The calm before the storm

It has been a surprisingly quiet Sunday, in contrast with the stress of Friday and Saturday with the conference for which I was a discussant. It was my first time ever as a discussant and I was shaking like a leaf during the whole presentation, but the participants (mostly faculty, with some Big Names among them) apparently liked my comments very much.

At present, I have nothing school-related to do. It's all over, but on Tuesday the first ten papers are going to trickle into my e-mail inbox, and then next Tuesday the remaining forty will flood in, just in time for my return from Grandma's funeral. Perfect timing! :-/ This is the calm before the storm. In the morning I plan to set up shop in the office and barrel through the remaining 10 response papers.

My ear is still stopped up. I tried steaming it with a cup full of hot water (which only made it feel more plugged). Yawning, swallowing, even the old "hold your nose and mouth and try to blow out" maneuver have done nothing. Apparently, all I can do is just wait and hope for the best. I postponed my flight home until Thursday, so hopefully that will be sufficient time for my ear to heal.

OK, it's time to close up shop and get some zzzzz's. Thanks for all the good wishes about my Grandma and my ear, everyone. You rock! :-)