Defense Preparation

Eight years of work is coming down to a 90-minute meeting with my committee? Anyone out there care to share ideas for how I should prepare for the dissertation defense next Wednesday? Perhaps a good combination of alcohol and prayer could work...

One more week

One week from today I'll be pulling out my hair and biting off my nails as I prepare for my defense. At this point, I can't wait to get it done. Am not really dreading the experience...I'm dreading the anticipation of the experience. I hope the week just flies by...

Recovery

It's funny: I'm not all that nervous about the defense just yet. I'm certain I will be a few days beforehand. For now, I just feel like it's done, like I've submitted a paper for class and I'm simply waiting for the final grade. I'm moving on to a few important tasks I have this week and next at work (like three presentations at two conferences between now and the 24th), and I'm starting to get back into a regular sleep pattern. Even went out of town with the family last weekend to visit relatives, which is something I've not done in a long while (usually I stay home alone to work on the paper).

I find it to be funny that I find myself in recovery mode. I'm just plumb tired. Supremely tired. Not physically, but mentally. To the point where I wonder if I'll find the energy again. It's just a feeling, and I realize it's not reality. The only thing I can chalk it up to is just needing time to recover from the stress of the last eight years or so. Let's hope it does not take me eight more years to recover! haha.

It's completely out of my hands

At high noon today, I sent my completed dissertation to my committee. There's nothing more I can do till the defense on 11/3. So, I wait.

And as the weight of the final edits lifted, by body proceeded to fall apart. I have a completely mysterious toothache (just days after having a cavity filled on another tooth) that turned majorly painful, and I think I have a sinus infection as a hold-over from a head cold I had over a week ago. No fever though. But I even went to the doctor and phoned the dentist. I haven't been in this much pain in...well, I don't know, but it sucked. Am on a nasal steroid and major Advil amounts till I can see the dentist Thursday morning.

Kinda funny how the body works. Holds itself together till it knows it can let go. Am feeling better now that I'm home and legally drugged. I think I'm going to sleep well tonight!

Copy Edit Hell

Copy edits suck, but they will make for a better dissertation defense in the end.
Copy edits suck, but they will make for a better dissertation defense in the end.
Copy edits suck, but they will make for a better dissertation defense in the end.
Copy edits suck, but they will make for a better dissertation defense in the end.
Copy edits suck, but they will make for a better dissertation defense in the end.
Copy edits suck, but they will make for a better dissertation defense in the end.

I need to keep saying this to keep me motivated today.

Copy edits suck, but they will make for a better dissertation defense in the end.
Copy edits suck, but they will make for a better dissertation defense in the end.
Copy edits suck, but they will make for a better dissertation defense in the end.
Copy edits suck, but they will make for a better dissertation defense in the end.

Defense is One Month from Today

I've been remiss about posting an update or two in the last couple of days:

First, I did finish up that last bit of unexpectedness Sunday night. I had a head cold, so I decided to sleep in Monday and I did a final edit of everything from home later that morning. Sent it off to DC around 1:00 PM that day.

Second, my defense announcement now appears on the LMU web site with "upcoming Ph.D. dissertation defense announcements," so it's getting very real now. I guess I'm a bit nervous on the emotional side, though the logical side knows that ultimately it will go just fine. Hell, my qualifying exam defense did not necessarily go very well, but I passed. I didn't know what the hell I was talking about then. THIS should be just fine. A couple of colleagues have asked to attend the defense, as these things are technically open to the public. Not sure yet how I feel about having anyone else in the room besides The Committee and Wife. I'll have to think about that.

So at this point, I'm simply doing another copy edit of the whole document and awaiting DC's comments on Chapter 6 Draft 3. Hopefully the third time will be a charm once again. I am seriously considering saying, "No DC. No more editing. I'm done. It's over," if she were to give me additional feedback. Yeah, I'll just keep dreaming about that little joke.

More later. Bye.

One Final Bump in the Road

I knew it would happen: I knew there would be one more hurdle to cross. It's not a big deal, but it threw me off guard this late in the game.

DC wondered why I had not included one well-known theorist's work in my dissertation. Well, I had included this person's work in my dissertation proposal in 2007, and my chair suggested I remove it at that time. I did, but I saved the text in a separate document just in case.

Glad I saved it. Now we're discussing whether or not to include this author's work in my final chapter as an unexpected finding. Really? How is it unexpected when I had initially thought it should be in there from the beginning? DC asked whether or not I agree with her point of view to include this theorist's work. I do agree, but indirectly, since I think this literature should have been a consideration all along.

At this point, I'm just saying, "yes, ma'am," I agree. All of our communication is done through e-mail, and I really REALLY hate using e-mail for communication of important information.

It's really not a big deal. I'll pull what I already wrote in 2007 and adjust it to fit into this chapter. I aim to have this complete this evening. Too bad I developed a fucking head cold on the eve of when I'll complete the fucking dissertation, but it's par for the course these last five years.