Golden.

I did it*!


*:
submitted 2 comprehensive papers to my advisor
packed my worldly belongings into boxes stolen from liquor store dumpsters on humid nights
fashioned 'bookshelf' in utility room from dissassembled bookshelf
fit boxes into utility room
put additional boxes, pillows, cd players, Brita water filters, welcome mats, trashcans into car
survived 5 hr flight in middle, middle seat behind an obnoxious toddler
finally had a caffeine fix.


Hellooooo, summer!!!

Sweat, plastic forks, & caffeine

I'm moving. I'm also still wrapping up the second of two comprehensive papers that I have to do before they'll let me start on my dissertation. And on Friday I went in for what I thought would be a routine, "Take these eye drops & get outta here!" visit to the doctor for a slightly disgusting eye condition. Instead, my doctor said, "Do you have anywhere you have to be this afternoon? I think you should go to the eye institute - immediately." Several hours in a waiting room and one fancy specialist later - I got the eye drops I'd been jonesing for all along. I also got sentenced to two weeks without contacts. Unthinkable. This morning I picked up my PRESCRIPTION SUNGLASSES!!!! Heaven*.


So long cheap apartment with generous living space and a huge kitchen. This hurts me more than it hurts you.



*It was even more delightful to save $100 at Lenscrafters with this Google ad.

It's that time of year again, this week.

On Tuesday I schlepted down the street to vote in the California primary. I've lived in California for 3 years next week. I've voted in twice as many elections, special elections, and whatever else I get a pamphlet in the mail for. I have voted in real elections more times than I have called in to vote for American Idol. Not to sound ungrateful for the privilege to choose who may piss me off with uncharacteristic support for he-who-must-not-be-named (ehem - Diane Feinstein, I'm talking to you!), but for this could I get more than a sticker? Maybe a lollipop with the rope handle like they used to have at bank. Or an "I voted" henna tattoo. Then I would really feel engaged in the democratic process.

What I need is a snorkel.

Most of the time I use a 'treading water' metaphor to describe my efforts to stay relatively on top of graduate school demands. Occasionally, times get tough and I have to adjust the drowning metaphor alert level to 'keeping my head above water.' For the last week, it's been more like coming up for a gulp of salty air whenever the polluted tide swarming with jellyfish recedes. I'm approximately 50% through what looked like my certain death a week ago when I realized I had 3 presentations (2 major, 1 minor) 3 papers (2 major, 1 minor), and one final exam to complete in the upcoming 3 weeks. All this and trekking downtown several times a week to collect data for a research project I need to finish this summer. And sell my furniture. And locate a storage facility. . .

The bad part is that because I've been so overwhelmed lately, as soon as I realized I could potentially get everything done, I'm back to my old ways - searching for apartments I don't need right now, finding my parents a place to stay when they visit me in NYC, and reading my USAA magazine telling me how to save for my kids' college.

FOCUS.