Don't forget

To pay tuition, ladies. Close your eyes and make it happen. Then, pretend it didn't. Heh.

Oh, bank account.

sigh.

Signing back on...

Thanks for the reminder to post, Claire!

Things for me have been slow, though now that I think about it I can't quite figure out why...I guess there were a few small events that I parlayed into days and days doing something else!

Like Claire, I have a daily goal of either writing or editing what I have (which ends up being writing, but such is life). It' too much but still a good goal for me every day. I have a long ways to go with this thesis since I still haven't done any interviews (though I will only do two or three), so I spend a bit of time every day trying not to get too anxious about it. I'm trying to remind myself that I am where I am supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to be doing, and if I don't make my defend-by-June goal then that's okay, it's not worth feeling horrible abot it all the time.

It doesn't always work, but I'm trying.

My sister and brother in law are coming in tomorrow and staying the night on their way to move into Degrassi Street! I can't wait to go see that place, apparently it's got the most stolen street signs of naywhere in Toronto. Quelle surprise ;-)

Keep going!

Reviving Nathewrimo

Hey guys!

Well I have been super busy with visitors over the last couple weeks. My aunt was here last week, and my brother and sister were here for almost a week. My work has suffered as a result, so I am buckling down to get my draft finished by the end of May. It's a pretty ambitious goal, so I am a little nervous, but I'm thinking that there is no use in getting stressed out about it. I've just got to sit down every day and work on it! I figure I have about 50 pages to go....so that works out to about 2-3 pages every day, not including weekends or the odd procrastinat-y, unproductive day. It's attainable...although I still have to go through my interviews, which is going to suck.

There are a few things that I have on my plate that will distract from the thesis work. For one, I have the OCE Discovery conference coming up in a couple weeks. Somehow, I've been nominated/roped into participating in an oral competition at the conference. It's only a 5 minute presentation, with 2 minutes for questions, so it's pretty straight forward. However, somehow, the OCE is recommending a 2-day course to prepare for the presentation!? I'm attending day 2 of the course tomorrow, and I *think* it's called "networking and communications". I definitely need some help with networking, so it'll be a good course regardless. I'm also STILL waiting to hear about the WWEC conference at the end of June. At this point, I think that I am going to recycle the grad conference posted I prepared, because it is getting ridiculous. I emailed the organizers, and they said that they are STILL going through the abstracts for the conference. Totally disorganized.

Anyways, the visit with Paul and Jocelyn has been great. We spent time in Toronto, out at the lake with our family, and yesterday Paul and I went to Niagara for wine and Buffalo for chicken wings. It was awesome, except for Paul forgot his camera at the restaurant in Buffalo, so we had to go through the border TWICE to get it back. Luckily we look innocent and honest because the border guards had three chances to find the booze we had in the trunk that we did not pay duty on.

Anyways, good times! I'm actually itching to get back to work so I think it's a good sign.

What's up with you guys?? Don't forget to update!

Presentation day!

Yesterday was a busy day. I make 2 presentations in 6 months, and of course they both were yesterday. In the morning I was in Oakville for the Eco-Innovation conference hosted by T.A. Blakelock. It was actually super fun, although I was nervous to speak in front of a bunch of 15 and 16 year olds. Anyways, I gave two talks to groups of about 40, and it went really well! I brought chocolate, and anyone who answered any questions got candy, so people actually participated ;). I got a swag-bag, which was also cool...so all in all it was a great experience!

After the high school conference, I raced back to campus for my "poster judging". The judge was a biology prof, and at least 80% of the people presenting were biology students. I have a feeling that i didn't win the iPOD...but it was a good practice run for poster presentations.

Anyways...after my brief break from writing, it's time to get back to it. I'm still aiming to have a draft by the end of may...so Nathewrimo month #3 is almost getting going!

Talk soon!

Update from Guelph

So, I just finished my first week at my position for the City of Guelph as a Water Efficiency Program Assistant. I really like my new job; the people are great, and the project I'm working on is innovative and engaging.

I didn't get the OPA job because I didn't "have enough experience". I was "over-qualified" for the intern position... I guess they need to find me a position where I have the "right" amount of qualification. Either way, I know I made a good impression on them so there are opportunities for the future. I'm obviously disappointed, but not discouraged. It's all part of the process I guess.

All in all, I am happy I have the job at Guelph because I will have a lot more time (and rest) and have more energy to work in the evenings on my thesis... that is.. if I avoid the pubs and patios on the way home from work.

I also found out that I wasn't accepted to the PhD program at York. But, I'm actually relieved. I only put a half-hearted effort into the application. I think I need a bit of time before I dive into another 4-6 years of school.

So, I'm pretty happy. I feel a bit weird to have so many rejections in one week.. but better to get that out of the way now I guess.

New Mix Tape!

New mix tape at http://wheretheheck.blogspot.com/

Whee!

:-)

Poster time!

So, I spent today throwing together my poster for the grad conference next week. I'm not willing to spend too much time on the thing...but I do want to win the iPOD. Essentially I'm willing to dedicate one day, and one day only to the thing. I'm pretty happy with how it came together, but we'll see how it turns out when printed large-scale. Anyhoo...that was my day...pilfering images off the internet and trying to distill 45 pages of writing into 3 concise textboxes. Fun stuff.

Other than that, I think I may be coming down with a cold...which is a huge bummer. I think I am just going to mentally decide NOT to be sick, because of course I have lots of fun things coming up in the next couple weeks.

I was glad to hear that your first day of work was good Sarah, and Marianne...I hope you found the exam room in time!

Talk to you ladies soon!

Claire

Writing again

It's nice to be writing again. Especially since it's new writing, not fixing-old-stuff writing. Which definitely needs to happen, just...not now. 

I've been on the morning shift with Rob which is really nice, though I'm still not adjusted to the sleep schedule yet. Either way, I actually feel good and am really happy to have something to say again!

Mary Louise is super busy at the moment, but expects to meet with me next week and then  soon after that she expects to be able to turn more attention my way. Which is definitely good, but now I have more reason then ever to have something to show her. So I'd like to have a chapter three filled in outline for her to see next week so she can guide my progress. One of the issues with doing such an  exploratory thesis is there really isn't very much structure out there, I need to create it and that's nerve wracking and I want lots of authoritative reassurance! 

Anyway, if she likes what she sees enough then I can continue and finish chapter three, fix chapter one and two to reflect the newish focus of my thesis and then...just maybe...do some interviews. heh. Better late than never!

Other than that, I've got my summer bike out and feeling good about that. I started going through the sports closet and have moved all the winter coats and snowshoes to the basement and will be do a camping inventory soon so see where we are in terms of spring/summer getaway gear. Sarah, a roadtrip sounds like lots of fun, we should take advantage for sure.  

And we will miss you sarah! Be sure to let us know how your new schedule is treating you and how you like the new job. 

And that's it for me. Keep on truckin' ladies!

xo

Rainbows!

Awwww....I can't believe tomorrow is your last day here at ERS Sarah!! Wow...that came up fast! We'll definitely miss you around here. I hope that your new job is super awesome...and I know that you'll do a great job!

Right now I'm staring at a rainbow of highlighter colours. I'm using Lynz's coding technique, and so far is fun because all my interview notes look like a big rainbow.

That's it for news from me...besides the fact that I am officially DONE with data collection. Last night was my last council meeting...thank goodness! It has been a long time coming! I now have absolutely no excuse for not finishing up my draft in the next 6 weeks. WHOOP!

Keep in touch ladies!

It's starting to hit me...

It's starting to hit me that tomorrow will be my last day as a regular frequenter of ES. I start working full time Monday so I obviously won't be around during the week. My evenings and weekends will be filled with "thesising" .

I'm really happy that I have this blog as an outlet, and a connection to you at ES. I will try my best too visit Waterloo as often as I can, perhaps during the weekend, or the occasional evening.

Also, my parents are going on a trip for two weeks starting April 29th. Road-trip anyone?? Maybe just a 'day-trip'?

Anyone up for a few drinks tomorrow night??

job update

Ok... I heard back from the OPA. I have to go for another interview in TO tomorrow at 3:30pm.

Wish me LUCK!!

Happy Monday

So, I didn't get that much work done this weekend, but that's ok ;)
I had a really good weekend. I had brunch with friends, took in the spring weather, had a visit with my parents. And, Pete and I reorganized my living room with 'new hand-me-down' furniture from my parents (and we did that without arguing!!! what a change!)

I did mange to find some really good articles about mix-methods research, which I'm now reading and summarizing. These articles will come in handy to help justify my mixed(-up)-methods.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the OPA. I don't know what I'm going to do... I'm scheduled to start with the City of Guelph next Monday... so I don't feel like I have enough time to give them fair warning if I decline their offer. There seems to be pros and cons to both positions. The OPA position starts later, pays more.. but the commute will be hectic. The Guelph job pays less but has less responsibilities and virtually no commute. I may just take the Guelph job now, and return to job hunting with the OPA at the end of the summer.

weekend review

So, I got some comments back from Ian...and I don't feel horrible!! Yay! Overall, his comments were positive, but if you look through the pages there are A LOT of comments/suggestions/changes to be made. So, there's still a lot of work to be done, but my first three chapters aren't a total "do over". The plan for the next week is to scan through Ian's comments, but generally put them aside for now. I want to write chapter 4, and make my stupid poster for the grad conference on the 21st. Of course, I am also supposed to be a presenter at a conference in Oakville that morning, so I'm still hoping to make it back in time for the poster judging (I want that iPod!!).

Otherwise, the weekend was good...although not really school-productive. Agustin and I rode our bikes out to Elmira for the maple syrup festival...which was soooooo satisfying because we got to wiz by all the people stuck in the traffic jam. Marianne's b-day dinner was also lovely, although I was completely tired by 10pm. Also....yay me...I learned how to do basic HTML coding for websites. Agustin is really into this, and I learned how to do basic web design. You'll all get to see my work soon enough, as our website will be launching at the end of the month!

Last but not least, I finally got to experience funk night with DJ Charless....and it was definitely as fun as promised.

So, hope everyone had a wonderful weekend enjoying the spring weather, and we'll chat soon!

Still alive

I haven't been writing anywhere, not just here, so don't be mad ;-)

Haha, as you pretty much all already know, I've been in a major thesis slump, and some stuffhad to get resolved to get that going. I feel the same amount of anxiety over the thing, but that will be there until I am making progress, so fair enough. I am ready to dive back in after over a week off the case (not writing anyways, lots of thinking  guess) and I'm trying to cut down on fantasizing about being done to keep things flowing.

Other than that, it's been birthday time for me and I am looking forward to getting good at making tortillas on my new press! I have been looking forward to that for pretty much a really long time, so that's cool. Also, several family members have promised me birthday surprises still, so I get the pleasure of essentially randomly getting presents in the mail, which everyone loves. So that's pretty cool too. 

I'm still working on keeping a healthy perspective on this whole thesis thing, and it helps me tremendously to remember that is takes as long as it takes and that's okay. One thing that tends to worry me is if it goes longer into the summer than I want it to, which it may, but I can't really help that. Que sera sera, so relax, you know? 

Working on it and feeling pretty good! 

:-)

Clearly I do not know how to space paragraphs on blogs properly

Keepin' goin'

Another favorite PHD comic. Image from here.

After venting and almost crying, I feel a bit more calm about this thesis-writing situation. I just have to do a bit every day, and stay focused. Even though I haven't actually written that much, I feel a bit more clear about what I'm actually going to write, and have gotten some more sources to 'beef-up' my methods section. This weekend, I'm going to go thru my interviews, and code them, and put them into fancy tables. I'm also going to even-out my methods section. Fun times!

----

Happy almost Birthday MARIANNE!!!! Why didn't you warn me??!!!??? *hugs*

Nathewrima? Nathewrinep?

So, based on Sarah's input I've revamped the Nathewrimo page, deleted the page tracker spreadsheet, and gotten rid of the rules. We've never really been "rules" girls anyways, right??

Anyways, Nathewrimo is now in it's second month so it's maybe more appropriate to call it the National THesis WRIting MArathon (or maybe closer to how we are feel...NAtional THesis WRiting NeverEnding Process). Anyways, hopefully we all continue to work hard and as my wise thesis advisor suggested lets "just get the damn thing done!"

April showers bring May flowers...

Hello ladies...


I was encouraged to contribute a little more to this blog...here is my attempt:)
This month seems to have started off an a low note for all...but may I remind you that it is April!!! Here are some lovely quotes about spring to inspire you:

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden."- Ruth Stout

"Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day."- W. Earl Hall

"When March goes on forever, And April's twice as long, Who gives a damn if spring has come, As long as winter's gone."- R. L. Ruzicka

Ok so these aren't really that great, but I tried. Maybe we can all get together and watch Bambi to celebrate the season...or we could start some sort of spring/summer preparation group where we could practice dodging cars on our bikes, avoiding dog poop on the sidewalk and chasing after the ice cream man at record speed (does anyone remember dickie dee??). Tomorrow I am going to walk around the block in my bathing suit and high heels to get ready for swim suit season if anyone wants to join me.

There is a little running motivational trick where, for every kilometer you run in training, you take an elastic band and start forming a ball...and eventually it gets gigantic and you get to see how much you've accomplished. I might try this trick, since keeping track of page numbers in word documents does not seem to work....so tomorrow I am going to walk around the block in my bathing suit and high heels carrying a small ball of elastic bands. I will leave bail money with my landlord.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I leave you with these little poems...

Don't Quitby: Unknown Author
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit.
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns.
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out:
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out -The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems so far: So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again

If I had my child to raise all over again,I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd teach less about the love of power, And more about the power of love.
Diane Loomans

Nathewrimo - April edition

Hey guys,

Well I sent off my chapters to Ian as promise at 8pm on March 31st. As Marianne pointed out, my time to productivity ratio was very poor at that point....so I just sent it off to Ian for comments. I took yesterday off to take care of a few nagging tasks that have been neglected lately, like clipping my toe nails and waxing my legs. I'm back to work today and I've been trying to start chapter 4, but so far I have been spectacularly unsuccessful. The sunshine at this point is very distracting, so I am planning on getting out for a run later.

I hope you are feeling better Sarah! Getting sick really sucks, especially when you are trying to get stuff done.

Also, this week has seemed really long, so I think beers on Friday are in order. How does Friday, 4pm at the grad house sound??

Talk to you ladies soon!

Sick!!

Boo Sick! Boooo.....

I started to feel it yesterday, and today I feel terrible. I have a pretty bad cold - body ache, chest wheezy, stomach nauseous. I was supposed to go to UofG for an Alumni event - Grad Launch. But fortunately, it has been unanimously agreed that I should stay home and rest (and not share my germs with the world).

I hate being sick...