Tomorrow is my final work day of the year. I'm making it a no major projects day. Aside from the two meetings on my calendar, it's strictly an admin day.  My plan is to finish the following:

• Review my spring 2024 outreach calendar

• Prep my Trello boards

• Create a to-do list for the first two weeks back

• Write up my December monthly report

• Deep clean my email - answer/process my inbox, file messages, and go through all my files

• Physically clean my desk area 

• Set up my out of office message

I plan on doing all of this while listening to my backlog of webinars. I want to end the year with a crossed off to do list, empty inbox, and organized plan for the new year.

How do you end your work year?

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Due to some revenge bedtime procrastination, I’ve only managed to read two chapters of Fatal Fried Rice this week. The plot has barely moved.

*Books shared here are affiliate links for Bookshop.org

• The impact of ChatGPT on college teaching. [The Chronicle of Higher Education - may be paywalled]

• Training journalists for dangerous assignments. [Washingtonian]

• How to bring some happiness into your life. [Real Simple]

• Why searching your email is so hard. [The Atlantic - gift link]

• Excellent Long Read: Who blew up the Nord Stream pipeline? [The Atlantic - gift link]

• Drawing some lines on a map can blow your mind. [Atlas Obscura]

• Why doctors still use old communications tech. [Planet Money]

• What outer space does to the human body. [The Daily]

• Helen Fong: the architect you probably don't know. [Kitchen Sisters]

• The history of the calculator and its impact on what we make. [99% Invisible]

• Your brain on sales. [Short Wave]

• The greatness of advertising in the 90s. [Planet Money]

• Don't dismiss made-for-TV holiday movies. [How to Be Fine]

• Explaining our adulation of Taylor Swift. [The Daily]

• I would totally watch this if it were turned into a movie or series. [@thefractalnaut]

• I think this year's crop of Hallmark's Christmas movies i kind of a bust. None of them are all that great. Luckily, the schedule cycles in a lot of older titles. This week, I was happy to rewatch Three Wise Men and a Baby. This one is more about family than romance.  Sure, there are romantic elements, but it's mostly about brothers reconnecting. Also, I love anything that calls out how hard parenting is. [Hallmark]

• Buy request, I made slow cooker chicken cordon bleu. The first time I made this, the topping was dry. I learned to drizzle on some chicken broth. This time, I used too much broth and the chicken was a but soupy. It still tasted fine and reheated well for leftover dinner later in the week. Also, cubing the chicken and slicing the ham works a lot better than leaving them whole. [My Evernote]

• I used up the last of my frozen cabbage by making a dish inspired by pierogies with cabbages and apples. I cooked the pierogies according the box and then served them with sauteed purple cabbage and onion. It was really tasty but not all that filling when spread out over three days. I think some kielbasa would have been a nice addition. [Real Simple]

Why are small houses so cute? [@dccitygirl]

We don’t have a fireplace so I rely on digital yule logs to create a festive atmosphere. I’m a big fan of Nick Offerman drinking by the fire. Also, LL Bean made one with a dog that is perfect.

My work week may be one day, but I’m spending the rest of the week preparing to host Christmas.