Monday, February 19, 2007
still standing....
I haven't been blogging much lately. Not sure why. I've thought about not blogging anymore at all, but then I know I'll find stuff to blog about.
Work on the dissertation is moving along slowly. Finding primary source materials is brutally difficult, much more so than I thought, and I really think a trip to England is needed before I can finish the dissertation. I need a good week of scouring through periodicals and cheap books, which is something that I just can't do on-line or in our library. UVic has a decent stock of periodicals but not so much working class or socialist stuff. Interlibrary loan is my comrade right now, and unless I get a nice research grant it will be for quite some time yet.
I'm on a regular work schedule now. It's easier since Mike started working 9 to 5 (or 9:30 to 7:30, if he doesn't have to work on Friday). I took a break from work today to go for a run in the rain, and it was weirdly invigorating. I felt like Rocky Balboa, only taller, and wetter. I think my pants absorbed about 4 pounds of rainwater, and my vest was dripping wet when I got home. The parents picking up their kidlets at the daycare centre across the street from the track probably thought I was insane, or on crack (I do live in Fernwood, after all).
I submitted a conference proposal last week. The conference is in town, and I'll be attending regardless of whether or not my paper is accepted, so I figured I'd pull something out of my magic proposal hat and give it the old college try. I'm also thinking about devoting an hour or so each day to revising a couple papers from past conferences and classes. I'd like to get something published next year, and since academic publications have really slow turnaround I'll probably need to send stuff off in the next few months to ensure something in print for 2008.
I'm pretty happy these days, and some days almost hyper happy. It's a nice place to be.
Work on the dissertation is moving along slowly. Finding primary source materials is brutally difficult, much more so than I thought, and I really think a trip to England is needed before I can finish the dissertation. I need a good week of scouring through periodicals and cheap books, which is something that I just can't do on-line or in our library. UVic has a decent stock of periodicals but not so much working class or socialist stuff. Interlibrary loan is my comrade right now, and unless I get a nice research grant it will be for quite some time yet.
I'm on a regular work schedule now. It's easier since Mike started working 9 to 5 (or 9:30 to 7:30, if he doesn't have to work on Friday). I took a break from work today to go for a run in the rain, and it was weirdly invigorating. I felt like Rocky Balboa, only taller, and wetter. I think my pants absorbed about 4 pounds of rainwater, and my vest was dripping wet when I got home. The parents picking up their kidlets at the daycare centre across the street from the track probably thought I was insane, or on crack (I do live in Fernwood, after all).
I submitted a conference proposal last week. The conference is in town, and I'll be attending regardless of whether or not my paper is accepted, so I figured I'd pull something out of my magic proposal hat and give it the old college try. I'm also thinking about devoting an hour or so each day to revising a couple papers from past conferences and classes. I'd like to get something published next year, and since academic publications have really slow turnaround I'll probably need to send stuff off in the next few months to ensure something in print for 2008.
I'm pretty happy these days, and some days almost hyper happy. It's a nice place to be.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Convalescence
Today I'm feeling more human than I've felt in a week. I slept in and woke up without giant black under-eye circles. I've shopped a bit, picked up Braaten at the ferry and tidied the kitchen.
This week was a write-off. I managed to get some reading done, but nothing in terms of writing or revisions. I don't have time to be sick anymore, so I'm going to be carefully screening my time around children, as they almost always give me whatever disgusting school-based viruses are floating around.
Still feeling okay about the diss though. How does slum fiction and socialist aesthetics sound? Sounds neat to me.
This week was a write-off. I managed to get some reading done, but nothing in terms of writing or revisions. I don't have time to be sick anymore, so I'm going to be carefully screening my time around children, as they almost always give me whatever disgusting school-based viruses are floating around.
Still feeling okay about the diss though. How does slum fiction and socialist aesthetics sound? Sounds neat to me.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Sicky
Ugh.
Bronchitis sucks.
That is all.
Bronchitis sucks.
That is all.