As August settles in, the trains begin to empty and many people prepare for their summer holidays. Meanwhile, my own summer seems likely to pass under a steady accumulation of work, deadlines, and plans made with the help of AI.
Perhaps because of the rain that had continued since last night, the morning was slightly humid, but not unpleasantly so.
The temperature has been a little lower over the past few days, which has been a great relief.
This morning, I left Ann’s walk to my wife and got up at my usual time, just before six.
I had only been walking Ann for a few days, but stopping so suddenly left me feeling that something was missing.
My body, however, is already exhausted from the mountain of work that has piled up day after day.
Perhaps this was just the right time to take a break.
Now that August has begun, perhaps more people are taking their summer holidays, because the trains have become less crowded.
This year’s Obon holiday period runs from August 13 to 16.
By using all five days of summer leave and taking tomorrow, next Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off, one could create a ten-day holiday, including Mountain Day.
That would be quite a vacation.
There is, of course, the question of where anyone would want to go in this heat, but in any case, the trains will probably become even emptier from tomorrow onward.
In pediatric pathology, my own field, we have an academic meeting in September, so August is always busy with preparations.
This year, I also have a lecture at a kidney-related research meeting in September, and the preparation for that is hanging over me as well.
As I wrote recently, I have been asking AI to help schedule my work.
AI has no concept of a summer holiday, so it assigns me tasks day after day.
However, when I tell it that today is a weekend, or a holiday, or that I am tired, or simply do not feel motivated, it adjusts the schedule accordingly.
For now, I follow what it tells me.
I have had enough of panicking, so I suppose all I can do is keep going according to the plan.
In the end, it seems unlikely that I will have much of a summer holiday this year either.
Whenever the next request for work arrives, I tell myself that this time I will refuse.
It is time to let younger people do these things.
Strangely enough, though, while I am thinking that way, no requests seem to come.
Then, just as I begin to feel that I have a little too much time on my hands, another request arrives, and I find myself accepting it.
And so, unable to draw a clear line or bring anything properly to an end, this summer too seems likely to drift away before I know it.
Perhaps summer does not end suddenly; perhaps it simply disappears while we are still busy making plans for it.
・・・
humid
Slightly wet and uncomfortable because there is a lot of moisture in the air.
湿気が多い、蒸し暑い
a great relief
Something that removes worry, discomfort, or difficulty.
大いに助かること、ほっとすること
a mountain of work
A very large amount of work.
山積みの仕事
pile up
To gradually increase or accumulate.
積み重なる、たまる
Obon holiday period
A summer holiday period in Japan when many people return to their hometowns and honor their ancestors.
お盆休み
hanging over me
Continuing to cause worry or pressure because it still has to be dealt with.
気にかかっている、重くのしかかっている
adjust accordingly
To change something so that it suits the situation.
状況に応じて調整する
have enough of
To no longer be willing to tolerate something.
もううんざりする、もう勘弁してほしいと思う
have too much time on one’s hands
To have more free time than one knows how to use.
手持ち無沙汰である
draw a clear line
To make a definite distinction or bring something to a clear end.
区切りをつける
#SummerInJapan #ObonHoliday #WorkAndLife #AIPlanning #PediatricPathology #DailyLife #KamakuraLife #pathologist #Kamakura
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