I don't know if the title sounds good, but I'm "stealing" it from 11D who had a few "The State of the Blog" posts a while back (and I thought it was a great title).
I am long overdue posting about what's going on here... in all fronts, but I guess I'll start with the most important thing this year for me - the dissertation. The last update was soooo long ago (last November - it's fun to look back at previous months, I like some of the posts I wrote that month...), and even though I haven't done much since then, I want to update you about my current "dissertating."
Well, picking up where I left off, I wrote first drafts of 3 chapters in the first 3 weeks of November, but then I didn't work at all after Thanksgiving and until my parents got here this February. I still have a new reader for my work (the professor from Brasil), but it doesn't look like I'll be able to defend when she is due to come to North America (late May early June). Right now I want to finish as soon as possible, but I know I have to play by the rules (that is, I can't force my committee to let me schedule a defense date without having them read at least two or three very solid chapters), and I also don't want to feel pressured so much that I start hating the dissertation, so I'll take my time, even though I do want to finish before June if possible.
Because... right now, it's amazing, but I'm enjoying working on the dissertation SO much! I'm taken by surprise sometimes about how I passionate I feel about the subject I have chosen (and it was not my first choice!). I decided not to really talk about the subject in the blog anymore (I deleted a comment with the prospective title a while back, and I think I will go back and edit earlier entries to eliminate the name of the university and my department, etc... just in case, you know... I think I'll try to apply for jobs in the fall, so I need to be more careful). [so if you want to know what I'm doing and where I'm going to school, hurry, go read those first entries before I edit them :) Just kidding, if you really want to know you can email me and I'll tell you all about it]
Now for what's been going on... I just spent two full weeks finishing chapter 2 (chapter 1 was approved by my advisor last November, but I think I'll need to edit it a bit, but it's probably safer to finish my analysis before I do it) and I sent a new draft (3rd) to the advisor on Friday. It's a really long chapter, in which I do a historic overview (and "review of literature") of the subject. When I started to work on it two weeks ago it had 44 pages, now it has 67! I'm afraid my advisor will want to divide it in two chapters, but I hope not, because it won't make much sense, I think. I want to keep the different "takes" on the history of the subject all together. (Hey, Alice, if you want to read this chapter, you're welcome to, I think you'd enjoy it!).
Anyway... my writing is pretty bad today, I should go to bed now, and maybe this week I can work hard and save some time for blogging after I'm done. I don't know about that, though... If you read the previous post you know that I have TONS of things to do! The hardest one will probably be the upcoming birthday party... (sigh).
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4 comments:
Send it over to me!!! I am determined to read it all, because I find your subject matter tremendously interesting. Really! I really enjoy reading what you write, and you have such a nice style, too! :) I'm glad that you've 'rediscovered' your passion for your work again!!
Can we talk about this birthday party, pleeeease?!? I am panicking because I have Isabella's party coming up this friday. 5 little girls are coming over, expecting to be entertained for 3-4 hours. I am getting nervous about this!!! What kinds of games can one play with 4 year old girls? Any ideas?
I am going to order the cake from our local baker. I feel like such a loser .... LOL!!!!! :)
Oh, Lilian, I'm so glad you're at a good place with your dissertation. It's hard enough to have to do something like that-- now, at least, you are enjoying it! (I'd love to hera more about it if you want to email me-- once things quiet down a bit, of course!)
Ahh, birthdays! I remember in that Judith Warner book (Perfect Madness) at one point another mom exclaimed, "I don't know how you plan to write a book when you've got a BIRTHDAY PARTY to plan!" (Okay, I can't remember if the issue at hand was writing a book, but if not it was at least something equally transcendental.) Both of my boys will have family birthday parties in the summer, but even so, I don't think they start in with the "inviting-other-kids" parties so young here. At most, there might be a party with adults and kids together, relatives or family friends. McDonald's parties are popular for the older kids.
I remember when I was young the parties were either from 1-3 or 2-4, and that included games, cake, and present-opening. 3-4 hours seems quite daunting!
Anyway, good luck!
Me again-- sorry! I meant, the parties were from 1-3 or 2-4 in the afternoon...
Lilian, print out that paragraph about loving writing right now and stick it over your desk so you can look at it when you feel like its not so much fun. That's so great that you're enjoying it now! I love that kind of excitement about research and writing...
As for parties, two hours is plenty long for a kid party! And one or two activities: easy games (where everyone wins), a craft activity, etc. Actually, Peg Bracken has a pretty good chapter on kids' parties in the I Hate to Cookbook--so even in the early 60s people were stressing about this.
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