It's go time! I have twenty-five pages to write in the next eight days. I then need to tighten up the writing, revise a little, and I'm aiming to have everything turned in for my defense draft by March 14th. I can rest on March 15th. Tall order? Yes. Do-able? Yes. It's going to be a long two weeks, but I can do it.
A few more small victories: just completed Unit 7 in Rosetta Stone! Only missed one day since the 16th, even if February has been a bit slower going due to all the writing. And, it's only 11:30 this morning, but so far today I've taken my car for my state inspection, run/walked 1.5 miles, stretched, done crunches, washed a load of laundry, Rosetta Stone-d, and made Pillsbury Cinnamon Buns. I'm on a roll! Can't stop me now! Aiming for seven pages today-- here I go!!!!!
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
A Crazy Week
Well, I sent off nearly 30 pages to my adviser on Sunday. Then today I realized that a page and a half-- what I thought was a brilliant new insight-- was actually a totally erroneous reading because I hadn't done my history legwork and had relied on someone else's notes. It's okay, I noticed it before my adviser could point it out to me, I revised it, and I sent him the revised edition, but boy, do I feel foolish. We all make mistakes, I guess. Luckily, this doesn't affect the overall thesis.
The craziness of this week doesn't come from a faulty reading, however. In the past week or so I've had a snow day, a trip to New Mexico, a six and a half hour delay at the Denver airport, and my fifth anniversary with Zan. The snow day was kind of fun-- I didn't have to go into work. We had some friends in town so we went to a late breakfast at a roadside diner style restaurant. Kind of a relaxing day (if any day is relaxing when I'm so far into thesis mode).
New Mexico was beautiful and sad. We're putting my grandma into hospice care. They found a cancerous mass in her abdomen. She's 82, very weak, and her kidneys aren't functioning well. The doctors said they didn't know if she had a few weeks, months, or a year, but they recommended hospice. It seems like it might be months-- if that. My mom and I booked a flight to see her immediately. I thought of waiting until Spring Break in mid-March, but I'm glad I didn't. She's rapidly declining and I didn't want to wait until too late. We had a good visit, though. We did some fun things: got to see my aunt's new frozen custard/fudge/popcorn shop (it's all SO tasty!), had a few nice dinners out with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. Mostly, though, my mom and I tried to spend as much time as possible with my grandma. We watched a Peanuts special together, talked as much as didn't weary out my grandma, and my aunt brought us all Chinese carry-out for lunch. After my grandma had gone to bed, my mom and I went to our hotel bar and got margaritas and sat outside by a fire, looking out over the mountains. For, in spite of it all, these were hard days. It's not easy watching someone you love... you know. I'm sure I could write more eloquently if I tried.
But the American West is really something. You feel so small, but not in an insignificant way-- it's like, a kind of gratefulness washes over you. I kept thinking, "I get to live on this Earth. What a magnificent place." It was warm while we were there, too. The second day, while my mom and aunt had a long meeting with hospice, I sat outside in the sun and worked on my thesis. I felt so able, somehow. I wrote around 12 pages in two and a half days. At night I could see the stars so clearly, and I just kept thinking of a line in the poem I'm writing about, "This dead of midnight is the noon of thought/ And wisdom mounts her zenith with the stars."
...and then getting home we got stuck in Denver. Not because of snow, but because of a mechanical issue. I appreciate that we can't fly with a mechanical problem, but wow. We didn't get home until 3:00 AM-- when we were scheduled to arrive just before dinner. Still, I got a lot of writing done in the airport, and we had some really tasty Wolfgang Puck Pizza Express. Seriously, the guy cooking the pizzas was an artist. Good food really improves any experience.
And on Monday, Zan and I celebrated FIVE WHOLE YEARS together! Since he had work until 9:30 we couldn't do anything super special, but we ate lunch at Ray's (we get burgers each year on our anniversary) and then for dinner had some homemade soup and exchanged gifts. Simple pleasures. So happy to have spent five years together. What a five years it's been!
The craziness of this week doesn't come from a faulty reading, however. In the past week or so I've had a snow day, a trip to New Mexico, a six and a half hour delay at the Denver airport, and my fifth anniversary with Zan. The snow day was kind of fun-- I didn't have to go into work. We had some friends in town so we went to a late breakfast at a roadside diner style restaurant. Kind of a relaxing day (if any day is relaxing when I'm so far into thesis mode).
New Mexico was beautiful and sad. We're putting my grandma into hospice care. They found a cancerous mass in her abdomen. She's 82, very weak, and her kidneys aren't functioning well. The doctors said they didn't know if she had a few weeks, months, or a year, but they recommended hospice. It seems like it might be months-- if that. My mom and I booked a flight to see her immediately. I thought of waiting until Spring Break in mid-March, but I'm glad I didn't. She's rapidly declining and I didn't want to wait until too late. We had a good visit, though. We did some fun things: got to see my aunt's new frozen custard/fudge/popcorn shop (it's all SO tasty!), had a few nice dinners out with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. Mostly, though, my mom and I tried to spend as much time as possible with my grandma. We watched a Peanuts special together, talked as much as didn't weary out my grandma, and my aunt brought us all Chinese carry-out for lunch. After my grandma had gone to bed, my mom and I went to our hotel bar and got margaritas and sat outside by a fire, looking out over the mountains. For, in spite of it all, these were hard days. It's not easy watching someone you love... you know. I'm sure I could write more eloquently if I tried.
But the American West is really something. You feel so small, but not in an insignificant way-- it's like, a kind of gratefulness washes over you. I kept thinking, "I get to live on this Earth. What a magnificent place." It was warm while we were there, too. The second day, while my mom and aunt had a long meeting with hospice, I sat outside in the sun and worked on my thesis. I felt so able, somehow. I wrote around 12 pages in two and a half days. At night I could see the stars so clearly, and I just kept thinking of a line in the poem I'm writing about, "This dead of midnight is the noon of thought/ And wisdom mounts her zenith with the stars."
...and then getting home we got stuck in Denver. Not because of snow, but because of a mechanical issue. I appreciate that we can't fly with a mechanical problem, but wow. We didn't get home until 3:00 AM-- when we were scheduled to arrive just before dinner. Still, I got a lot of writing done in the airport, and we had some really tasty Wolfgang Puck Pizza Express. Seriously, the guy cooking the pizzas was an artist. Good food really improves any experience.
And on Monday, Zan and I celebrated FIVE WHOLE YEARS together! Since he had work until 9:30 we couldn't do anything super special, but we ate lunch at Ray's (we get burgers each year on our anniversary) and then for dinner had some homemade soup and exchanged gifts. Simple pleasures. So happy to have spent five years together. What a five years it's been!
Monday, February 16, 2015
Small Victories
Today, I sent off 18 new pages of my thesis to my adviser. These have been a hard-earned 18 pages. I really hope they go over well. At least now I can honestly say my heart has been in the work. I'm writing what I see happening in the poems. I feel like it's not quite sophisticated enough, but maybe I'm setting myself unrealistically high standards for this project. It's not "the book" after all. And it's also only the second time I've ever tried to write about poetry, as such. So.
Today, too, I began Rosetta Stone Spanish Level 2, Unit 7. This is the farthest I've ever made it in Rosetta Stone! I restarted the program a couple of days after Christmas, and I've been averaging roughly one unit a week! I've only missed a day or two since New Years Day. I don't always do much each day, but I try to do at least one little lesson per day. It's working much better than my resolution last year to Rosetta for an hour three times a week. Sometimes I don't have an hour together, but if I need a break from writing my thesis, I can take 5 minutes to do a quick lesson (most lessons take between 5-10 minutes). I also like to do a lesson or two while I drink my morning tea and have my breakfast. I really feel like I'm making progress in learning this language. Just a little at a time. Maybe I really will be able to read a children's book by Christmas, 2015!
Right now, I'm relaxing with the SNL 40th Anniversary Show. Happy President's Day weekend!
Today, too, I began Rosetta Stone Spanish Level 2, Unit 7. This is the farthest I've ever made it in Rosetta Stone! I restarted the program a couple of days after Christmas, and I've been averaging roughly one unit a week! I've only missed a day or two since New Years Day. I don't always do much each day, but I try to do at least one little lesson per day. It's working much better than my resolution last year to Rosetta for an hour three times a week. Sometimes I don't have an hour together, but if I need a break from writing my thesis, I can take 5 minutes to do a quick lesson (most lessons take between 5-10 minutes). I also like to do a lesson or two while I drink my morning tea and have my breakfast. I really feel like I'm making progress in learning this language. Just a little at a time. Maybe I really will be able to read a children's book by Christmas, 2015!
Right now, I'm relaxing with the SNL 40th Anniversary Show. Happy President's Day weekend!
Friday, February 13, 2015
Audio Books/Book List
So far this year, I've read five books-- and four of those I've "read" via audiobook. I started out with an Audible trial in August, to get The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet for free, and despite thinking that I'd cancel my membership after the trial, I've stuck with it. I love it. I've "read" all of my Austen books with Juliet Stevenson narrating (and Carolyn Seymour, for Pride and Prejudice, since Juliet Stevenson never recorded that one), and I've even gotten in some "for fun" "reading" while I cook dinner, during my commute, and if I have some not-too-involved task at work, like numbering folders, fulfilling scan and copy requests, or consolidating maps (long story).
I will say, though, I've quite enjoyed not having my sidebar "Books" widget. I think if I had just those five titles staring back at me I'd feel guilty doing anything but reading. Only five books this year so far?! FIVE?! But that doesn't take into consideration the hours upon hours I've spent writing my thesis, or the hours I've spent reading and rereading the poems on which I'm writing, or all of the secondary research articles and chapters. Nor have I seen any movies--at all this year-- so it's a good thing that my "Movies" widget is gone, too. But what fun I've had watching Doc Martin, the new season of Parks and Recreation, and Agent Carter! It's pretty freeing not feeling the need to catalogue these activities.
But, even so, I am going to tell you what books I've read (or "read"): holding the actual book, I've read The Mysteries of Udolpho, perhaps the longest book ever written (a little hyperbole, but not much). It was 633 pages, but the font size was somewhere around Times New Roman 10, maybe 8. Not hyperbole. The books I've listened to are Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, Peter and the Starcatchers by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and As You Wish by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden. I have so much to say about these that it wouldn't all fit in one post--maybe I'll start doing book reviews--but it's been a fun 2015, reading/listening-wise!
Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, no, this is not a sponsored post.
I will say, though, I've quite enjoyed not having my sidebar "Books" widget. I think if I had just those five titles staring back at me I'd feel guilty doing anything but reading. Only five books this year so far?! FIVE?! But that doesn't take into consideration the hours upon hours I've spent writing my thesis, or the hours I've spent reading and rereading the poems on which I'm writing, or all of the secondary research articles and chapters. Nor have I seen any movies--at all this year-- so it's a good thing that my "Movies" widget is gone, too. But what fun I've had watching Doc Martin, the new season of Parks and Recreation, and Agent Carter! It's pretty freeing not feeling the need to catalogue these activities.
But, even so, I am going to tell you what books I've read (or "read"): holding the actual book, I've read The Mysteries of Udolpho, perhaps the longest book ever written (a little hyperbole, but not much). It was 633 pages, but the font size was somewhere around Times New Roman 10, maybe 8. Not hyperbole. The books I've listened to are Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, Peter and the Starcatchers by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and As You Wish by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden. I have so much to say about these that it wouldn't all fit in one post--maybe I'll start doing book reviews--but it's been a fun 2015, reading/listening-wise!
Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, no, this is not a sponsored post.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Going Back to Canon
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is, in a way, fan fiction writ large. I'm sure I'm not original in thinking so. But the thing is, I've never been a hard-core Austen devotee, so over the past two years (yes, I found the series pretty late in the game) The Lizzie Bennet Diaries has been my Pride and Prejudice. Yeah, I'd seen the Colin Firth mini-series a couple of times and swooned over the clothes and the men, and I read the book once during undergrad, but what really made it breathe for me was this YouTube series. It's no secret that I totally fell in love with the characters, and especially Lydia. I loved gossiping with my friend Megan over Jane and Bing, and I actually took time out of a graduate school admitted students day to go watch when Lizzie posted the video of her and Darcy's first kiss. Unfortunately, no one else there that day could understand my excitement. This past summer I listened to the audiobook of The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet and I'm so looking forward to Lydia's book.
So fast forward to today, when I realize that I need to read Pride and Prejudice this weekend for the class I'm auditing. I considered skipping it, since I mean, I just listened to The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet a couple months ago and how different will it really be? Plus, I've listened to/read a lot of Austen and other 18th-century novels recently, so I have the style of it down in my head. I can pretty much imagine how Austen wrote it. But I went ahead and downloaded it in audiobook format (because I'm positive that I'll "read" more of it while cooking dinner and during my morning commute than I will if I try to carve out dedicated time for it-- I need that time for thesis-writing right now). And while yes, it's just what I expected on most levels-- even in the first hour, I'm shocked to remember that Kitty Bennet is not an actual cat, and the I'm beginning to recollect the level of loathing that I formerly felt towards Lydia. I mean, yes, logically I knew these things, but when you become so invested in a story, it can be hard to remember how it feels when those "facts" revert to something else. This will be an interesting couple of days. And I think it will probably spark a lot re-watching on YouTube.
So fast forward to today, when I realize that I need to read Pride and Prejudice this weekend for the class I'm auditing. I considered skipping it, since I mean, I just listened to The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet a couple months ago and how different will it really be? Plus, I've listened to/read a lot of Austen and other 18th-century novels recently, so I have the style of it down in my head. I can pretty much imagine how Austen wrote it. But I went ahead and downloaded it in audiobook format (because I'm positive that I'll "read" more of it while cooking dinner and during my morning commute than I will if I try to carve out dedicated time for it-- I need that time for thesis-writing right now). And while yes, it's just what I expected on most levels-- even in the first hour, I'm shocked to remember that Kitty Bennet is not an actual cat, and the I'm beginning to recollect the level of loathing that I formerly felt towards Lydia. I mean, yes, logically I knew these things, but when you become so invested in a story, it can be hard to remember how it feels when those "facts" revert to something else. This will be an interesting couple of days. And I think it will probably spark a lot re-watching on YouTube.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Super Bowl Treats
We had Rotel dip, like always. And about a million other unhealthy things. At Target we decided to make Super Bowl Sunday a food version of "Treat Yo Self!" from Parks and Recreation and so we ended up with mini-cheeseburgers, pizza rolls, crab rangoon, and jalapeno poppers. And sometime shortly after half-time we found ourselves watching the end of Best in Show while flipping back to the game occasionally to check the score. That's how to do a Super Bowl.
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