I’m feeling pretty darn good about myself right now. I’ve finished all of my grading for both my freshman comp and Brit Lit class. I’ve even posted the grades for my freshman comp, more than a week early! I’ve even written my final exam for Brit Lit, and I’m not giving the exam until Tuesday. Now I can dedicate my efforts this weekend to getting some reading done for my comprehensive exams.
Here’s to me for finally getting something done early!
At long last, Dr. S approved my long nineteenth century reading list. It’s five pages long, and I’m really wondering how I’m going to get it all read. However, I’m almost done with my British modernism list. I think another month’s worth of concentrated effort will allow me to get that list done and out of the way and give me enough time to write a boss set of notes to review. So now that that’s under control, I’ll be meeting with Dr. I to work on my postcolonial theory list. And I have pitifully little read. I’m meeting with her on Monday, and I’m hoping to get through those last 90 pages of Orientalism (the current bane of my existence) by Monday morning.
I also have my last meeting with Dr. F (head of my committee and in charge of my British modernism list) on Tuesday afternoon. I’m to discuss innovative narrative techniques. Unfortunately, this fills me with a vague sense of dread, as I’ve never been really good at discussing innovative narrative techniques. I’m much more of a examine the plot kind of girl myself. Here’s hoping I have enough time to dig up some good secondary source material to help me out!
I flew home to see my mom this weekend. My dad is in Cambodia on business (for the third time this year!). I called her at the beginning of last week, and she just sounded really lonely. I got off the phone with her, hopped on the internet and booked a plane ticket, and then I called her back to tell her I was coming home at the end of the week. She told me that she was lucky God blessed her with such a good daughter. And when she dropped me off at the airport yesterday, she said that I had made her weekend so much better, just by being there with her. And that’s exactly why I did it.
Laying on the couch next to someone special on a sunny Sunday afternoon, window open, listening to the birds chirp and the fountain flow. No talking, none was necessary. Pure bliss….
I’ve just now realized that I accomplished this goal without really thinking about it. I’m still poor and almost constantly broke, but it doesn’t bother me as much—and I’m a better person for it. I’m too much of a worrier, and having one less thing to worry about is great!
but not as much as I’d like. I’ve really cut back on frequency of workouts these past few weeks (and oddly enough, I’ve lost nearly 10 pounds—exercising less?!). However, I haven’t stopped going completely, and I haven’t gone a week without exercising at least once in a really long time. I made it to the gym three times last week (which is an improvement), and I’m making it my goal to go at least four times this week. I want to get back to exercising at least four to five times a week.
That the boy in question returns my feelings, and it’s a glorious feeling! Nothing too serious has happened between us yet, but I find myself enjoying the “taking things slowly” route.
I really thought that not having any papers to write at the end of the semester would really help my stress level, but it hasn’t. That nasty old feeling has settled itself into the pit of my stomach once more. I think it wants to live there until I take me exams.
I can’t feel like this forever. It would give me an ulcer, so it’s imperative that I do something to decrease my stress level. Exercising helps a lot, so I’ll be headed to the gym shortly. However, that usually only helps temporarily. It will be enough to help me get through most of the day though.
What I need to learn to do next is to let myself take a break without feeling guilty for not working. Easier said than done…
I need to work on something, I do, but I am just drained. I’ve spent all afternoon and part of this evening working on one of the reading lists for my comprehensive exams, and I keep forgetting what a difficult process it is just to put these lists together. (I’d love to illustrate this to you all with the actual reading list in question, but it’s five pages long, so I’ll spare you) I spent an hour this afternoon with the committee member in charge of this list, and I think it’s (finally!) pretty darn close to being finalized. So, I didn’t get any grading or reading done, but that’s okay. Working on this list is enough productiveness, at least for today. I need a break.
will be a productive day, I know it! I finished getting ready so early today that I had time to pay my cable bill and surf the net for a few minutes.
I’ll be off to school in 15 minutes, in plenty of time to make my copies before my first class. Yay! Good start!
My long nineteenth-century reading list is 4 pages long! That’s a lot of reading (and I’ve still got to add a couple of more things)! I’m meeting with Dr. S, the committee member in charge of this list, on Thursday afternoon. I hope she’ll let me take a bit off.
Much to my surprise, I’ve met a boy. Even more surprising is that I think perhaps he may feel the same way about me as I do about him. I have no idea if it will lead anywhere or develop into anything, but I do like feeling this way. I can’t stop thinking about him and daydreaming about him.
And we have been spending a lot of time together the last few days. Unfortunately, I think he’s probably as shy as I am, so it may be a bit before I actually definitely know for sure how he feels about me. My friend Rachael tells me I should just be patient and enjoy this part (and I’m trying really really hard to), but part of me just needs to know for sure if he returns my feelings.
I talked with Dr. F, my committee chair, and we’ve decided on tentative dates for my exams—August 18, 20, and 22. I’ve got about four and half months left to study and there’s still so much to cover. It’s just hard to get a lot done when I’m teaching two different classes because preparing, grading, and teaching take a lot of time!
Perhaps (and this perhaps is filled with lots and lots of hope) a deadline will enable me to get even more serious about my studying.
Because:
HE called me up out of the blue and took me out for ice cream, and I’ve been smiling ever since. Because of today I now think that he might perhaps like me back.
It’s easy to be happy today.
I’m having a really hard time with getting to the gym right now. I haven’t stopped going (which is good) but I’m not going as much as I’d like. I’m going to keep working out when I can and pray that I’m having difficulty working exercise into my schedule because it’s the end of the semester.
I wrote and presented a paper at a local conference last week. My slot was really early in the morning so my faculty sponsor for this conference (who is also my committee chair) told me that she wasn’t going to make it. This was fine with me, because my presentation slot was at 8:40 in the morning, and I was happy to email her a copy. But, when it was my turn to go—she walked into the room! I was incredibly flattered that she would drive all the way from Dallas to Arlington just to hear me give my paper. I read my paper and afterward Dr. F told me that I had done a really good job on my paper AND that it was worth trying to publish if I expand it. She even offered to help me get it ready for publication. A few days later she told me that she thought I should have won one of the prizes for presentation Yay! I’ve been living with pride from this compliment for the last week because it’s high praise from someone whose judgment, opinion, and literary knowledge I really really respect.
Sometimes I really hate grading papers, especially when I’ve got a set as bad as this one—which is why I’ve put off grading them and why I’m on 43 Things right now instead of grading them. Yep, I’m procrastinating right now, but I’ve given myself a 30 minute time limit, which ends in one more minute.
Sigh…back to the grind. At least there’s only eight left to go.
