Summer milestone

I'm off to a slow start today, but it's probably because I don't have to go to campus for the first time this week. My exercise bike is being delivered today between 10:00 and 2:00, so I need to go clear a good spot in the basement for it. I have teaching prep I want to work on, too. I met with my summer intern for the last time yesterday. They did their presentations in the morning and by today, most of them will have left town. I had a positive experience again this year and s/he did some work that I probably wouldn't have managed if s/he hadn't been here. However, it's not publication-ready work and s/he wrote very little that can be used right now. I need to do some additional analysis and think about some data issues before a paper would even be a possibility. I would like for him/her to remain involved, but it will be tricky when we both start classes. I co-advised a student last summer and that work was good, but still hasn't been published either. That student was busy with school when s/he went home and my co-adviser (who ended up taking the lead) hasn't put time into it either. 

So, I have a lot to think about for research. I have mostly been thinking about classes, though. This is the earliest I have prepared for classes (although I'm not anywhere near being ready yet). Partly, it's because we are going out of town right before classes start and I want to have things ready before we leave for that trip. 

Otherwise, summer is really winding down. It's almost August. The students will be back in a few weeks and my full-load semester will start (with classes every day). I have a new RA coming, too. I am very optimistic about him/her if for no other reason than s/he has no chance of being the disaster that I had last year. I hope.