Oh noes! Iz not redy yet!

see more dog and puppy pictures

Hmmmm, what to say...

In a couple of weeks, the department will have its annual picnic. I didn't go last year...come to think of it don't think I went the year before. But in my pursuit of being (marginally) social, I'm thinking about attending.

So why wouldn't I go? Not because people aren't awesome (well, the one's i know are awesome...and we have a tradition of bringing awesome people in). Or that the food and wine aren't good (they are). So why would I have any trepidation in going????

Well....everyone includes their year in grad school during introductions. Problem is, my year is too obscene to reveal! I don't even think about what year I am myself. Honestly. Also, my general bitterness about graduate school might shine through as well. I'm kind of a poor example of a graduate student....I'm still here!

Second....I feel old. I've seen so many incoming classes come in...and in the last couple of years, I've become aware of a generation gap. Yes, a generation gap.

And third; the department is different. Vastly different than when I was in the first few years of grad school. Students have changed (of course), a few faculty changes, and department norms are different. Hell, I'm not even sure if the department as a whole drinks good beer. If not, that is a tragedy. I learned about good beer my first few years in grad school. It should be part of the socialization process!!!

And of course, I miss my former classmates of years above and below (yes, plenty of them have graduated before me). On to bigger and better things...and soon (hopefully) so will I.

Still going :-)

So my last post about goals? Well I've....stuck to them thus far :-)

So far 6 days of dissertation work in a row. Not a ton of work each day, but i'm making progress and moving forward. Also, I'm turning in a draft of chapter 1 on Friday. I'll also be out of town for part of the week, but i'll get it done. I'm going to make sure of it.

Working on the dissertation EVERY DAY is very important to me. It keeps the topic fresh in my mind and it helps me keep momentum. I can be anything from reading an article, to writing a paragraph...just SOMETHING. I really need to do it every day to keep it a habit. Not 5 days a week, but everyday. I need to learn to work on it every day no matter where I am at the time. This week should prove to be a good test.

The meeting on Friday went really well - gave me confirmation that I have a good topic and that external validity isn't everything (especially on a topic that is largely unexplored). It also gave me a little kick in the butt.

So...go go gadget motivation!!!