The Philisophical Works of a Pseudo Author

It's such a strange thing; graduating. You've done all the work already. You've already been told you have received your degree/diploma/whatnot, and it is therefore mostly an excuse for a party.

I was really too tired today to party and it's not nearly as fun without alcohol anyways.

Day 2 of jet lag is always my worst, so I didn't sleep last night and I spent the morning going flat out - on foot - here, there, and everywhere. By the time we got to the reception I just wanted to lay down, or pass out - it was a toss-up.

There ceremony was great (short) and everyone said all the right words. It wasn't particular special (PhDs are treated like MAs are), but at least we got to go first. And then wait for everyone else to do it! The woman beside me kept up a hilariously running commentary under her breath about the pomp and circumstance so I was incredibly entertained.

We stood outside in the freezing (literally) cold too
much and my coat would fit over my robes so I was just a bit miserable. But Bob made my mother tea and is now the greatest person ever because he waited with my parents for a cab after the reception ended for 30 minutes even though he was supposed to be back at work.

Everyone was super nice and huggy and Ross said great things about me to my parents and to me. And I caught up with a lot (though not all) of friends. Not bad for 2.5 days in the city!

All that is left is coffee tomorrow morning with my 'new' twin Dr A (me being now Dr A as well) and to pay pilgrimage to Richard's tomb, something I should have done on Wednesday. Supposed to rain, so I hope our dead king appreciates my sacrifice.

I miss this part of my life already and I won't ever have it back. It was challenging and interesting and incredibly easy. Unlike the years to come.

Someone on my f-list deserves the BIGGEST CONGRATULATIONS possible, because today they get to call themselves Doctor! And every day until the end of time! Our department is having a good few weeks on the graduation front. And people are having great viva's, which makes me feel pretty good myself.

In other news, this week is kicking my ass which is mostly because I've barely slept, half because I'm just generally stressed, and at least of third of which is because it's just exhausting. One more day! And it's a short day too. And then Liverpool!

I know I have a good life. I don't like it when people remind me, because I'm just like everyone else in that I'm not always happy with my lot in life. That's pretty much human nature. I've gotten better in recent years though. Love what you have and all that.

But there are days when I don't need the reminder, because it's slap bang in my face how amazing my life is. Yesterday was my grandmother's birthday. Now, she died 7 years ago, but we tend to visit the gravesite (the family plots) on that day, mostly because it's a great time of year to clean the garden area up and plant. [And because the other date of choice is May 16, which is about 12 hours too close to my birthday to warrant spending time in a graveyard.] So, yesterday, my mother, aunt and I went off to Toronto to Park Lawn to clean up the gravesite (there are four gravestones in the family plot area, as my great-grandparents are burried there on both my mother's sides). Then we went to our favourite Bloor Street restaurant for lunch and met up with one of the cousins who lives up the road (she's my favourite - shush!). We had a great catch up over pasta and veal and then drove back to my parent's house.

That would have been a pretty good day right there, because there were no arguments or yelling! [Or deaths] But then I took my little baby and drove out to Brantford following my aunt to the airport (airfield) there. And then she took me flying in her adorable little Cessna up to Owen Sound to find the [cousin mentioned above]'s farm they bought a few years ago - to be close to the ski lodge in Collingwood - and took pictures. Cousin's husband has wanted a flyover shot for a while (he used to own a plane too and is in fact putting in landing stripe on the farm property because a lot of his friends have planes). We managed to find it first, which was pretty good from 5000ft I think! Then we flew a loop back in very bumpy winds (oh well) and I still made it back to Burlington for 6pm.

So, really, a spectacularly awesome day. I know that.

5 days left. Big thing I've been putting off to do. Oh, and that book review that's due to the museum journal in June. Oops.

Oh, and I may have gotten a new computer. Completely accidentally.

Step Number One:

Volunteer for lots of things you have no time for.

Step Number Two:

Make yourself known. Other people will like you and recommend you for other things. Some of them might even pay money.

Step Number Three:

Write lots.

Step Number Four:

Take a holiday. You've worked hard and you need a break. Also, have a hockey player for a cousin.

And then you will get away with things like:

'I need to move my essay deadline. I was think March 5th.'

'How about the 9th? That works better for me.'

'...Okay.'

Road to Happiness addendum:
1. I am grateful for cranberry juice.
2. I am grateful for the nice weather we are having.
3. I am grateful that it took four months for me to run smack into my former supervisor. And I'm even more grateful that he has no idea who I am.

( Literally, 'to travel through thick and thin'. )

ETA: Pictures now up.

I love reunions. I get a little giddy and silly when I catch up with old friends, and this weekend there was a lot!

Miriam arrived on Saturday. She did her MA with Jenny, Steph and I, so we had a fun afternoon kicking around the city centre and then Steph's house (with lots and lots of tea, cocoa, and treats (and cat)) before heading to the Guildhall for a play (Click here for a picture). The play turned out to be an awful panto version of 'A Winter's Tale' with actors who couldn't sing. But it was hilarious. Hilariously awful!

Sunday I invited the gang 'round for lunch. Nick (also former MA peer) came in for the afternoon as well, so we had a great time watching the mayham in Block K (across the parking lot) as someone burned down a kitchen. There were many cute firemen and we entertained ourselves a bit too much (considering the circumstance). We whiled away the afternoon and then went to see 'Arthur Christmas'. It's a great movie, I suggest you go! I don't think I stopped laughing the whole time. The kids in the audience didn't think it was as funny. ;)

Then we had dinner down the pub and, after Nick left, Steph, Miriam and I caved on dessert. It looked big in the menu picture. It turned out to be HUGE. But we ate it all!

Today, Collections Trust arrived for a fun-filled week (well, for me, not for the MAs!), and so I caught up with Nick and Alex for a brief chat, and then had a nice long tea break with Laura. So great to see them all. I'm definitely going to have to get down in the new year to visit and see the new offices.

Now it is horribly windy out and very wet and I'm hoping it's all gone by 11am tomorrow when I have to go out.

And the paper is going blahblahblah. But it is 5000 words now! Just 5000 more to go... :|

Bed! Book! Heat!

I can still do 'NaNo'! Not this year, of course, but next year and the year after!

Someone should get an award for this idea: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/draft-your-book-in-one-month/37084?sid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

And

http://www.phd2published.com/2011/10/21/nanowrimo-as-acbowrimo-beta/

Academic writers are saved!

I think this is worse than the Califonia jet lag. I just felt really tired after that. But with the luggage and all, my shoulders really ache and I don't get to sit around for 6 days and do nothing! I'm not going to make it to the city again today, though. 4 miles is more than I have in me. But I seem to be getting the grocery shopping stuff done, at least.

The flight over was decent. Drank a bottle of free champagne (Go Upgrades!) and I guess that helped, because I got a few hours of restless sleep. And then I had coffee for breakfast. Probably all that got me through until late afternoon when I napped before meeting Chantel (yeah for mini-Laurier reunions. Twice in a week!). The girl beside me was going to a wedding in Leicester, ironically, for a cousin. She hadn't been back to England in 20 years. We chatted quite a bit while they served dinner, which I didn't eat, since it was 10:30pm!

I am moved into my term time room. It was available before they thought it would be. There are only 2 other girls in the flat so far. One is from Wales and is in the medical department, so she started 3 weeks ago. The other is from southern Pakistan, but has family in Edmonton! She knows all about winter in Canada. They should both be relatively quiet people, especially the one in medicine (research oriented). The others should be in by Sunday. Guess they might not be international students, since they aren't here yet.

Registered and paid for accomodation so far. Settled everything I think I need to at the uni. Campus is a disaster zone. The city is replacing gas lines all the way along University Ave and, of course, it's not finished on time. The entire road is dug up and construction vehicles are parked on campus. And the 'reno' they have been doing to the outside of buildings on campus is still a work in progress, so there are baracades up everywhere. Nixon is finished, in so far that the buildings are done and open, but the landscaping is a work in progress. They are hard at work on my little back corner, and the forescast is to finish by Sunday. At least they go home between 6pm and 7am. Because it's LOUD. But once they do finish, it should be quite quiet back here, as it is the far corner of the property and doesn't back directly onto anything except that large white roofed warehouse, which I've now been told is the offsite storage for the library (who knew?). You can hear the trains when they pass by, but they aren't breaking or whistling, and they pass quickly. Like GO trains.

The room is decent. About the same size as Opal, but with more storage. It looks well lived in, but it's very clean, as is the kitchen. All new appliances in there. It will do. Especially for the big difference in price from Opal!

Had a good visit with Chantel. Uni has made changes this year for the sub-wardens and everything is much more complicated and involves a lot more of her time, which in her final phd year, she doesn't have much of. Will be busy for her, but I'm sure we'll do evenings together on occasion. She gets half-price tickets to the theatre at Morrisons, so that's good! If only there were good movies out...

Went grocery shopping today for the week. Cost £23, so I am hoping I can do groceries for the week for under £50, including a night out. Food isn't any more expensive than last time, which surprises me. And I can live without alcohol and meat quite well. Some things are ridiculously cheap; like cereal and eggs. Good!

Will have to do bank and cell phone tomorrow. Hopefully I will have the energy by then.

Have already added a desk lamp and laundry basket to my room. Everything is unpacked and hopefully I'll get to the office store tomorrow for pins so I can decorate the room and it won't look so boring! I'll need a fan if this weather continues. 30* humidex today...without air-condioning and I'm on the sunny side of the building. And it's really loud with the window open. Hopefully better by next week. 16* and the landscaping should be done! One of the lanscaping crew is Scottish and he's hilarious to listen to, at least. Another has to be from Yorkshire, I think, and is barely understandable.

I'll be homeward bound in a few hours. Well, I say 'homeward' when I really mean 'back to my Parent's for a few days before I FINALLY get to go HOME to ENGLAND!

I really hope it takes many less hours to get back to Toronto then it took to get to San Fran last week. I can't deal with another 18 hours in airports just to fly 3/4 of the way across the country.

Posted via m.livejournal.com.

SPRING! You've come! *hugs* Please don't leave again! There is Easter coming and then my birthday and I'd really like to see summer this side of the solstice. Pretty, pretty, please?

Well, I stared at the computer screen for half an hour this morning until I forced myself to type the first sentence of my proposal. Which ended up being less typing and more copying and pasting from the other university's application. But it got me started. I'm still not thrilled with it and I sort of hate my academic writing style more than ever right now. I am trying very hard not to panic about, you know, having to WRITE A THESIS.

The Muse has still not returned. I rewrote the first Twilight fic three times and she's still not talking to me, so I'm really beyond knowing what to do. I tried to poke at a DW plot bunny, but it didn't do anything other than stare at me, even after I watched a bunch on interviews with the cast about the new season.

Maybe things will be better after April 15th?