DISSERTATION, post #2

In case you want to track my progress (or lack thereof), here I am:

1. My dissertation summary (2 pages) - awaiting approval from my adviser
2. My IRB research proposal (4 pages) - thank you Abby Black for being awesome here
3. Rearranged my dissertation proposal and began to write with purpose - thanks, Drewcakes for your example!
4. Sent out a Doodle to schedule my two-hour preliminary oral exam for the first or second week in August
5. Approaching finalization of committee members - nearly there
6. Kind of annoyed my graduate adviser by asking questions to which I should know the answers - sorry, Virginia!
7. Laughed at something that has NOTHING to do with my dissertation. Yes, this is entered on my progress chart because I can't freaking working all of the time. This might be evidence that I am slowly losing my mind.

Without further adieu, as the great David Alan Grier as Calhoun Tubbs said: "Like to hear it? Here it go:"

Jason (11:25 pm): "When's dinner?"
Me: "I have been trying to convince myself I'm not hungry for 20 minutes now."
Jason: "I want a pint of ice cream."
Me: "Yeah, I'm not feeling that."
Jason: "We should go for a midnight run."
Me: "Run for exercise, run for shopping trip to get ice cream?"
Jason: "Run like (gestures with pumping arms) and this (gestures like breathing hard and taking pulse)."
Me: (in response to the heavy breathing) "Do you know they don't teach lamaze anymore?"
Jason: "Yeah you know why? Cause bitches don't be listening."

This might not sound funny out of context, but Jason is a particularly adorably nerdy brand of boy who strongly values social justice; this uncharacteristic display of hard knox behavior was both ridiculous and unexpected. Also, I have been staring at my computer for the last four hours, so any deviation from my research project is welcomed. With that said, it was effing hilarious. Thank you.

My next post better have an approved dissertation summary and finalized committee so I can advance to candidacy!

DISSERTATION, post #1

Okay, I've done it. I've created a document called "DISSERTATION" on my laptop. If I thought the creation of the document felt amazing, I am feeling even better that it has 7 pages of text. Three pages away from a complete Chapter 1. I'm not saying it's the final iteration of Chapter 1; heck, I'm not even saying it's good, but it's THERE. On paper. It's happening!

I have been feeling very stressed about the process since I had no tangible product of my work. I've been reading and researching and talking and meeting, but I have nothing to show for it. Then, something occurred to me: I'm not honoring my process. You know, the one that works for me and only me (and maybe other people, too but definitely me)? So I started writing. In one day I wrote 7 pages. I am ecstatic! 7 down, 200 to go! When I need to find research on X topic, I find it. Or Jason finds it. His research skills are far superior to mine and I am perfectly okay with that. I have other folks who have been super helpful already and I'm only on page 7. I am starting to tally my acknowledgements section: Jason, Carlton, Breana, Nancy, Katie, Abby, John, De, Bryan, Tabitha, my family, and my committee (Kristin, Claire Ellen, Marie, Diane, and Russ). This list is bound to grow in the next few months, days...heck, even hours!

Now if my Chair and I could agree on a theoretical model...