Photodump Friday

I spent several hours working on my syllabi for the Fall Semester this afternoon. I think I have one of the three just about whipped into shape. I wonder if there will ever come a semester where I don't redesign at least one major aspect of a syllabus.

I also downloaded all the photos off of my phone onto my laptop, and then uploaded lots of them to my flickr account.

A few favorites:

Doctor Me

I passed my defense. It seems like that should be a bigger deal than it is, but my defense was actually pretty easy. I guess having a committee that has given you extensive feedback along the way so you're on your fourth draft by the time you get to defend helps with that.

Most of the discussion was about how to turn it into a book. They want me to anticipate my critics. I laughed internally at that. I have critics? When did that happen? Oh, yeah, at the point I became a doctor.

It's been a weird week and a half since then. I feel at lost ends. You don't realize the enormity of the timesuck that a project like that is until you don't have it to do anymore, and you start wondering what to do with all that time. I haven't heard back about the job yet, so I'm still waiting to hear if my hire got approved, so it's hard to move forward with anything academically until I know what's going on there.

So, today I dealt with some curriculum issues our program is having. And then I designed a Secret Agent Man major. It includes politics, criminology, social dance and welding.

My revising process

1. Day one: Rip apart everything I have written using feedback from advisor as guidelines. Develop a plan of attack. Outline points to be addressed in each section.
2. Stare at what I've written. Think it all sucks. Stare some more. Write three sentences. Think they suck too. Ponder what non-sucky writing would look like.
3. Dive in. Make breakthrough. Write concise, intelligent work.

I always forget that my revising process always involves a day of suckitude. When I'm in it, I feel kind of despondent, but that time of sitting and staring at my work really helps me focus on the weaknesses that need to be addressed, and gives my subconscious time to work on the problems I've identified.

So, note to self, plan for days of suckitude in the future, and know that it will be alright.

Dissertation update

I just heard back from my committee chair. My first three chapters have been accepted. No further substantive revisions needed. Wahooooooooo!

Well, that's done

The interview went really well. The department will be meeting next week to vote. I'm more excited about this job now than I was before the interview which is always a nice development. The faculty in the department were very nice and friendly, and I think it would be a good work environment.

Also, I finished a draft of chapter three of my dissertation this evening. I'm going to give it one more read through in the morning, and then send the first three chapters of my dissertation off to my committee in the morning.

All in all, a good day

I went out with a friend this morning, both of us with our little boys in tow, into the four inches and counting of snow, to run errands and get both of us some much needed adult interactions. We went to lunch at my favorite restaurant, and then I came home and worked on my dissertation.

I've been wrestling with one section for about two months off and on, trying to get it to say on the paper what I think about it in my head, and I finally got it to match. Such an incredible relief. One more section of that chapter to finish, and then it's off to my committee for evaluation.

And I got word that I will have a teaching job this fall. The funding for the section I teach was up in the air due to the state budget cutbacks, but it got approved, so I will continue to have an income. Yay! Because I started pricing toddler beds, and anything that isn't made out of MDF is not cheap, and Cooper is about a week and a half from figuring out he can hook his leg over the edge of the crib and get out on his own.