Word Document.