Well, one week later, here I am posting from school again. I came from work and grabbed something quickly for dinner, though, so I haven't been hanging out here for too long. Nine classes (including tonight), six reading responses, and two seminars... and I'm done. Wow.
My weeks tend to go by in a whirl, but over the last week I've enjoyed a bit of something that was previously very rare in my world: free time. Not too much free time, mind you, but yeah. Some time to just kick it and chill. It was nice, but probably only in limited doses. ;) I'm one of those "need to do something constructive" with my free time people, meaning that as of right now, you'd pretty much have to super glue me to the couch to get me to watch a DVD the full way through. I actually have to be doing other things at the same time. I'm getting better, though.
Something that I'm going to be working on during these moments of free time is something I didn't mention in my post last week, but that I'm really excited and amazed about. My examining committee is really encouraging me to try and publish. To the extent these words just completely made my life to hear, I can't even tell you, and now that it's been a week I do feel ready to dive in again. I need to cut my paper down to academic article length (roughly 25 pages, minus the works cited) and work in a few things we discussed during the defense. After the defense, my supervisor talked with me for awhile about how to go about doing this, and the support I'm getting from him and the department to do this is appreciated by me beyond words. So, with a bit of work and a bit of luck, I dare say this actually may happen! That would be a pretty awesome way to finish this degree.
Also upcoming, I'm puppy-sitting a cuuuuuuuuuute big puppy this weekend, and I'm so excited! I think, too, it might help me decide about getting a puppy in the spring or summer. Part of that will also hinge upon how many things I'm doing... I'm pretty excited to get back into writing, and am thrilled about the prospect of publishing, so we'll see what gets rolling. :)
I'm blogging from school right now... man I love that the department has a computer lab for its grad students. :) It's so nice and calm and quiet in here. I had the day off from work today and I have class in awhile, but I came to campus earlier this afternoon so I could photocopy some things for my class before the room closed, then decided to stay until I had class.
I have been elated, beyond joyful, for just over the last 25 hours. I defended yesterday afternoon with the best possible experience and best possible outcome. I can't even describe what I've been feeling since. Is it good etiquette to say what mark was received online? Probably not, heh. ;) Let's just say that I doubt anyone in the world could have been more ecstatic, excited and just purely HAPPY than I was in the moment they told me, and still am. Wow. It's the emotion a friend of mine who recently defended her PhD dissertation described as "thrunned": a mixture between thrilled and stunned.
One of the greatest feelings in the world? Being able to share that feeling with those that I'm closest to. The family and friends who are so happy for me. All these people who have been here for me for all of this, with their encouragement, and most of all, their love.
As a part-time M.A. candidate, I did things a bit out-of-order, so that I still have this one last class to complete and then the degree is finished. I've loved my experiences here. After the end of March, I'm planning to get back to writing for awhile. Fiction, literary analysis, and promotional writing.
Right now, I should probably post this and then head off towards my class. It has been an amazing couple of days, and I want to capture and remember this feeling forever.
First, congratulations to Kelly and Timothy. :) Aw, I can't wait to see pictures!
Here it is, Sunday evening. And @%(*@%*!!! it's cold outside. I did, finally, wonderfully, get to do some actual socialization this afternoon. I submitted three copies of my paper for the examining committee last week, and I defend this week. That means I haven't had to do any editing this weekend. Yay! That also means I got to take a bit of a break. Hey, I've even managed to vacuum the living room today.
I'm not fully back in action yet, though. Like I said, I haven't defended yet and so rather than writing or editing, I'm reviewing. Re-reading my insanely marked-up and post-it flagged copy of Anil's Ghost for approximately the seven millionth time, reviewing the Kristeva theory, reviewing the critical reviews and Ondaatje interviews I cited, going over my paper for the 20508210858th time, pondering possible things that I could be asked... all that fun stuff. I'm also reading A Passage to India for the class I'm taking this term, and will have to read a bit of Aristotle as well, in order to write a reading response for my class this week.
You know, though... I think maybe I should be more nervous by this point than I am. I'll have to do another check on that tomorrow. I think it's some strange acceptance that I likely can't anticipate all that I'll be asked, so all I can do is know all my material and be rested, alert, and in a headspace where I'm focused on that and only that, able to think about and answer what is asked, when it's asked. What happens, happens, and I think that regardless of what the feedback is, just getting that feedback from three people with PhDs after all these months of work is a gratifying thing. It's no longer something just out there in the void.
So I say right now, anyway. LOL.
Okay, I have several hundred pages of reading to do so off I go... next time I post, I'll probably have defended so stay tuned for either smiles or tears!
"This is the [paper] that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friends... some people started [reading] it not knowing what it was, and they'll continue [reading] it forever just because this is the [paper] that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friends..."
I was, for real, just singing that as I sat on the floor of my office (because two chairs and a futon just aren't good enough??? No, I don't know why I like the floor), pen in hand, scribbling away, as an alternative to the various unrepeatable phrases that had been escaping from my mouth. (In case my paper supervisor should one day read this, no, this had nothing to do with any marked edits. I appreciate those muchly. This was me cursing out some brain fuzz that is threatening to turn the gray matter into something resembling a Pee Wee Herman-esque lint ball, kind of like the foil ball and elastic band ball. Today's secret word? PRINTER INK! Oh wait. That's two words. But it did require a trip to Wal-Mart. Sigh.)
For anyone who is concerned that I may have dropped off the face of the planet entirely... well, pretty damn close. I defend in just over a week and I also start my final class of the degree this week, so the fact that I'm taking a break to write this means a) I'll be lucky to go to bed before 1 a.m. (I get up at 6) and b) my brain is about the consistency of applesauce. Also c), d) and e), I'm at a level beyond insanely busy. In other words, stay tuned, stand by and before the month is out I should remember how to work a phone.
In about three months when my Masters degree is finished, someone please remind me to never again complain about being bored
My new tagline: "Killing entire forests, one research paper at a time."
Oi. 11 p.m. and I just sent off edits about 20 minutes ago. How on earth what I was doing today took me the entire day, after I did the more complicated edits yesterday, I could not tell you. Tomorrow? Work, library (something to return, things to do a quick check on and one item to pick up), bookstore, taking down my tree and vacuuming and hopefully getting a decent dinner in there. Wednesday, work and massage therapy. Sometime this week likely further edits. Must read required readings for my first class of the term. Must start on really long novel for second week of the term (to be bought tomorrow). Who is excited that her iPod has a calendar?
I am so excited this week, because one of my good friends is having a baby. :) It should be any day, and actually could even be happening right now or have already happened earlier today.
Okay, I should get my act together since I need to be up in the morning for work. I hope everyone is having a wonderful new year so far. :)
