This is the place for those dualistic, good news/bad.news events that require posting just to help get at the perplexity of life from more than one direction.
My inhale: The new little ice cream shop near me does both to-go/carry-out and delivery, and is open until 2 AM.
My vent: They have no non-dairy options.
Looked at another way (with a 90-degree twist, maybe?):
My vent: They don't have the ice cream I can eat. Boo hoo!
My inhale: I dont need to eat raspberry sorbet at 2 AM anyway....at least, not .if I'm trying not to gain weight...
-=-=-=-
You?
M.
Vent: I'm not feeling well (allergies), yet I have to go to work.
Inhale: No one else is here yet due to the rainstorm, so I'm able to think without being interrupted by loud voices or telephone calls.
Inhale: Yea!!!! Blog article finished, sent in, and accepted. In fact, they're going to use it in the newsletter and not just the blogsite.
Vent: Now I have to go do all the stuff I left undone in order to finish the article.
A-hem.
M.
Arggh!
Vent: Just because upsetting things have happened and you're feeling down doesn't change the fact that we have all these deadlines facing us, and I'm working towards them but you're not.
I mean, you know I'm very sympathetic, and all, but the work still expects to be done, and I'm doing my share...plus a bit.
Inhale: Saying "When we meet, I need us both to set aside whatever else is going on so we can focus on what's before us," did have a positive effect, and was acknowledged as helpful.
I just wish that a) the upsetting things weren't happening to begin with (I do sympathize, really), and b) I didn't have to keep being the adult in the room every time something depressive occurs (now going on 5 years or so). It makes ME grumbly, too!
At least the willingness to shake oneself off and make a better start is there.
OK, back to work.
Thanks for listening.
M.
Inhale: The hotter-than-hell weather has broken!
Vent: Via a succession of thunderstorms. Lovely.
Quote from: paultuttle on July 23, 2019, 11:13:19 AM
Inhale: The hotter-than-hell weather has broken!
Vent: Via a succession of thunderstorms. Lovely.
That was us yesterday.
Echoed in its entirety...including the two instances of simultaneous lightening and thunder in which I said, "Oh. That means it's right overhead. Hmmmm..."
Stay comfortable!
M.
Reviving, because I had a heckuva vinhale today.
Vent: Absolutive's computer froze and he needed to attend an online conference today.
Inhale: I had no classes/meetings scheduled, so I let him use mine, and went for a walk
Vent: I took a very long route, and at one point heard something clatter to the ground. I paused and looked back, saw nothing obvious, and kept going. When I got home, I discovered my key was gone.
Inhale: I remembered where I had heard the clatter, and when I got there, I found my key on the ground right away.
Vent: I now have to work late into the evening to make up the time I lost while Absolutive had my computer.
Inhale: Absolutive made me tea when I got back, and I can hear him making dinner now.
Vent: Our environmental microbiology lab was a colossal failure. Students got essential no growth from swabs of doorknobs, elevator buttons, lab counters, fridge handles or bathroom fixtures.
Inhale: Students got essential no growth from swabs of doorknobs, elevator buttons, lab counters, fridge handles or bathroom fixtures. (So yeah cleaning protocols)
Vent: Professor CrankyPants yelled at the staff b/c the lab didn't work and blamed the agar in the plates.
Inhale: Staff showed growth in the control plates, making PCP have to apologize. Publicly.
Inhale: just now invited to do an interview on my work for a dance instructor's site in another (well-placed) town.
Vent: Yikes! Time to prepare stuff will have to be fitted into an already tight schedule!
Inhale: I've wanted to do more public info stuff, and to find out how to do my own.
Vent: MORE work will be needed for that!
Inhale: The pool of work I feared could become stagnant has found an outlet and can now flow....
Vent: They want to book this in the next 2 weeks! Aiyiyiyiyi!
M.
Vent: Recent Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan (VSIP) means we're not in rosy financial shape. Let's see how soon the RIF follows.
Vent: Though I qualify, I can't afford to take the VSIP (both because I want my partial lump sum payout from my pension, which I can't get til 2024, AND because ALHS isn't old enough for Medicare til then and I won't be until 2025, AND because the financial incentive offered is a joke).
Vent: For years I've said there are fewer than 10 people at work that I trust. The last VSIP took several of those, and the ensuing RIF took another two (both of whom died within a year of being RIFed), and now three more are retiring. That leaves only two of that "trusted" group still here with me until I/they retire.
Inhale: Two of those taking the VSIP are very dear (and trusted) friends, and I'm genuinely happy for them both.
Inhale: Chair is also taking the VSIP. I will NOT miss him. (He used to be on that "trusted" list until he sold me, and the rest of our faculty, out about a year ago, so good riddance.)
The VSIP/RIF are becoming routine,so at least I'm happy some of my friends are able to get out with a little cash. I'm busy making retirement gifts!
Inhale: Local river walk is lined with raspberry bushes (and blackberry bushes in one place), and they are ripening. I had a day off today, and took a big old tupperware with me, loaded up my podcaster, slathered on the sunblock and donned my massive wide-brimmed straw sunhat, and filled that sucker to the brim with fresh berries. We snacked on some, selected the most attractive one to save for breakfast tomorrow, and dumped the rest in the freezer for smoothies and raspberry lemonade.
Vent: Apparently the optimal growing conditions for raspberry bushes are identical to the optimal growing conditions for stinging nettles. Despite my best efforts to avoid them, I am still stinging in (i) the first knuckle of my left ring-finger (ii) the underside of my left wrist (iii) the side of my right pinkie (iv) the knobby bone part of my right wrist (v) the underside of my right wrist, and (vi) the outside of my right forearm, about halfway up.
Inhale: In my travels, I have confirmed the best spots with the largest berries, and also confirmed that there are many, many, many bushes with unripe berries still to come. I think I'll be doing this regularly this summer. How have I never learned that I live in berryland? I took this river walk all the time last summer. How did I not notice the bounty? BERRIES!!!
Also good mixed with a bit of maple syrup and honey to go on pancakes, to be made into a layer of cinnamon/nutmeg/clove cornbread, or to be blended with some butter, a tiny bit of flour, and said honey, as a topping for coffee cake.
That's 'way off-topic, but.... it's not:
Inhale: The mulberries, likewise, are coming out, here (long ago, sericulture efforts were a "thing," and the trees are still with us).
Vent: I keep forgetting to bring a container with me on my AM walks....
M.
Inhale: car doesn't need new brakes before our long road trip. Amazing mileage on this set!
Vent: needs 2 new tires, and another appointment to get them. Don't understand why 2 of 4 wore out so much faster than the others, which were all bought and installed at the same time.
On the same side, or front/back?
Or some other array?
Alignment issues could be what's doing that.
M.
Vent: Absolutive brought home a respiratory bug from school and gave it to me.
Inhale: It's almost certainly not Covid. We have a bunch of rapid at-home lateral flow tests and he tested negative twice while maximally symptomatic, so it's probably just a cold. Certainly feels exactly like a cold in my head. Stuffy nose, sore uvula, general malaise.
Vent: Absolutive gave me the first cold I've had in two years. Stuffy nose, sore uvula, general malaise. Also, he's sick too (our onsets are offset by about twenty-four hours, so we're both overlappingly sick).
Inhale: I'm beginning to feel better, and so is he. Not 100%.
Vent: If this cold is like all my other colds, then I have about 24-48 hours between the time my sore throat resolves and the time my nose becomes completely, miserably blocked. I guess I'll try to get some housework done in this window before I deteriorate again.
Absolutive doesn't like it when I start to feel better but prognosticate the coming nose-blockage. Why borrow trouble? he says. You're feeling better now, he says. Maybe it won't happen, he says. But I'm pretty sure it will happen, so I'm telling you all now: Sometime Sunday evening or Monday morning I'm going to be back here with the following inhale/vent:
[prediction]
Inhale: I was right!
Vent: I was right.
[/prediction]
Vent: I had to clear away a buncha stuff so they could check the pipes for a water leak that I KNEW was not in my unit. (That's where Wednesday and Thursday disappeared to, I think...I've looked for them everywhere else, and it's the only explanation (inter-threaduality)).
Inhale: I was right, it wasn't (in my unit).
Vent: the landlord took the visit as an opportune time to say the rent's going up.
Inhale: I bargained him down, some.
Vent: I actually like some of the cleared areas I made to get the plumbing seen, but I need the stuff that was there, so at least some of it needs to go back.
Inhale: I was already starting to think about re-arrangements, so this got the balll rolling (maybe) and gave me some added exercise.
M.
Vent: An adjunct has left for greener pastures, leaving us in the lurch with 2 lecture/lab courses.
Inhale: I'm not chair, so this in not my circus anymore.
Vent: Crap, now I'm a monkey. And I can teach the vacated courses.
Inhale: I don't HAVE to. So I'm not gonna.
p.s. Dear Provost, do you remember when you denied my request to use some accrued overload credits? Do you remember saying I shouldn't have taken on the overload in the first place?
p.p.s. I do. And now I'm gonna take your advice.
p.p.p.s. This is a lovely bridge you have here. Why did you set it on fire?
Inhale: The PBK chapter we thought a decade ago would die soon is doing very well.
Vent: I had to drop off at the time, and the person who took over was very bossy, so I didn't come back later when I could.
Inhale: But I've stayed on their mailing list and it looks like they're going well...they're even having a Zoom/Tea/Annual meeting next week.
Vent: I think I'm teaching then, so probably can't attend.
Inhale: At least they're doing well, the chapter doesn't at all look like dying anytime soon, and apparently bossy people can do some good in the world.
M.
Context: Last year I wrote up an exhaustive set of tips and tricks for how to write papers in my subdiscipline, which is distinct in its own ways from the rest of my subject area, and students are often quite clueless when they have to turn in papers. It was useful to be able to point to that in the comments and say 'see point 4 on guidance document' or 'see point 9 on guidance document' or whatever.
Vent: This year, the comments I'm leaving don't really fit neatly into a set of common errors the way they did last year. I'm writing a lot less in the way of 'see pt 4' or 'see pt 9', and instead I have to write a whole new set of comments about much more eclectic errors. In fact, some common errors that were so common last year that I put them on the 'guidance for writing in [my discipline]' sheet are in fact entirely absent from student writing this year. It's as if the whole set of guidance I gave them is irrelevvnt!
Inhale: I think that maybe means the guidance sheet worked? Because I gave them a document that said 'here's a common error. Avoid [this]; instead do [that].' And I think that means they're following the instructions!
The fact that the guidance sheet seems irrelevant based on what they're submitting is a good thing!
It's like a game of Whack-a-Mole. You get some things batted down and new ones arise to take their place...
;--}
I have two more advanced music students dealing with this right now, on pieces that take longer to learn to play well.
Inhale: They're doing well enough that they're having to concentrate on fixing things that were less important at the outset.
Vent: New issues keep cropping up that keep them from finishing their pieces.
Inhale: They work on those and fix them, and mostly they don't come back. So, eventually, they will probably finish their work on these pieces, and be ready for NEW pieces, with similar issues....
Plus ca change....
M.
Me again, double...
Vent: If you Don't Do a Lit. Review, of course it looks like no-one has studied this topic for some time. Because you're only 20 years old, you've only been writing for 5 years or so, and you don't have the life experience to recall when this topic was a big deal at one point.
So, of course it can be presented as "Look at this shiny new /old thing I just found! Yea, me!"
Inhale: Your benighted article gives me a reason to write a letter to the editor and surface MY work, which DOES have a rather decent lit. review, thankyouverymuch.
BWA-HA-HA-HA-ha-ha-ha....
M.
Bad sprain that has made sleeping difficult for past 2 weeks. Inhale: I slept for over 6 hours for the first time in 2 weeks.
Vent: I hurt even more this morning than in the past 2 weeks.
Have started physical therapy and know everything will resolve soon. But meanwhile, ouch
Vent: My arm hurts around the booster shot injection site. So does my husband's arm, around his injection site. And we both feel a little low-energy.
Inhale: We both have received our booster shots!
Vent: The roads were so slick that I could not drive home last night (1 hour commute each way). I passed about 8 accidents and almost slid across lanes before I gave up.
Inhale: there was a hotel right off the next exit and they had a room available and complimentary breakfast! I could afford to put the (relatively cheap) hotel stay on my credit card (certainly there were points in my life where that was not the case).
Vent: As it's only December, this does not bode well for commuting next semester.
Not having to commute in bad weather was my favorite thing about teaching online during the pandemic.
Inhale: The US Postal Service may be getting a new leader, with a shift in political appointments that caused the problems just before the election:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-_2mCVoESs
Vent: Not until next year, when the USPS Board of Governors' complexion changes and some repairs can begin.
It will take awhile to fix the mess, and it won't be in time for holiday deliveries this year.
M.
Vent: My left arm still hurts a bit at the injection site of my Moderna booster shot . . .
Inhale: . . . which I received Tuesday evening. (My husband received his Pfizer booster shot that same afternoon, an hour or so earlier.)
Vent: My husband had a worse reaction--fatigue, low-grade fever, slight dizziness, and muscle aches--but . . .
Inhale: . . . he's feeling much better now. Not entirely 100%, but not like he did on Wednesday, when he was sure he'd been "run over by a locomotive. Repeatedly."
So we've both gotten our booster shots, as have my parents, just in time for omicron. I feel _really_ fortunate.
Vent: I feel like absolute crap
Inhale: got a rapid test and it's not COVID (that was unlikely as I had COVID previously before I could get a vaccination, then got double vaxxed, but I can't get the booster yet, so it was possible)
Vent: I still feel like crap even though I know it's not COVID.
Vent: I still have to do end-of-semester stuff even though I feel awful.
Inhale: IT'S ALMOST OVER!
Vent: HR posted our positions at 4:50 Friday, after everyone who can submit an advertisement had left for two week holiday period.
Inhale: HR posted our positions! I can tweet and send to mailing lists!
Inhale: Sharing some work with folks. It's long, but they mostly like it.
Vent: I very much doubt if anyone told Proust to turn《Temps Perdu 》into a comic book, "so people would read it...."
Grumble...
M.
Quote from: mamselle on December 18, 2021, 05:56:16 AM
Inhale: Sharing some work with folks. It's long, but they mostly like it.
Vent: I very much doubt if anyone told Proust to turn《Temps Perdu 》into a comic book, "so people would read it...."
Grumble...
M.
Nah, they waited until he was dead. (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/15/stephane-heuet-in-search-of-lost-time-swanns-way-review-marcel-proust-graphic-novel)
Quote from: ergative on December 18, 2021, 06:17:38 AM
Quote from: mamselle on December 18, 2021, 05:56:16 AM
Inhale: Sharing some work with folks. It's long, but they mostly like it.
Vent: I very much doubt if anyone told Proust to turn《Temps Perdu 》into a comic book, "so people would read it...."
Grumble...
M.
Nah, they waited until he was dead. (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/15/stephane-heuet-in-search-of-lost-time-swanns-way-review-marcel-proust-graphic-novel)
Don't tell me that....
;--》
Thanks for the laugh!
M.
Vent: I happened to read the emails from AmEx about my weekly account snapshots for the two cards I have with them. Good thing I did, because I apparently paid off the wrong card, so I "missed" the payment for the card that actually had the balance and incurred a late fee, and I ended up with a sizeable credit on the other card.
Inhale: I called AmEx, and they were able to move the payment to the correct card and get rid of the late fee since it was clearly paid before the due date and was the exact amount owed. Whew! It only took a few minutes. I guess this happens a lot. They have always been helpful in rectifying any issues with the cards, and I am grateful.
Inhale: Many good, worthwhile things to do, today, and honestly, most days.
Vent: For some reason, today, I feel like a baker walking into a kitchen with 40 empty cake pans staring me in the face.
Inhale: They can all be filled, or all the important ones, anyway.
Vent: They won't fill themselves..I'll have to do it....
;--》
M.
Vent: I'm taking time this morning to work through the nearly 4 hours' worth of mandatory training classes on various topics. All are on topics that are incredibly obvious for any adult living in the modern real world (i.e., "You must allow accommodations for students with disabilities; the Access office will provide specifics"; "Don't be a racist to students or co-workers"; "You're required to follow the college's drug-free workplace/non-harassment policies"; etc.).
Vent: I'm pretty sure I complain here about this every year.
Inhale: At least I still have a job and thus need to take this training, which is a good thing....I guess.
Vent: The videos must be run in their entirety. The quiz at the end of each topic must be passed at 80% or better, but the quiz can't be accessed until all the videos have run.
Inhale: At least I can run the videos out in the background (while reading/typing here or doing my NYT archive crosswords) and then just take and pass the quizzes anyway.
Vent: These aren't due until 3/31/22, but my compulsive nature won't let me rest until they're done.
Inhale: I've taken on a heavy OL schedule for spring, so at least these are done and out of the way.
Vent: had upset stomach for a couple of days and then woke up with stuffy nose, sore throat, and chest congestion. The latter 2 were a good match for COVID. No tests to be found at this point, of course.
Vent 2: gave up calling Dr. after being on hold for 45 minutes
Vent 3: Went to urgent care affiliated loosely with Dr. by 1 pm they weren't seeing anyone as they were at capacity
Inhale: went to urgent care near home and they were taking patients
Vent: from sign in to results took 5 hours. Lost a whole day of holiday prep.
Inhale: results: negative! Joy! And awfully nice staff who were apologetic about the wait.
Vent: yes, we are all supposed to get at-home tests, but how?
Glad you tested negative, Harlow2! Sorry about the rest, though.
Vent: at 10:30 last night on my way home from a night walk with friends the car radiator sprang a small leak, stopped producing heat, and popped up a warning. Surprisingly expensive repair.
Inhale: though I stupidly drove the remaking 5 miles home not wanting to sit in 20* weather waiting for a tow truck
I didn't damage the engine
Inhale 2: wonderful mechanic was able to squeeze me in and find a radiator in another state ( apparently radiators are another thing in short supply).
Inhale: Such joy arguing chord analysis points with a passionate middle-schooler who's largely correct, and is graciously able to concede the part he's wrong about!
Vent: I hope the younger class member, who usually takes such things with aplomb, wasn't too badly blindsided by the fact that the chords he's working so hard to learn can actually function more than one way at a time. (Nuance is tough on the very young).
Inhale: Both learned from the exchange, as did I (check all options!) and I can go over the vexed issue with the younger student in his lesson next week.
Silly sweet scalawags.
M.
Me again, sorry for the delayed double...!
Vent: I missed the part in the CFP that said there's an online site to upload an abstract to, and emailed it.
Inhale: No-one wrote to tell me it was wrong and that it wouldn't be accepted, so I re-did it (the length was different on the online site than what the letter had first made it sound like...) and sent it in.
Vent: I also sent an email to the coordinator, to let them know, apologizing, and saying it was fine if I'd goofed up and it wouldn't be accepted, I understood.
Vent: No answer, so I sent the amended abstract in as it should have been, on the site.
Inhale: It was not closed down, and it accepted the abstract, so at least there's a hope it might go in, still.
Inhale: And if not, I have more than enough work to do this spring and it won't kill me not to have a paper to work on as well.
Inhale: And if it's accepted, I'm pushing harder than before to see it into publication, somehow, someway.
The little twerp whose paper last spring it rebuts is going to hear about it....(interthreaduality).
M.
Vent: I am sick and have too much work to do.
Inhale: I am working from home and am currently surrounded by napping cats.
Vent: I cannot nap with them.
That's ok.
They're doing your sleeping for you.
That's their job...didn't you know?
;--》
M.
A double a while later...
Vent--The coverage for my phone's data plan under my old free-lance job's boss (which we continued for the year, with me paying them at the reduced rate they got for having several lines on the account, by mutual agreement) has ended, and I now have an added bill to deal with each month--oh modified rapture...
Inhale--I talked them down to as low a figure as I could, and the representative I dealt with was one of the most pleasant, intelligent, humorous, responsive individuals I have ever had the great fortune to interact with on the other end of such a call....which involved disentangling my phone from their account, re-assigning it, etc.
Vent--I have this extra bill now--low as it is, it's still another autopay to account for, grumble...
Inhale--He understood I didn't want 5G on principle, didn't try to keep selling it to me once I explained my objections, made it work easily and smoothly, and dug pretty deep into two accounts without any major issues, which was a relief, because sometimes it's taken two hours just to get all the things lined up properly.
So, overall, net win and then some--I gave him all 5's and a glowing review.
M.
Continued data saga vents/inhales....
They misspelled my last name--by either correctly including the space between the French definite article and the rest of it, when it's been omitted before, or omitting it if it was (unusually) correctly included, so the whole thing had to be re-done.
Vent--Verizon is so slowed it took TEN transfers with full explanations to resolve the mess, because what was there was backed out, etc, and the person I had first talked to apparently knew what it took 9 more to fill in for the rep I got next (one NEVER gets the same person back...grrrr).
Inhale--it's set up again, a bit less per month, in fact, and barring any more craziness with getting the last bit of info tobthem, should go into effect soon.
In most cases, it was not the agents' fault, it Verizon that decrees one can process a pre-paid set-up, but not if it's also auto-pay, one does something else, another something else yet again....it's enough to make me look at other brands with yearning--while knowing they're all probably the same.
M.
Inhale: I finally got the damned MRI last week (after the foot injury on December 7).
Vent: It shows a torn tendon (as podiatrist and I expected), and two sizeable bone spurs and lots of edema (which we didn't expect, and which in all likelihood were caused by not treating the original injury for nearly 4 months now, and counting).
Inhale: I saw the podiatrist today for follow-up. I do have to have surgery, but at least we can actually DO something now, besides just fighting with Cigna.
Vent: I have to have surgery. >: (
Inhale: At least I have health insurance.
Vent: Cigna will have to pre-cert the surgery. Good luck with that. Let's see how many months this go-round takes.
Vent: After surgery, I'll be pretty immobilized for 2 weeks until the stitches come out. Then, 3-4 weeks in a plaster cast. Then, 4-6 weeks back in this blessed boot that I've worn since December. So, my summer gardening and walking-to-get-some-of-this-weight-back-off plans are pretty much shot to hell.
Inhale: I'm going to sit on my fat lazy butt this summer, teach my online classes, and not feel one bit guilty about it. :-)
Inhale: Once all this is done, I can actually get to a new, highly-recommended orthopedist to figure out what we can do with my SIJD, as I'd planned to do over this past Christmas break. . .
Vent: . . . which I'm sure will entail another Cigna cluster*&%#.
To be continued, I'm sure. . . .
Glad you know, sorry what you have to know and what you have to do about it.
I've seen folks with little wheeled trolleys, like smaller versions of what car repair folks use to get under the chassis, for gardening. Is that a possibility?
Or table-level plants you can work with from a chair?
(Can't imagine not gardening if you want to...)
Anyway, glad for the progress, despite what-all it entails...
M.
Recently everything has been annoying, between equipment problems in my lab, a new staff member not doing their job and trying to get faculty to do it instead by pleading ignorance that it was in fact their job, students getting on my last nerve by asking questions that could be answered by just reading the instructions posted on Canvas, etc. etc. etc. and on top of that had some family issues I was dealing with and I was starting to wonder if there was anything good or positive going on in the world or if everything was annoying and negative and complete sh*t.
So... today I received a confidential email telling me that a colleague I had nominated for an award he truly deserves had won that award and it will be presented to him next week at an official campus awards ceremony. They powers that be had to talk him into attending so he may have some inkling of what's up, but most likely he doesn't because he's quite modest and doesn't realize the impact he has on his colleagues and students. He sees it as "just doing his job." I truly wish I could be there to see him receive it but I have another obligation that evening. Will make sure to congratulate him the next time I see him after he receives it though.
Good for you for maintaining positivity in the face of its opposite, and for being generous to a colleague and glad for them despite your own woes.
M.
Quote from: mamselle on April 08, 2022, 09:23:03 AM
Good for you for maintaining positivity in the face of its opposite, and for being generous to a colleague and glad for them despite your own woes.
M.
Thanks! I was saying to myself this morning, 'Come on universe, show me one good thing, just one, that's all I need to get through this day.' It may sound silly, but just knowing that something good has happened for someone who is a great guy, makes everything just a wee bit better.
That's great, EdnaMode.
Inhale: collaborative project about which I had major concerns came together and is a big success.
Vent: I don't sleep when things are iffy, so I'm exhausted
Inhale: I will sleep well tonight, I'm sure.
Vinhales are pilpels, like Tevye's 'one hand/other hand' discussions with God...
On the one hand, I'm in sort-of decent shape for the paper due to be given for Saturday's online conference.
On the other hand, they just told me they want our slide decks early.
On the one hand, that's fine, I can finish it and send it in and write the text around it, and revise until I give it, if needed.
On the other hand, I don't like feeling rushed and not being told in advance about this.
And, yet, still on the other hand, I know the organizer has a two-year-old cutting teeth, and me asking for special time-favors is just not the best way to go.
On the one hand, it will be good for me to have to do this early instead of sliding into 3rd base with the thumb drive held up in the dust.
On the other hand, I'm worried that, if, like last year, I discover a last-minute error the night before, that I was up fixing until 3 AM, I won't have that leeway this time.
On the other hand....there is no other hand.
Get 'er done.
M.
Inhale: I took a sick day today.
Inhale: I'm not sick, just didn't want to go in to the office (and students already had a scheduled work day).
Vent: I spent the "sick" day, doing work (grading, putting presentations together).
Vent: I should have not done a blessed thing on a day I was supposed to be "off."
Inhale: The grading is caught up, and so are all my materials/presentations for the end of the semester, so I can coast for the next couple of weeks, aside from grading final submissions.
Inhale: It's worth both burning the sick day and wasting it working, as opposed to having to deal with people in the office today. All in all, it's been a good day! :-)
Vent: I will be spending A LOT of money this month on my car and bee removal. I had to have my car towed today to my mechanic (I was going to drive it there for them to perform a service) because it wouldn't start. :(
Inhale: Hopefully these problems will be resolved. The tow guy got my car to turn over and offered to take it off the truck to save us money, but I paid him to take it since he helped us so much (and he gave us a discount!). The 'bee people' will hopefully be fixing the problem next week.
Absolutive and I have just put in an offer on a BEAUTIFUL apartment on a BEAUTIFUL street in a quiet, leafy neighborhood that's walking distance from his job and walking distance from fun, hopping shopping and the neighborhood library is better than our local library and there's a BEAUTIFUL park just up the street and judging by what's been going on with the other places we've considered bidding on, I think we might have overbid but we really, really want it, and we can comfortably afford what we offered because the neighborhood is so much cheaper than other places we've looked at, and maybe overbidding this much means the owner will just sell to us right away without waiting for better competing offers and maybe it will be accepted today and I'm a pile of nerves and I simply cannot concentrate on writing up these damn plagiarism referrals.
Here's hoping with you!
M.
Quote from: ergative on May 30, 2022, 03:27:33 AM
Absolutive and I have just put in an offer on a BEAUTIFUL apartment on a BEAUTIFUL street in a quiet, leafy neighborhood that's walking distance from his job and walking distance from fun, hopping shopping and the neighborhood library is better than our local library and there's a BEAUTIFUL park just up the street and judging by what's been going on with the other places we've considered bidding on, I think we might have overbid but we really, really want it, and we can comfortably afford what we offered because the neighborhood is so much cheaper than other places we've looked at, and maybe overbidding this much means the owner will just sell to us right away without waiting for better competing offers and maybe it will be accepted today and I'm a pile of nerves and I simply cannot concentrate on writing up these damn plagiarism referrals.
Hope you get it!
To get through the wait, consider assuming you *won't* get it (aka defensive pessimism)-- When I bought my house three years ago neither I nor my agent thought my offer would be accepted, so when it was accepted without even a counter offer it was a thrilling surprise.
Quote from: ergative on May 30, 2022, 03:27:33 AM
Absolutive and I have just put in an offer on a BEAUTIFUL apartment on a BEAUTIFUL street in a quiet, leafy neighborhood that's walking distance from his job and walking distance from fun, hopping shopping and the neighborhood library is better than our local library and there's a BEAUTIFUL park just up the street and judging by what's been going on with the other places we've considered bidding on, I think we might have overbid but we really, really want it, and we can comfortably afford what we offered because the neighborhood is so much cheaper than other places we've looked at, and maybe overbidding this much means the owner will just sell to us right away without waiting for better competing offers and maybe it will be accepted today and I'm a pile of nerves and I simply cannot concentrate on writing up these damn plagiarism referrals.
Sounds wonderful. Sending positive vibes.
Good luck, ergative!
WE GOT IT!!!
I also finished the plagiarism reports.
Quote from: ergative on May 30, 2022, 10:08:04 AM
WE GOT IT!!!
I also finished the plagiarism reports.
Hooray!! Congratulations!
Quote from: ergative on May 30, 2022, 10:08:04 AM
WE GOT IT!!!
I also finished the plagiarism reports.
Congratulations!
I'm sure you're already moving and decorating in your mind--between that and all the details of completing the mortgage and closing, it is a very exciting but distracting and busy time.
Quote from: ergative on May 30, 2022, 10:08:04 AM
WE GOT IT!!!
I also finished the plagiarism reports.
Congrats!
Very glad for you both.
M.
Quote from: ergative on May 30, 2022, 10:08:04 AM
WE GOT IT!!!
I also finished the plagiarism reports.
Fantastic!
Quote from: ergative on May 30, 2022, 10:08:04 AM
WE GOT IT!!!
I also finished the plagiarism reports.
Congratulations! Congratulations!🎉🍾
Quote from: Vkw10 on May 30, 2022, 06:45:30 PM
Quote from: ergative on May 30, 2022, 10:08:04 AM
WE GOT IT!!!
I also finished the plagiarism reports.
Congratulations! Congratulations!🎉🍾
Congrats for both accomplishments!
Thank you so much, everyone!
This thread continues to be appropriate for my situation: the events in question may be over, but the paperwork is ongoing. The sellers of the apartment want to take the kitchen appliances (washing machine, fridge, freezer). I don't really care that much, except that we put in a very generous offer that explicitly included those appliances, so I'm a bit of a grump that the sellers want to negotiate over that. And I don't want to add 'buy a washing machine, fridge, and freezer' to my to-do list this summer. I'd much rather be talking to nice cabinet makers about built-in bookcases.
And--because don't forget there are two things in my life right now--two of the plagiarism referrals turn out to be second offenses, so I have to file different paperwork.
If the sellers didn't stipulate those exceptions in the original offer, how do they even have a leg to stand on, trying to claw them back now?
M.
Quote from: mamselle on June 01, 2022, 06:18:22 AM
If the sellers didn't stipulate those exceptions in the original offer, how do they even have a leg to stand on, trying to claw them back now?
M.
Because nothing's settled yet. I'm not in the US, and the current system goes as follows:
Written offer -> verbal acceptance -> written acceptance --> more minor negotiations, apparently, while waiting for mortgages to be approved --> settlement.
So the seller has verbally accepted the offer, and now we're waiting for the written acceptance that will specify exactly what they take and what they leave, and then our lawyer responds with our counter-offer, and the whole thing seems unnecessarily fussy, and both buyer and seller can withdraw before settlement without any penalty.
But, on the other hand, given the state of the market, it's rather nice to have a period in which either buyer and seller can walk away, but the seller is not open to competing offers, so I'm not rushed into something legally binding until I'm sure the roof won't collapse.
Ah, I see.
So, yes, the pilpel continues!
All good thoughts...
M.
Vent: dissertation student remarks on how "thoughtful" my comments are, thereby assessing my work and reversing our roles. I like the exchange of roles when people are aware of a collaborative working relation, but not in this case.
Inhale: she's in agreement and will apparently align her revisions accordingly.
Quote from: Harlow2 on June 07, 2022, 10:18:34 AM
Vent: dissertation student remarks on how "thoughtful" my comments are, thereby assessing my work and reversing our roles. I like the exchange of roles when people are aware of a collaborative working relation, but not in this case.
Inhale: she's in agreement and will apparently align her revisions accordingly.
I've noticed these kinds of odd evaluative comments from students. I interpret it as evidence that they know what it feels like to get praise in an academic setting, and so that's the model they draw on when they want to give praise in return. Where in a different setting (e.g., reviews of their Thor fanfiction on AO3) they might say, 'That's so helpful, thanks a ton!', in an academic setting they use what they've received: 'That's an extremely thoughtful insight.'
If I'm correct about this, it might be evidence that they're good at picking up on those sorts of stylistic conventions that really make a huge difference between student writing and academic writing. In this case, they're just over-applying them.
Or they may have had some truly horrible feedback from people who didn't understand their work and were truly grateful that someone had come along that really did 'get it'....not that I've ever seen that, or anything...
M.
Hmm. Thanks, I guess I'll consider this at face value.
My computer crashed and I had to reinstall windows.
The reinstall generated a file showing all the crap that HAD been on there that I didn't know about, or no longer remembered.
Big PITA.
Computer is faster.
Quote from: FishProf on June 09, 2022, 01:22:49 PM
My computer crashed and I had to reinstall windows.
The reinstall generated a file showing all the crap that HAD been on there that I didn't know about, or no longer remembered.
Big PITA.
Computer is faster.
Ugh, my condolences. Major computer maintenance is such a pain: all that work, only to get you back to where you started. Like filing taxes when you haven't got a refund coming due.
INHALE: The stitches came out yesterday--at least 11 (I lost count) from the side of the foot, and 2 from the bottom (after I'd already torn out the other 2).
VENT (though expected): Still non-weight bearing for another week. Back in the boot for another month.
INHALE: The damnable hard splint is gone. I'm down to some bandages for a couple of days, and a regular sock.
VENT (as expected): I did have a blister rubbed on the back of my heel from said splint. Apparently it opened at some point, as I now have a thumb-sized ugly scab there. Lots of Neosporin, gauze, tape, and extra padding in that part of the boot for awhile.
Progress, overall, I suppose. Thanks to those who've been checking on me! I really do appreciate it very much!
Inhale: We got all the way through the whole Moonlight Sonata (I-III). It's not perfect, but the basic structure and understanding are there.
Vent: It's his last lesson for the summer unless an uncle with a piano shows up in July or August, or the place he's going to intern at (NM astronomy program) has a student piano someplace he can use.
Inhale: I know he'll work whenever the chance arises, and he'll listen to other players, etc., so it won't be lost.
Vent: I want to cry. (Well, I did for one tiny second...) He's such a sweet, good, strong-minded (occasionally obstreperous) kid with a somewhat decent technique, and I'm going to miss working with him. (I'm usually exhausted at the end, but it's a good exhaustion).
Inhale: I know he values it as well, so no worries. Blessings all 'round.
M.
Inhale: beautiful day
Vent: lots of pollen still everywhere, so huge sinus headache keeping me from enjoying the beautiful day
Inhale: IT'S THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER TERM!!!!
Vent: I have so much grading to do.
Inhale: I can work from home tomorrow, so I don't have to spend 2 hours commuting using expensive gas.
Vent: My home air-conditioning is on strike
Inhale: IT'S THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER TERM!!!!
Quote from: OneMoreYear on June 16, 2022, 04:04:02 PM
Inhale: IT'S THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER TERM!!!!
Vent: I have so much grading to do.
Inhale: I can work from home tomorrow, so I don't have to spend 2 hours commuting using expensive gas.
Vent: My home air-conditioning is on strike
Inhale: IT'S THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER TERM!!!!
Vent: ^^ JEALOUS!^^ (I have 6 more weeks to go.)
Inhale: At least the home AC is working (knocking on wood, as next week is supposed to be even hotter here).
The lawyers handling our home purchase are apparently incapable of sending documents electronically. Or even letting me know that they came! The written acceptance arrived on THURSDAY of last week, and they've only today, at my prodding and poking, let me know that they've sent it in the MAIL. I mean, sure, I understand you like to send it in the mail, fine, but couldn't you at least have TOLD me it was coming? I would have had a much happier, less stressed last three days if I'd know the paperwork was wending its way through the postal system.
That's weird.
Maybe their legal clerk was on vacation, or they're between paralegals?
Someone should know that stuff since a lot of preliminary court stuff is done totally online...
But, still, glad it's in the works!!
M.
Unrelated:
Inhale: I signed up for a Scribd membership to get the audiobooks for something cheaper than Audible. That's been great. I go through a lot of audiobooks, and I've been getting m money's worth.
Vent: I started reading ebooks through it as well--specifically, KJ Charles, who goes by real fast. I read something like four in a week. Suddenly, all but a couple of my saved books are 'available soon'--with 'soon' defined as 'after the next billing cycle starts.' The internet tells me that this is something Scribd has been doing for a while: they throttle your saved books. Not sure why I haven't run into it before--maybe because I read faster than I can listen?--but in a fit of fury I cancelled my membership.
Inhale: They offered me a free thirty days more, which would take me to the next billing cycle for free and unlock some books. Ok, fine. I accepted the free thirty days, then canceled my membership, effective end of July. It's now the next billing cycle, and I've got some more books unlocked.
Vent: I accidentally clicked the unhideable button on the website that goes 'renew your membership'. Oops. Had to cancel again.
Inhale: The dorks offered me another 30 day renewal perk. I accepted and then canceled again. Now I've got until the end of August before my membership is renewed.
I wonder how often I can repeat this cycle before they quit offering me 30 day extensions for free? because I paid them good money and they played me false, so I will take full advantage of every automated retention perk they give me. (Also, books don't seem to be throttled right now. Not sure if it's the new billing cycle or if they don't play that game with people in the 30-day free trial membership, but I hope it's the second. If so, then I can spend all my time in 30-day free trial memberships, without having to wait for books to become available.)
In conclusion: Scribd sucks. They don't play fair. But I feel like I've gotten the better of them. For now.
Inhale: AC guy FIXED it!
Vent: We have a bad pump AND thermostat. And I just bought this damn thermostat. It wasn't sending the signal to the outside unit. So, I will return it and get another one. He bypassed something on the thermostat, which we can just disconnect until we get a new one. I have some alligator clips and insulated wire connecting it.
Inhale: It's cool now! My brain is not melting!
Vent: He was here for 2 hours and 15 min. I paid a bunch of money and I'm fricking tired.
HALLELUJAH!
Hooray for the working AC, EPW.
V/inhale: The wound doctor said that while they aren't bad [inhale], the incision and blister are infected [vent].
Vent: I kind of felt like I wasted his time and my insurance/money because things aren't that bad.
Inhale: He reassured me that I did the right thing, as my diabetes and MRSA-carrier status mean that things can be OK one minute and then turn very, very bad in literally just a few hours.
Vent: Having wounds debrided hurts, even after the use of a local. They still hurt today.
Sorry, ALH. Take good care of yourself as you recover.
Ouch, ALH. Sending healing vibes your way! I'm glad you got it checked out.
Quote from: Harlow2 on June 28, 2022, 11:51:08 AM
Sorry, ALH. Take good care of yourself as you recover.
Quote from: ab_grp on June 28, 2022, 12:04:02 PM
Ouch, ALH. Sending healing vibes your way! I'm glad you got it checked out.
+1 to these. Wishing you a full and smooth recovery.
Ye-ow.
I was thinking he might have to debride, but wasn't wanting to raise the spectre.
Still, it's better that it be done, clean start and all that.
Thinking of you.
M.
Hope you feel better soon, ALH.
Hoping you feel better soon, AmLitHist!
My vent: Today was the last meeting of my four years of NORDP Board service. I'll very much miss serving with the other board members.
My inhale: People said several wonderful things about my board service, including things I hadn't perceived about myself in the moment (I thought I was just raising my hand and volunteering). I'm very nearly verklempt at the moment.
Quote
Vent: Having wounds debrided hurts, even after the use of a local. They still hurt today.
Waving a magic wand over your foot, ALH! And other parts of your body that need some magic.
I wrote a whole bunch here, but it's too long, and I can't really separate it into vent/inhale. In summary,
It was an arduous task to get my eye records from PA, but I finally got them. In fact, the second batch arrived last night, my husband ran down to get them this morning, and I was able to make a copy to take to my eye exam this morning. The appointment in itself is an inhale due to the severe backups and months or more of waiting here and the fact that the doctor was highly recommended. I had a very thorough exam, and everything looks normal, but the doctor was going to recommend I see a retinal specialist because of some symptoms (flashing, a different kind of floater, vision loss). He noted that the specialist would do some additional tests but would likely say things are normal as well. He then asked about my corrected vision from before, and I had the records with me. Yay! Unfortunately, thanks to the records I brought, the doctor now thinks I absolutely have to see the retinal specialist because my vision can't currently be corrected all the way to 20/20 for some reason.
So, yay that I got a thorough eye exam with a good eye doctor, most eye things look very healthy and good, I can finally order glasses (bifocals since I need whatever distance correction I can get for the bad eye) and maybe read a printed book again!! (that is a HUGE inhale for me!), but not yay because I am worried that I am probably partially blind without recourse. I'm trying not to worry too much about it at this point but have to say I am dismayed, to say the least. I'm lucky that my good eye is so super good that it compensates well for the other one.
ab_grp, sorry to hear about your diagnosis; hope you can see the retinal specialist soon, and get the needed treatment.
Echoing that, and thinking of you.
M.
Thank you, Langue_doc and mamselle! I am holding out hope it's not something irreversible or at least not something that will continue inevitably no matter what is done. We shall see! (or not!) But I really appreciate the kindness!! It has been a pretty depressing day.
Ab_grp, I am also wishing you well. When do you see the retinal specialist?
Years ago, I had an episode of vitreous detachment, whose symptoms are similar to retinal detachment. But apparently vitreous detachment is not terribly serious. The symptoms did go away on their own, and my ophthalmologist says my eyes are healthy. For what it's worth, my vision can only be corrected to 20/30, which he thinks is acceptable.
Again, all good wishes.
Thank you cathwen! The specialist appointment is in a few weeks. That is interesting about the vitreous detachment! The symptoms sound really similar. I'm glad your symptoms resolved on their own. I'm not experiencing the weird floater or flashing anymore, and I do not think that my vision is continuing to worsen (well, I can't really say, I guess), but it's currently only correctable to 20/50 in that eye and used to be to 20/20, so I guess he is concerned about that change. Was your vision correctable to 20/20 prior to the detachment? At least my other eye is at 20/15. Anyway, more tests on the way and hopefully more info. I really appreciate the kindness, information, and support!
Sending good thoughts, ab_grp. I had my cataracts fixed last August (at age 60--protesting the whole time that I'm too young for this!), and everything has been good since then. That was, until last week, when my diabetes/retinal exam with the same doc shows I've started developing some diabetic retinopathy. No floaters, flashes, etc., but it's enough that she wants to monitor me pretty closely for awhile.
I also saw the wound doctor this week--more debriding (OUCH), and another appointment for next week, but at least he didn't re-up my antibiotics, so that's good. I saw the foot surgeon this morning, who said things seem good internally (though I'd swear I've re-torn the plantar fascia, at least a little, from the feel of it, but he's the expert). He's extending my time in the boot for another month (boo), gave me a surgery shoe to start wearing instead (yay), but the edge of it hits right on the incision that won't heal (boo), so....I don't know if that's a net inhale or vent.
Today is the 7-month anniversary of my original injury. I am SO sick of all this. Ah, well--as I always tell ALHS, "Courage, Camille."
Or, as the Cowardly Lion said...(at ~ 4.00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLQ677I50vw
M.
Thanks, ALH! I'm sorry to hear about the diabetic retinopathy, and I hope monitoring it from the get go helps keep things in check. I am also so sorry that you have to have more debriding done! This is a long haul recovery so far. I hope your doctor can figure out a good non-boot surgery shoe that doesn't bother your incision.
Quote from: AmLitHist on July 07, 2022, 03:19:23 PM
Sending good thoughts, ab_grp. I had my cataracts fixed last August (at age 60--protesting the whole time that I'm too young for this!), and everything has been good since then. That was, until last week, when my diabetes/retinal exam with the same doc shows I've started developing some diabetic retinopathy. No floaters, flashes, etc., but it's enough that she wants to monitor me pretty closely for awhile. [1]
I also saw the wound doctor this week--more debriding (OUCH), [2] and another appointment for next week, but at least he didn't re-up my antibiotics, so that's good. I saw the foot surgeon this morning, who said things seem good internally (though I'd swear I've re-torn the plantar fascia, at least a little, from the feel of it, but he's the expert). He's extending my time in the boot for another month (boo), gave me a surgery shoe to start wearing instead (yay), but the edge of it hits right on the incision that won't heal (boo), so....I don't know if that's a net inhale or vent. [3]
Today is the 7-month anniversary of my original injury. I am SO sick of all this. Ah, well--as I always tell ALHS, "Courage, Camille." [4]
[1] Take care of your eyes! All good thoughts in your general direction regarding your health issues.
[2] There are books of Shakespearean insults. You could buy one (or check one out of a library), memorize some, and entertain yourself and the wound doc at the next debriding while letting off steam (because sometimes words that rhyme with "spit" or "truck" just aren't enough). Just a thought from the conceptual pool of "when life hands you lemons, make damn tasty lemonade."
[3] Tell your doc about how the new shoe hits the difficult-to-heal incision. Again. There must be an alternate solution.
[4] In all seriousness, I think I'm not alone in saying many of us here
do actually admire your courage. It's surely not easy to maintain the levelheadedness necessary to share your often delightfully mordant humor with the world (or, at the very least, other long-term members of this academic forum) while dealing with significant pain and frustration.
____
My own inhales and vents:
Inhale: The rental and housing prices in NC's RTP area aren't shooting up quite as quickly as they were just days/weeks ago.
Vent: Apple and
Facebook Meta are still coming, so there will be more traffic, more competition for housing, and more corporatist outlandishness, in general (strip malls in lower-income places, those gigantic imitation city centers/walkable outdoor malls in other places [with buildings that look like converted shipping containers], and so forth).
Inhale: Other areas of NC, the USA, and the world still exist, including more affordable ones, and my parents have finally admitted that they don't HAVE to stay in the area, they'd just like to--but they're completely aware of how finances can affect their decisions. So there's that. We've been looking at lower-priced places around the edges of the Research Triangle. You know, like in NYC and DC--where you have to drive until you can afford it. That said, there are still some affordable options, which is why this is an inhale, not a vent.
Inhale: Taking a vacation next week!
Vent: I am now sick
Inhale: It's not COVID! Tested negative twice to make sure.
Vent: I still feel like crap.
Inhale: At least I do not have to go to work.
Vent: But, I'll be sick on vacation.
@paultuttle:
Good luck, sounds like progressive baby steps at least with your folks' awareness of and willingness to accommodate various realistic scenarios. We could never get my folks to that point.
@OneMoreYear
Arrgh!!! I hope you recover quickly enough to be able to enjoy at least SOME of your non-work-scheduled time.
M.
Sending wishes for recovery to OMY, Ab_Grp, and ALH, and echoing the sentiments PaulTuttle expressed.
Quote from: OneMoreYear on July 15, 2022, 07:57:18 AM
Inhale: Taking a vacation next week!
Vent: I am now sick
Inhale: It's not COVID! Tested negative twice to make sure.
Vent: I still feel like crap.
Inhale: At least I do not have to go to work.
Vent: But, I'll be sick on vacation.
Oh, how frustrating. I hope your illness resolves in time for you to enjoy your vacation.
Me now:
Vent: A student failed to submit some Very Important Paperwork four years ago, and now is facing the consequences.
Inhale: I was not the student's primary supervisor at the time, so it's (probably) not going to land on my head. Student's primary supervisor on the time is a very senior colleague and is taking the lead on figuring out how to fix it.
Vent: It was our responsibility to check that the VIP was filed, and we totally screwed it up. Also, I'm now the student's current primary supervisor, so I'm in the soup too.
Inhale: The student seems to have still
done all the actual things that the VIP was intended to ensure get done, so it may be possible to file the VIP retrospectively.
Vent: I finally managed to take a proper three-week vacation (I know!) and discovered the problem right at the beginning of the vacation, and it has been lurking and ruining my sleep the entire time.
Inhale: I still have a few days left of my leave, and Senior Colleague seems to be handling things without requiring my involvement (yet). Still not clear whether things are handleable, but it's nice to have a comrade in this taking the lead.
Vent. Arrrgh.
Quote from: ergative on July 19, 2022, 05:26:23 AM
Vent: A student failed to submit some Very Important Paperwork four years ago, and now is facing the consequences.
Inhale: I was not the student's primary supervisor at the time, so it's (probably) not going to land on my head. Student's primary supervisor on the time is a very senior colleague and is taking the lead on figuring out how to fix it.
Vent: It was our responsibility to check that the VIP was filed, and we totally screwed it up. Also, I'm now the student's current primary supervisor, so I'm in the soup too.
Inhale: The student seems to have still done all the actual things that the VIP was intended to ensure get done, so it may be possible to file the VIP retrospectively.
Vent: I finally managed to take a proper three-week vacation (I know!) and discovered the problem right at the beginning of the vacation, and it has been lurking and ruining my sleep the entire time.
Inhale: I still have a few days left of my leave, and Senior Colleague seems to be handling things without requiring my involvement (yet). Still not clear whether things are handleable, but it's nice to have a comrade in this taking the lead.
Vent. Arrrgh.
Ah, a rapid update! Senior Colleague seems to have fixed it.
Quote from: ergative on July 19, 2022, 06:40:08 AM
Quote from: ergative on July 19, 2022, 05:26:23 AM
Vent: A student failed to submit some Very Important Paperwork four years ago, and now is facing the consequences.
Inhale: I was not the student's primary supervisor at the time, so it's (probably) not going to land on my head. Student's primary supervisor on the time is a very senior colleague and is taking the lead on figuring out how to fix it.
Vent: It was our responsibility to check that the VIP was filed, and we totally screwed it up. Also, I'm now the student's current primary supervisor, so I'm in the soup too.
Inhale: The student seems to have still done all the actual things that the VIP was intended to ensure get done, so it may be possible to file the VIP retrospectively.
Vent: I finally managed to take a proper three-week vacation (I know!) and discovered the problem right at the beginning of the vacation, and it has been lurking and ruining my sleep the entire time.
Inhale: I still have a few days left of my leave, and Senior Colleague seems to be handling things without requiring my involvement (yet). Still not clear whether things are handleable, but it's nice to have a comrade in this taking the lead.
Vent. Arrrgh.
Ah, a rapid update! Senior Colleague seems to have fixed it.
Cross-postable on the Inhale thread, perhaps?
Congratulations! And try to relax during the rest of your vacation, now that that particular monkey's off your back.
From the student's perspective, glad you all caught it and fixed it.
Responsible advisors are a treasure.
M.
Vent: My air conditioning finally died yesterday, and it's continuing to be in the 90s here.
Inhale: It's not as bad as it was earlier in the week
Vent: There aren't any replacement units around; its central air; could be 3-5 weeks before a unit arrives
Inhale: The HVAC people have window units to loan
Vent: The HOA wont let us install window units (dangerous unsightly)
Inhale: My electric bill will be low this month! And I got 29 years out of the unit that just gave up the ghost. And I'm leaving for vacation in a northerly clime in a week (it's always cool there)
Inhale again. An HOA member just brought over a window unit. I can sleep tonight!
Quote from: Harlow2 on August 05, 2022, 12:35:04 PM
Vent: My air conditioning finally died yesterday, and it's continuing to be in the 90s here.
Inhale: It's not as bad as it was earlier in the week
Vent: There aren't any replacement units around; its central air; could be 3-5 weeks before a unit arrives
Inhale: The HVAC people have window units to loan
Vent: The HOA wont let us install window units (dangerous unsightly)
Inhale: My electric bill will be low this month! And I got 29 years out of the unit that just gave up the ghost. And I'm leaving for vacation in a northerly clime in a week (it's always cool there)
Inhale again. An HOA member just brought over a window unit. I can sleep tonight!
Yay, happy ending! Ridiculous that the HOA was considering not allowing life-saving appliances in life-threatening heat because uNsIgHtLy. I'm glad they seem to have reconsidered.
Vent: Something that has been my responsibility since I started my job five and a half years ago is blowing up in a very tiresome, predictable way that we kind of saw coming and were powerless to prevent, because somehow the central timetabling people are incapable of understanding that if you reduce room capacity, there won't be enough room for all the students, and simply splitting the class into a second section does not solve the problem if you can't also produce a second instructor.
Inhale: I passed it off to someone else just last week, and it is now no longer my problem. For once, it's blowing up in someone else's lap. Poor fellow. Godspeed, and good luck.
Vent: IT decided to get rid of one of our video recording systems to streamline things (that part is OK) and claimed that they would migrate any videos recorded on the defunct system to a video archive. I do not see any of my class-related videos in the supposed archive. When I sign in, it is empty.
Inhale: Assuming that something like this might happen, I spent hours stripping videos from the old system and downloading them in MP4 format to my harddrive.
Vent: I use a lot of demonstration video across multiple classes, and I'm sure I did not get them all.
Inhale: I did not lose all of my work.
Vent: It will be even more of a pain to set up my LMS course pages this semester.
Inhale: The videos recorded on the other video system appear to be intact.
Vent: I am tired already and the semester hasn't even started.
Is someone named Wrey in charge of your IT department?
M.
It's instructional to be prepping syllabi at the same time that you're reading course evals from last semester.
Vent: As much as I obsess over syllabi's font/line spacing/etc., students don't care. Or at least, they don't comment on it.
Inhale: This should free me to make it look how I want.
Vent: Students don't care/comment about the design of slides.
Inhale: See inhale above.
Vent: I waste a lot of my time/life thinking that I'm doing things that make a difference or that people care about.
Inhale: They (ultimately) do not.
Slide design (Suggestions: may vary in some cases, but for guidelines)
Headers: 40-45 pts is good, you can squeeze down to 36 if space is tight
Body: 18 pts is bare min., 20-24 is better
Some say no more than 6 bulleted lines, I routinely blow past that when describing, say,
processional movements depicted on a cathedral ground plan that need to reflect several stops,
starts, chants, etc., all following on each other in order.
Captions/credits, links at bottom: 12 works, in a pinch; 14-16 is better.
Parameters may help contain obsessing tendencies--somedays, sometimes...
M.
I think my slides are good on many of the issues you've mentioned. I think I was just responding to how much unnecessary effort I put into them somehow thinking that students are going to write in the evals, "Her slides were organized and well put together! Easy to understand!" But that's not what students use (the university) evals for. It's not that they don't necessarily appreciate them; I would just like more external validation, I think. (The story of my life.) LOL! (Especially over the past few years, it's exhausting trying to do things geared at improving the student experience, but not see any appreciation of it reflected back at you.)
Indeed.
It's similar with independent scholar-stuff.
A few folks care and give good validation, but for the most part, one really has to both want to do it and have a fairly clear set of internal standards and rewards built-in, because the usual things--tenure, more pay, collegial recognition, etc.--are more spare on the ground.
Glad you care--that's what matters in the end.
M.
Vent: Out of town vacation resulted in a souvenir case of Covid. Rats! After all these months of care, I couldn't avoid what happened in the large packed dining rooms we had to eat in (remote, no other choices). apparently hotel personnel in that town are all getting or have been sick.
Inhale: A very mild case, and I will test tomorrow again
Vent: I never would have done the trip if the dining arrangements had been clearer
Inhale: I got most of the hikes in before I got the suspicious sore throat.
Vent: even so, this is sure to affect my strength on the trail, which had just improved.
Inhale: I think I feel good enough to get back out there this week
FIngers crossed it passes quickly, Harlow!
Inhale:We finally moved in to our new home a week ago.
Vent: The issues that were flagged on the reports are looking like they might require worst-case scenario repair estimates.
Inhale: We did budget for the worst-case scenario, so that's annoying but not a catastrophe.
Vent: Also, the bathtub seal leaks badly, which was an unexpected surprise. No showers for us! Only non-splashy baths. I'll have to make friends with a caulk gun in the near future.
Inhale: Our first order of Ikea bookcases arrived and we put them together this weekend. Our fiction section perfectly fits in the shelves we acquired for them (although we'll need to expand soon, at the rate we acquire books), and the Russian likewise perfectly fits its new home. Non-fiction, poetry, drama, big books, pretty books in matching bindings, SFF, and art still need homes. I think Ikea might be sending us more packages in the future. I'm getting very good at assembling those bookcases!
Quote from: ergative on August 22, 2022, 09:08:26 AM
FIngers crossed it passes quickly, Harlow!
Inhale:We finally moved in to our new home a week ago.
Vent: The issues that were flagged on the reports are looking like they might require worst-case scenario repair estimates.
Inhale: We did budget for the worst-case scenario, so that's annoying but not a catastrophe.
Vent: Also, the bathtub seal leaks badly, which was an unexpected surprise. No showers for us! Only non-splashy baths. I'll have to make friends with a caulk gun in the near future.
Inhale: Our first order of Ikea bookcases arrived and we put them together this weekend. Our fiction section perfectly fits in the shelves we acquired for them (although we'll need to expand soon, at the rate we acquire books), and the Russian likewise perfectly fits its new home. Non-fiction, poetry, drama, big books, pretty books in matching bindings, SFF, and art still need homes. I think Ikea might be sending us more packages in the future. I'm getting very good at assembling those bookcases!
Congrats on the successful move! And best wishes for the repairs
Kids' school has so many staff, teachers and students out sick that they cancelled school today.
But... I had already planned to work from home today, so it's kind of nice to have them around.
Hope you wil all stay healthy.
Vent: Diabetic retinopathy (both eyes) sucks.
Inhale: It's mild at this point.
Vent: Severe, thick, spider-webby floaters in the left eye since last week REALLY suck. (I always think the cat is coming up on my left side, ready to pounce.)
Vent: The floaters are caused Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD).
Vent: Not much can be done for them, aside from "wait and see." No quick-and-easy laser fixes, eye drops, etc. are available.
Inhale: At least it wasn't a retinal detachment, and both retinas, optic nerves, and pressure in both eyes are OK.
Vent: Diabetes sucks, especially when poorly controlled like mine (despite taking way too much insulin, Metformin, Jardiance, Ozempic, and keeping a strict diet).
Inhale: At least Cigna has been paying for all this without argument.
SIGH. I'm really, really tired of having my eyes dilated (at least 20 times in the past 18 months). Pfft.
Oh @AmLitHist, that sounds taxing and tiring. It sounds like you and the docs are doing all that can be done, and I hope that things remain stable. It's a big plus that the health insurance company is not giving you trouble.
All the best through this.
Quote from: AmLitHist on February 07, 2023, 11:24:23 AM
Vent: Diabetic retinopathy (both eyes) sucks.
Inhale: It's mild at this point.
Vent: Severe, thick, spider-webby floaters in the left eye since last week REALLY suck. (I always think the cat is coming up on my left side, ready to pounce.)
Vent: The floaters are caused Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD).
Vent: Not much can be done for them, aside from "wait and see." No quick-and-easy laser fixes, eye drops, etc. are available.
Inhale: At least it wasn't a retinal detachment, and both retinas, optic nerves, and pressure in both eyes are OK.
Vent: Diabetes sucks, especially when poorly controlled like mine (despite taking way too much insulin, Metformin, Jardiance, Ozempic, and keeping a strict diet).
Inhale: At least Cigna has been paying for all this without argument.
SIGH. I'm really, really tired of having my eyes dilated (at least 20 times in the past 18 months). Pfft.
So sorry about the vents, ALH, but glad to see the inhales. Hope the eye dilation can slow down a bit.
Vent: Ever since we moved into our new place it's been an unending list of fairly big repairs: new windows, new electrical board, ceiling repairs, repainting after ceiling repairs, and on Monday we're getting the floors repaired and refinished in three rooms, which means today some movers are coming to pack up those three rooms of the house. Absolutive and I have done a pretty good job of splitting up who organizes what, but I am exhausted of being the person with the flexible schedule, because that means it's always my job to be home to meet the workers.
Vent: We're going to be spending THREE WEEKS with no floors and no furniture outside the bedroom and kitchen. I just want to LIVE in my NEW HOME.
Inhale: I think, after the floor work is done, that everything will be over, and the only remaining tasks will be maintenance, rather than repairs. Then I can finally buy things like that beautiful coffee table I saw on Etsy, and window seat cushions, and so on. Y'know, the FUN bits of owning a new home. End of March, baby! We're in the last leg!
Quote from: Harlow2 on February 08, 2023, 08:18:53 PM
Quote from: AmLitHist on February 07, 2023, 11:24:23 AM
Vent: Diabetic retinopathy (both eyes) sucks.
Inhale: It's mild at this point.
Vent: Severe, thick, spider-webby floaters in the left eye since last week REALLY suck. (I always think the cat is coming up on my left side, ready to pounce.)
Vent: The floaters are caused Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD).
Vent: Not much can be done for them, aside from "wait and see." No quick-and-easy laser fixes, eye drops, etc. are available.
Inhale: At least it wasn't a retinal detachment, and both retinas, optic nerves, and pressure in both eyes are OK.
Vent: Diabetes sucks, especially when poorly controlled like mine (despite taking way too much insulin, Metformin, Jardiance, Ozempic, and keeping a strict diet).
Inhale: At least Cigna has been paying for all this without argument.
SIGH. I'm really, really tired of having my eyes dilated (at least 20 times in the past 18 months). Pfft.
So sorry about the vents, ALH, but glad to see the inhales. Hope the eye dilation can slow down a bit.
Same. All good thoughts sent toward you.
My own inhale: It's spring, and the flowers are out!
And the corresponding vent: So is the pollen . . . .
Vent: my person has Covid, he took the week off (I'm on spring break) so we could spend some quality time together, which we never seem to have time to do these days, and of course he would get freakin' Covid (note, I'm not angry at him, just the situation)
Inhale: thankfully since he's fully vaxxed (so am I) his symptoms have been minimal, he's been quarantining at his house, wore a mask since the day he started getting cold-like symptoms, before he even tested positive, because his job requires frequent and close contact with others (probably how he got it in the first place) and I have repeat tested negative
Inhale: he'll be out of self-quarantine tomorrow and we'll still get to spend time together, though most likely not doing anything too adventurous (our planned hikes are definitely out because his worst symptom has been exhaustion), but the time together will be nice
Quote from: EdnaMode on March 06, 2023, 07:21:28 AM
Vent: my person has Covid, he took the week off (I'm on spring break) so we could spend some quality time together, which we never seem to have time to do these days, and of course he would get freakin' Covid (note, I'm not angry at him, just the situation)
Inhale: thankfully since he's fully vaxxed (so am I) his symptoms have been minimal, he's been quarantining at his house, wore a mask since the day he started getting cold-like symptoms, before he even tested positive, because his job requires frequent and close contact with others (probably how he got it in the first place) and I have repeat tested negative
Inhale: he'll be out of self-quarantine tomorrow and we'll still get to spend time together, though most likely not doing anything too adventurous (our planned hikes are definitely out because his worst symptom has been exhaustion), but the time together will be nice
Inhale/suggestion and vent/caveat based on the bolded phrases above:
Inhale/suggestion: Ice cream is nearly always a good idea in spring. Butter pecan (or maple walnut, another favorite of mine) might be nice. <grin>
Vent/caveat: Prices are still going up . . . .
Quote from: paultuttle on March 06, 2023, 12:15:10 PM
Quote from: EdnaMode on March 06, 2023, 07:21:28 AM
Vent: my person has Covid, he took the week off (I'm on spring break) so we could spend some quality time together, which we never seem to have time to do these days, and of course he would get freakin' Covid (note, I'm not angry at him, just the situation)
Inhale: thankfully since he's fully vaxxed (so am I) his symptoms have been minimal, he's been quarantining at his house, wore a mask since the day he started getting cold-like symptoms, before he even tested positive, because his job requires frequent and close contact with others (probably how he got it in the first place) and I have repeat tested negative
Inhale: he'll be out of self-quarantine tomorrow and we'll still get to spend time together, though most likely not doing anything too adventurous (our planned hikes are definitely out because his worst symptom has been exhaustion), but the time together will be nice
Inhale/suggestion and vent/caveat based on the bolded phrases above:
Inhale/suggestion: Ice cream is nearly always a good idea in spring. Butter pecan (or maple walnut, another favorite of mine) might be nice. <grin>
Vent/caveat: Prices are still going up . . . .
Well, we had about six inches of snow last night, so not quite ice cream weather (we're hardy souls so hiking in the snow would've been just fine) but in a food related tangent, we may try some recipes we've been saving up for "when we have time." Thanks for the ideas!
Inhale: The blasted fiberglass cast is off (5 weeks after breaking the bone, and 4 weeks after the cast being put on)!
Vent: I'm back in the Tall Gray Boot of Doom for another 4 weeks, when I go back for an x-ray and further planning. It's not that bad, but Little Cat didn't gain much by me losing the knee scooter and replacing it with this! LOL
Vent: [TMI/disgusting warning here] I have a fierce looking large skin ulcer on my big toe, where I told them the cast had been rubbing, and a smaller, less fierce one on my shin. Gee, let's do the math: diabetic, with attendant very dry skin, on a leg getting no air and not being washed for a month. What could possibly go wrong?
Inhale: The pinching and stabbing I'd felt on the back of my calf all week was NOT an ulcer, but rather, a sealed pen needle for my insulin. WTF??? (HOW it got into my cast, esp. with all the recent swelling, I'll never know. I felt like an idiot when they found it! Leave it to me....)
Vent: With my slow healing etc., I'm kind of planning on having to get the bone surgically repaired, just because that's how things have been going in recent years.
Inhale: I know how Intermittent FMLA works now--so if it takes surgery, I'll sit at home and teach this fall, and take FMLA for my assigned F2F sections.
All in all, more of an inhale than vent, for now at least.
Yay for having casts removed!!! Boo for boots of doom!
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on May 14, 2023, 04:46:02 PM
Yay for having casts removed!!! Boo for boots of doom!
Ditto!
My own inhales and vents . . .
Inhale: My brother and sister-in-law are flying over from Thailand in a week and a half (upwards of 24 hours in the air). It'll be my sister-in-law's first time in the USA and first time meeting my mother in person. (They're both looking forward to it.)
Vent: Dad's house is not quite ready to receive them; my husband and I will probably need to spend a couple of evenings or weekend days helping Dad get the "owner's suite" ready for them.
Inhale: It'll be
wonderful, because they'll be here for a month.
Vent: It's also expensive as all hell: $3K for the tickets (and upgraded seats on the longest flights for my 6'2" brother), $1K for the rental car, and another $1K for food, gasoline, and what my father calls "walking-around money"--all of which we're simply giving my brother and sister-in-law because they can't possibly afford to pay it back, because they've just bought a house in Bangkok and he's an ESL teacher there.
Vent: They're coming now because we're not sure whether Mom will recognize them if they wait even 2-3 months longer. Mom's already saying to Dad, sitting across the room, "Where's my husband?" She slips in and out of three realities: now (or sort of now), her life as a young mother, and her life as a young girl. (She's also asked several times where her parents are, and Dad's had to remind her they've been dead for years.)
Inhale: Mom's been so much more alert and full of good humor now that she has this visit to look forward to, so they might actually be able to have several good conversations before her cognition and memory plummet to lower levels permanently. And she loved her mother's day cards and balloon. So there's that.
All in all, very much looking forward to it!
That's wonderful Paul that you get a long visit with them and that they get to spend some time with your mom!
Just a thought from experience with several grandparent with dementia and some research I've read-- It is usually better to redirect than to correct, since the corrections don't stick and can be confusing and upsetting to the person. So e.g., instead of reminding her her parents are long dead, asking what a favorite memory of her parents is, or telling a story you remember about her parents yourself.
Quote from: Puget on May 16, 2023, 09:42:37 AM
That's wonderful Paul that you get a long visit with them and that they get to spend some time with your mom!
Just a thought from experience with several grandparent with dementia and some research I've read-- It is usually better to redirect than to correct, since the corrections don't stick and can be confusing and upsetting to the person. So e.g., instead of reminding her her parents are long dead, asking what a favorite memory of her parents is, or telling a story you remember about her parents yourself.
Good point! Yes, we've already seen the frown and confusion and wheels turning trying to get back to an understanding of what she's being told. I'll talk with Dad about how to handle these kinds of memory loss in the moment.
Quote from: paultuttle on May 19, 2023, 08:34:18 AM
Quote from: Puget on May 16, 2023, 09:42:37 AM
That's wonderful Paul that you get a long visit with them and that they get to spend some time with your mom!
Just a thought from experience with several grandparent with dementia and some research I've read-- It is usually better to redirect than to correct, since the corrections don't stick and can be confusing and upsetting to the person. So e.g., instead of reminding her her parents are long dead, asking what a favorite memory of her parents is, or telling a story you remember about her parents yourself.
Good point! Yes, we've already seen the frown and confusion and wheels turning trying to get back to an understanding of what she's being told. I'll talk with Dad about how to handle these kinds of memory loss in the moment.
Family members and caregivers understandably often want to pull the person back to "reality", but their reality is now different, and it can be much more enjoyable for everyone to just join them there when they are lost in a pleasant past or impossible imagined future. One example-- my grandfather went through a period when he would often talk about renting an RV and going on a trip. Reminding him that he could no longer drive or travel just upset him. It was much better to say that sounded like a really fun idea, and where would he most like to visit? He would then talk about all the places he had traveled earlier in his life-- we got to hear some good stories, and he was happy planning and reminiscing.
Vent: Everything hurts. And I got my first sunburn in several years (forgot that I probably still have Keflex in my system, which partly accounts for it). I'm a crispy critter.
Inhale: The yard and gardens look really nice.
I am back on my daily 10k steps routine, balky knees an all. The goal is to surpass last year, but this rough start has me ~ 300,000 steps behind last years pace.
But yesterday, I forced myself to do the steps! Yay!
This morning, I entered the data only discover that, on this day last year, I did 26K steps.
So I pushed through all that pain yesterday and fell even farther/further* behind.
* I looked up the usage, and I still couldn't figure it out since I am talking about steps/distances.
Quote from: FishProf on May 25, 2023, 03:40:40 AM
So I pushed through all that pain yesterday and fell even farther/further* behind.
* I looked up the usage, and I still couldn't figure it out since I am talking about steps/distances.
*more ;)
All steps are good steps.
Quote from: ohnoes on May 29, 2023, 08:27:19 AM
Quote from: FishProf on May 25, 2023, 03:40:40 AM
So I pushed through all that pain yesterday and fell even farther/further* behind.
* I looked up the usage, and I still couldn't figure it out since I am talking about steps/distances.
*more ;)
All steps are good steps.
I can accept both of those.
Inhale: Presented to my thesis committee and got the green light to schedule my defense towards the end of summer. I was worried I hadn't done enough, that the committee would say something like, "All these years, and that's all you have to show for it?" Instead they were very encouraging and congratulatory. Done with data collection, and almost done with all the analysis.
Vent: Now I have to actually write the thesis.
Overall: So many times I thought I'd never make it, but it looks like I may actually cross the finish line and earn a PhD.
Quote from: smallcleanrat on May 31, 2023, 08:17:19 PM
Inhale: Presented to my thesis committee and got the green light to schedule my defense towards the end of summer. I was worried I hadn't done enough, that the committee would say something like, "All these years, and that's all you have to show for it?" Instead they were very encouraging and congratulatory. Done with data collection, and almost done with all the analysis.
Vent: Now I have to actually write the thesis.
Overall: So many times I thought I'd never make it, but it looks like I may actually cross the finish line and earn a PhD.
Congratulations! You can do this! I'll give the advice I give to my own students at this point:
(1) your PI/committee won't let you schedule the defense if we don't think you're ready and will pass, so you ARE ready and will pass.
(2) working backward from your defense date, make a detailed writing plan, breaking down all remaining tasks into small chunks and scheduling them each day. Pad the schedule to account for unexpected delays and inevitable schedule slip.
(3) done is better than perfect-- do a rough draft of everything first, then you can go back and spend remaining time revising, but get it done first.
(4) look at the formatting requirements now, and use the template if the grad school provides one-- it will be easier than trying to retrofit it to the often very persnickety requirements later. At the same time, don't stress about formatting too much-- you can fix it after the defense if necessary, no one but the person in charge of final dissertation deposits will care at all.
Quote from: smallcleanrat on May 31, 2023, 08:17:19 PM
Inhale: Presented to my thesis committee and got the green light to schedule my defense towards the end of summer. I was worried I hadn't done enough, that the committee would say something like, "All these years, and that's all you have to show for it?" Instead they were very encouraging and congratulatory. Done with data collection, and almost done with all the analysis.
Vent: Now I have to actually write the thesis.
Overall: So many times I thought I'd never make it, but it looks like I may actually cross the finish line and earn a PhD.
CONGRATS!!!!
Quote from: smallcleanrat on May 31, 2023, 08:17:19 PM
Inhale: Presented to my thesis committee and got the green light to schedule my defense towards the end of summer. I was worried I hadn't done enough, that the committee would say something like, "All these years, and that's all you have to show for it?" Instead they were very encouraging and congratulatory. Done with data collection, and almost done with all the analysis.
Vent: Now I have to actually write the thesis.
Overall: So many times I thought I'd never make it, but it looks like I may actually cross the finish line and earn a PhD.
That's great, SCR! And Puget's advice is what I also tell my students. Way to go!
Quote from: FishProf on May 29, 2023, 11:48:14 AM
Quote from: ohnoes on May 29, 2023, 08:27:19 AM
Quote from: FishProf on May 25, 2023, 03:40:40 AM
So I pushed through all that pain yesterday and fell even farther/further* behind.
* I looked up the usage, and I still couldn't figure it out since I am talking about steps/distances.
*more ;)
All steps are good steps.
I can accept both of those.
You should take up crocheting, FishProf. I don't have a tracker/watch device, but a lot of people on some of my crochet groups say that when they're in a groove and crocheting, the motion shows up as steps on their Apple Watch/FitBit!
I could also attach my fitbit to a ceiling fan, but that isn't exactly the point. :)
Quote from: Puget on June 01, 2023, 06:28:27 AM
Quote from: smallcleanrat on May 31, 2023, 08:17:19 PM
Inhale: Presented to my thesis committee and got the green light to schedule my defense towards the end of summer. I was worried I hadn't done enough, that the committee would say something like, "All these years, and that's all you have to show for it?" Instead they were very encouraging and congratulatory. Done with data collection, and almost done with all the analysis.
Vent: Now I have to actually write the thesis.
Overall: So many times I thought I'd never make it, but it looks like I may actually cross the finish line and earn a PhD.
Congratulations! You can do this! I'll give the advice I give to my own students at this point:
(1) your PI/committee won't let you schedule the defense if we don't think you're ready and will pass, so you ARE ready and will pass.
(2) working backward from your defense date, make a detailed writing plan, breaking down all remaining tasks into small chunks and scheduling them each day. Pad the schedule to account for unexpected delays and inevitable schedule slip.
(3) done is better than perfect-- do a rough draft of everything first, then you can go back and spend remaining time revising, but get it done first.
(4) look at the formatting requirements now, and use the template if the grad school provides one-- it will be easier than trying to retrofit it to the often very persnickety requirements later. At the same time, don't stress about formatting too much-- you can fix it after the defense if necessary, no one but the person in charge of final dissertation deposits will care at all.
Puget, thanks so much for this! I sketched out a tentative writing plan, and I'll definitely have to keep reminding myself of your "done is better than perfect" point. Also, I didn't even think about asking after formatting requirements yet. Thanks for that point too.
Harlow2 and epw, thank you!
Quote from: smallcleanrat on June 04, 2023, 07:30:13 PM
Quote from: Puget on June 01, 2023, 06:28:27 AM
Quote from: smallcleanrat on May 31, 2023, 08:17:19 PM
Inhale: Presented to my thesis committee and got the green light to schedule my defense towards the end of summer. I was worried I hadn't done enough, that the committee would say something like, "All these years, and that's all you have to show for it?" Instead they were very encouraging and congratulatory. Done with data collection, and almost done with all the analysis.
Vent: Now I have to actually write the thesis.
Overall: So many times I thought I'd never make it, but it looks like I may actually cross the finish line and earn a PhD.
Congratulations! You can do this! I'll give the advice I give to my own students at this point:
(1) your PI/committee won't let you schedule the defense if we don't think you're ready and will pass, so you ARE ready and will pass.
(2) working backward from your defense date, make a detailed writing plan, breaking down all remaining tasks into small chunks and scheduling them each day. Pad the schedule to account for unexpected delays and inevitable schedule slip.
(3) done is better than perfect-- do a rough draft of everything first, then you can go back and spend remaining time revising, but get it done first.
(4) look at the formatting requirements now, and use the template if the grad school provides one-- it will be easier than trying to retrofit it to the often very persnickety requirements later. At the same time, don't stress about formatting too much-- you can fix it after the defense if necessary, no one but the person in charge of final dissertation deposits will care at all.
Puget, thanks so much for this! I sketched out a tentative writing plan, and I'll definitely have to keep reminding myself of your "done is better than perfect" point. Also, I didn't even think about asking after formatting requirements yet. Thanks for that point too.
Harlow2 and epw, thank you!
Congratulations! The best dissertation is a done dissertation.
Have you read the FAQs about the snake-fight portion of your thesis defense (https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/faq-the-snake-fight-portion-of-your-thesis-defense) yet?
Quote from: ergative on June 10, 2023, 02:49:57 AM
Congratulations! The best dissertation is a done dissertation.
Have you read the FAQs about the snake-fight portion of your thesis defense (https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/faq-the-snake-fight-portion-of-your-thesis-defense) yet?
Thanks, ergative!
RE: snakes. Why am I just finding out about this now?!?
Quote from: smallcleanrat on June 10, 2023, 01:15:05 PM
Quote from: ergative on June 10, 2023, 02:49:57 AM
Congratulations! The best dissertation is a done dissertation.
Have you read the FAQs about the snake-fight portion of your thesis defense (https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/faq-the-snake-fight-portion-of-your-thesis-defense) yet?
Thanks, ergative!
RE: snakes. Why am I just finding out about this now?!?
The advantage of coming across a brilliant piece of literature late in the game is that the intervening years have allowed its Archive Of Our Own fanfiction to accumulate. This one is quite brilliant. (https://archiveofourown.org/works/28299630)
Quote from: ergative on June 10, 2023, 02:21:42 PM
Quote from: smallcleanrat on June 10, 2023, 01:15:05 PM
Quote from: ergative on June 10, 2023, 02:49:57 AM
Congratulations! The best dissertation is a done dissertation.
Have you read the FAQs about the snake-fight portion of your thesis defense (https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/faq-the-snake-fight-portion-of-your-thesis-defense) yet?
RE: snakes. Why am I just finding out about this now?!?
The advantage of coming across a brilliant piece of literature late in the game is that the intervening years have allowed its Archive Of Our Own fanfiction to accumulate. This one is quite brilliant. (https://archiveofourown.org/works/28299630)
Oh yes, this is the best-- as a faculty member it is all too realistic, I can well imagine our put upon department admin writing it.
Thanks, ergative!
Context: I had extensive neuropsych testing over the course of 3 days.
Inhale: I no longer meet the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of OCD. I was first diagnosed 15 years ago, and have spent years since going to therapy, using workbooks, and pushing myself through a lot of discomfort to overcome it. While I still have obsessive-compulsive tendencies, it no longer interferes with my life sufficiently to warrant a diagnosis. All that hard work paid off, and it feels like a real accomplishment.
Vent: I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism. I don't seem to know how to feel about this. I've read other people's experiences of having an "aha" moment upon receiving an explanation for their difficulties. So, I thought diagnosis might provide some sense of relief.
All I feel is depressed.
I think deep down I was hoping they would say, "Nothing is wrong. You are normal," although I guess I wouldn't have believed them if they had. But I really wish I didn't constantly feel in a struggle with my own brain.