Getting forgetful

All I can say in my defense is that when I get focused on writing projects (which involve burying my nose in a book and thinking about 60 years worth of literature), I tend to become impervious to social cues. Last week, Dr. Boss gave me the green light to write full time, which I've been doing. So I was a little miffed when he stopped by my desk yesterday to ask me about some experiments we have planned for the summer- like namely what I was doing about them. First I had to return to reality land to engage in conversation, and why are we talking about this anyway? I'll deal with it in July, right?

I confided this to my coworker who at first was equally confused. Does Dr. Boss not want you to be writing? Or maybe he just wanted you to volunteer some clues about how it is going. Have you told him how it's going? Well, no, actually. I didn't feel like I had anything to say yet because there is a lot of work to be done, and I know what I need to do right now. But he works really hard at not putting pressure on by asking "how's the writing going?" (which would probably make my head implode), so maybe I could help him by giving him some clues that I am on track. Or asking for the help that I want. Something so he doesn't worry I've just taken a vacation for the next couple months.

I suppose from his perspective, I just stopped coming in to lab, which doesn't look any different from when I do go on vacation. I've sent a couple emails today to give him some clues that I am working, and still really committed to this project, and interested in having it succeed so he doesn't worry I am just going to cut out once I have my degree.

And in case these seem like really obvious and normal interactions to have, and you are not sure why I am being so intentional about it, yesterday my foggy brain actually responded "Oo, fun!" to a friend who told me she had been at the doctors. So yeah, the social interaction center of my brain is clearly on sabbatical until the think about science part of my brain gets this thing under control.