The Banana Boat Problem

My official calendar at the University is bland.  Meetings I have agreed to attend are in dark purple and meetings I have no intention of attending (bad Denise) or have forgotten to RSVP (tsk tsk Denise) are in light purple.  All times are in Pacific, because Pacific Time rules the University of Washington world.   Each week, I translate the combination of UW meetings, external meetings, and personal appointments into a single calendar.  And to add spice to my otherwise boring life, I color code all of my obligations.   

• Blue:  Meetings or time dedicated to Research
• Green:  Meetings or time dedicated to Teaching
• Yellow:  Meetings or time dedicated to Service or other things that have nothing to do with enjoyment, research, or teaching
• Pink:  Fun times!

According to the stated expectations of my employer, I am expected to spend 40% of my time on teaching, 40% on research, and 20% on service. But, as with many other organizations, there aren't enough people to go around to keep the organization running, so I often end up with a schedule dominated by the color of banana:

The banana boat problem is a schedule awash with way too much yellow with little blue or green and only the occasional pink. And even during pink times like the Pac 12 championship, I am busy multi-tasking, trying to get a few more bananas off my plate while watching the football game out of the corner of my eye. 

I think I need to send the banana boat out to sea.  

May it sink or swim in peace. 

Should I write a song about its demise?