The Thesis Dwindles

I’m sick of my thesis. There its out in the open. I’m sick of it, I never want to look at it again. Unfortunately that can’t happen for at least another month, until then I can complain bitterly about it. Or not. I just see the same words over and over and over again. It begins to infiltrate my dreams and then people wonder why my insomnia is back. Surprise surprise.

At least I’ve gotten some seasonal work. Make some money, the time will pass and hopefully a job will be waiting on the horizon somewhere. It would be nice, to get into the real world for a change.

J and H have both returned to their respective homes and H is off on her next adventure, grad school! Now at least I can have some to commiserate with, well for the next month.

October 19th, you cannot come fast enough.

From Brisket Earthquake to a Hurricane

This week started out fairly normal. I suppose normal is relative in any case, but this one was very normal.
Sunday normal breakfast with mom while dad goes to the firehouse, we get to talking about food, I ask about brisket. Long story short no sooner are we done with the conversation then my grandmother calls and so I ask about her brisket and she invites me over for cooking lessons.
Monday Totally normal and boring
Tuesday: Cooking lessons with Grandma! I show up nice and early all ready to go complete with an apron. We start getting to work in the kitchen, I promptly slice my finger open quick bandaging break and its back to work. We slave all day (and for those who actually know how to make brisket know just how long it takes….I had my kindle.) And what happens, well I felt this vibration and thought it was the road work up in front. Yea few minutes later mother is on the phone asking about the earthquake. Ha. My cooking lesson day was excellent.
Wednesday: Museum day, really nothing to terribly exciting except a trip to another part of the building.
Thursday: Last day of the internship! (A very very sad day, I still felt like I had purpose to my life while I was there) Oh and what’s this? they’re going to shut down the city transportation? Joking right? Yea not.
Friday: At the club, worked out, now in major killer pain, but hey the price of beauty and slimness, and of course the mad dash out of the city in case anyone decide to evacuate early. Back home and to the boat to secure it for the storm.
“Dad what’s the worse case scenario? It ends up on the street?”
“Yea, ending up on the street would be fine, damaging but fine, worst case scenario it sinks.”
“Oh. Want some more duck tape?”

Now before I get crap that I don’t know what I’m doing, I’ve weathered multiple hurricanes and tropical storms and depressions with a boat and not one of them has sank.

Saturday: The day before Hurricane Irene….what did I do while the governors and mayors are telling everyone to get off the water and away from the beach. I went sailing, on a tail ship. Well a schooner classified as a tall ship. Yes. It was wonderful. My job? Help to bring it to safety behind the hurricane gate! After a bit of a trip in which the rain did not hold out and dumped on us we arrived behind the hurricane gate, much to the displeasure of the locals. One local in particular who I might have entertained non pleasant thoughts of, but really he’s yelling at us to that we’re endangering boats? You have two flimsy loose lines holding your boat to the dock. Yea that’s going to hold. Not.

After getting off the boat it was back home to prep the other part, with dad being a Fire Chief, we’re used to weathering storms on our own. We sent him off with smiles and teases (he nearly forgot to wish my mother (his wife of nearly thirty years) happy anniversary. Yea, that’s tomorrow.) and he left in his big red truck. Now it is just us, listening to the rain and the wind as it begins to pick up. The dog is lying on my feet. He doesn’t like to go out in the rain.

And of course there’s my edits for my thesis. But gee…there’s a hurricane coming, there’s got to be some window to tape.

Dear Thesis,

Please write yourself.

Sincerely,
Your very stressed and tired masters student

At the half way point

The thesis. It truly has taken on a life of it’s own and reminds me daily why grad school is considered hell on earth. I know it has to be finished. I know how long it needs to be. I know what it should argue. The facts...well the facts just don’t want to line up and be written. Having worked with this material in the past I know it can be difficult to get the wording correct but this...three hours to write two paragraphs. This is ridiculous.

Almost as ridiculous as my internship reflection papers, critical assessment whatever they’re supposed to be. I’m stuck at the half way point on both of them. It’s rather pathetic when I alternate between the two and up writing a total of twelve sentences. Really pathetic. They totally hate me. Alas, poor fool. They must be completed. Eventually.

The Last Class Ever...well until the next step...

I had my last class ever at the beginning of this month. It was rather depressing actually to walk out and realize wow, no more classes. Whole new game plan. Relaxing, but depressing. Now it’s just to finish an internship I take more seriously than a job, and find a real job. Oh and that thesis. Pesky little thing isn’t it?

The thesis will soon take over my life and most like my journal as I have no idea where it’s going to go. Stick around. Could be entertaining ;)

To the end of tyranny!

Okay so maybe it’s not tyranny, but the last day of classes does have that pull down the evil head busts and throw confetti in the streets. Especially since this is like the last day ever. Ever until I decide getting a PhD is an endeavor worth pursuing. Give me forever, it’s not long at all.

Now it’s not quite over, there’s another hour and half left and technically there’s a project still due Monday and the thesis. Let us not forget the thesis too.

But it’s the last of the reading and the classes that requires reading a few books for one class and the article we also had to read had the end of tyranny in it. So it seemed to fit.

The exhibition opening went quite well, lots of people, lots of friends and family, lots of wine...and sadly it all comes down this weekend. So much work for what seems like such a small reward. Alas I’m glad it’s over, though now it seems like I see stuff for World’s Fair all over the place. *sigh* Information overload.

I thinkI’m going to sleep all weekend. Sounds like a good reward. ;)

A lovely woman and inspiration, a sad day ends Women's History Month.

March is Women’s History Month, celebrating great women who inspired and promoted changed. From scientist to politician regardless of background and class this month honors those who have come before us and inspire women and girls today.

Geraldine Ferraro was one such woman. She died today, March 26, 2011, after a long battle with cancer. I met her a few years ago when she was working with my mother. She was absolutely lovely and it was a great pleasure to talk with her and learn from her. She was quite excited when I told her of my eventual plans for graduate school work in a unique area. I remember feeling all nervous when I first met her, but she was kind, and we had a wonderful conversation about my school work and the job I was at the time working.

Well many know of her political career, she had a very diverse professional life including work as an assistant district attorney with the Special Victims Unit. She has been honored many times and no doubt we will continue to do so.

Not every woman will do something that changes history, but you don’t have to change history to have an impact. Think outside the box and do not let anyone tell you can’t do something. That is what I learned from her.

You will be greatly missed.

I blog like Bram Stoker...

Oh yes I do. According to http://iwl.me anyway.

I’ve been having a bad...month? Yes most of February has been awful. The budget is over, the motivation is below average, and I’m under the weather. I’m sure it’ll get better eventually but I would so love this winter to be over, it to be sunny and 60 and I could wear something other than snow boots. Tomorrow it’s off to work and then to a Valentine’s Day party with some of the women in my class. Sounds like it might be interesting.

And for the stats of I write Like:
My blog: Bram Stoker
Undergrad thesis: Edgar Allan Poe
Unpublished book 1: William Shakespeare
Unpublished book 2: Annie Rice
Unpublished book 3: J.K Rowling
Unpublished chapter 4: Dan Brown (Not ever publishing this!)
Scientific Publication: Arthur Clarke (author of 2001: A Space Odyssey


I’m officially amused with this site, and I think I may continue playing with it until I have to work.

Through the Eyes of a Four Year Old

Traveling through a museum with a four year old is the most entertaining twenty minutes. Did we see everything? No. We were simply walking to lunch but I got an entire lesson on every room we went through. The cutest thing ever. Well then her mom had to work and so I said I sit with her and do my work. So we colored bioluminescence coloring books, read Poppleton, and now she’s watching Blue’s Clues and I’m watching her. She’s asked what the giant space ship is doing in the museum (it’s the planetarium dome visible through the window), she’s told me that Blue has traveled space. Mice live indoors to stay out of the snow and there is no best candy. They are all good! Ah yes the wonder of being four.


We kept up with her on the way to lunch, she ‘knew’ the best way there and back. She got measured for an interactive for kids, so all in all she’s probably had a more educational day than she would’ve had at school, but hey it’s the best can do on a Snow Day.


Now back to research on bioluminescence and the critters that can do it. Yea!