Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving Dissertation Week - Days 2 and 3

In the past, I have written about how I get the warm fuzzies as we prepare for the holidays. I've also been in the habit these past six or seven years of cranking out paper after paper as I prepare for the end of the fall term. This year is no different, and I'm glad the warm fuzzy/holy-shit-I've-gotta-get-all-this done-NOW feelings are coming early. 

Yesterday went alright - got more and more of the summaries done, which will likely form the beginning of Chapter 4. Got another one done this morning, and I'll probably head home soon to wait for my mom to arrive for the holiday this afternoon. 

I've been having good luck working in the main public library here in LSC. Also, a friend of mine showed me a neat cafe in LSC's Cool Neighborhood, which is under a 10-minute drive from our house. I'm there this morning, and it's almost as nice as the cafe in SCT. Not quite, but it'll do for now! 

So I'm cranking out a summary or two, listening to holiday music on my computer, and really truly enjoying the data analysis process. What a gift it is to have the time and space to actually get the work done. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Monday, November 24, 2008

Thanksgiving Dissertation Week - Day 1

Today went far better than expected. I'm definitely on a roll at this point, which I desperately needed. Finally got over a hump I was on with this one rather boring interview summary. Took forever. Finished it up this morning, probably because I was studying with a friend of mine. It took getting out of the house/office and getting back to a more social environment to get anything done. Makes no sense, I realize, but it's true. Am now just going through interview summaries and getting them done, not getting them perfect. It'll all be thrown into the mixer of Chapter 4 anyhow, so why not just fly through these little buggers and finish them up? 

So this afternoon I flew through another summary of an interview that was twice as long as the one that took me forever to complete this morning. I don't ask questions about my progress anymore, I just continue. 

And, I've also opened up my process to my colleagues a bit more (colleagues at work, that is. A group of 12). I'm taking time off from work, after all, so they deserve to know where the hell I am. I asked them to ask me about my progress. This puts the pressure on me to be able to tell them something tangible about my process each time someone asks. Thus far it's working, and I'm also receiving lots of support. There are a few in this group who have finished doctorates, and a couple of others who are mid-stream like myself, so it's a pretty supportive group. 

Time to pack it up here at the library and head home. i wonder which circuitous route I should take home in the Mini today? 

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Still Giggling


It's sorta funny: Ever since yesterday afternoon, I can't stop giggling. 

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Two Things

THING 1: 
I think I have a structure for the theory I'm creating. OK, that's a sentence I wasn't planning on writing a few years ago. I'm creating a what? And someone's going to actually reward me for thir crap? Anyway, I'm glad to finally be developing a structure. At this point, and fucking structure will do, you know? Only four people in the entire world are actually going to read this thing. OK, five including my mother. 

THING 2: 
I will take delivery of the Mini Friday afternoon. Let's hope I have a fully-functioning VW for just two more trips to and from downtown and then just one trip to Carmax on the way to the Mini dealership.