Thursday, January 27, 2011

What's Your Status?

Winter has certainly moved in to stay. We have enormous, solid drifts that keep us from parking in our driveway. We simply park in the lane and walk the rest of the way to the house. I am just pumped that the lane is clear enough that I can drive my little car and not have to sacrifice my schedule to A.'s all the time, or vice-versa.

It is 35 degrees outside and feels positively balmy. In fact, I drove in to work with my window completely down. Because it is so warm outside.

Winter.

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Things are moving along very well with the Non-Thesis-Bullshit-But-Masters-Crapola. I am taking an independent study with my favorite committee member, J., and the difference in how we work together is staggering. I don't feel like a goddamned idiot or nusuance; I feel like I have some really good ideas and questions to offer and that I come up with some pretty good prespectives. In fact, he's asked me to teach a couple sessions of his Fall food ways class. It is nice to remember I am bright and have something to offer.

For the independent study, I am looking at urban farming and the locavore movement. Pretty fun shit. This is what I read about on my own all the time, because I am a nerd. NERD. I am in good company. My professor, J., stole two books I brought in as suggestions for the course!

I am taking these 3 credits to have enough credits to finish a Plan B master's instead of a thesis. So far, I am very, very happy with my decision to switch to a Plan B and things are moving along a steady clip. I am busy as all hell, and read every night and should still be reading more somehow, but it is going well. I am enjoying the material again. I don't think our field is bullshit. I remember why I came back to grad school.

I working on revising my thesis into a 30-page, publishable essay. It is hard to rip out so much work.

My adviser is still mostly unhelpful, but I am working around him.  I plan to plop the essay in his lap after working with my IS professor on it. For my sanity. I deserve that much.

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I went to the doctor a few weeks ago to reevaluate my meds, as I was slipping. I am feeling better, but not 100%. I am trying, and I think have been successful, to remind myself it is a process and not to feel discouraged.

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The dogs continue to be lovable idiots, and A. is still my rock star.


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How are you all?

4 comments:

  1. I think I'd love the books you read! I watched the 100-mile Challenge on CBC over the summer and I was just so intrigued by the challenge of it all (they boiled down their own salt from the ocean!)

    I hear you on your winter thoughts. We've just come out of a deep freeze (-30, colder with the windchill). It's now a balmy -5 and the kids are wondering if they still need hats!

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  2. I love reading that shit, too. It fascinates me. My research class last quarter was focused around our concepts of food and agriculture and I LOVED it.

    One of my favorite reads is "Farm City" by Novella Carpenter. If you haven't read it, you MUST find it immediately. It's fantastic!

    I'm glad you're feeling good about Plan B and that things are moving along well for you. I've missed you!

    I'm also changing my focus at school, but not entirely sure yet where I'm headed...

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  3. I am so happy to hear how well things are turning out for you!! We have three feet of snow on the ground and its only january, I have to say this is the first winter i have been impressed with snowfall in new england! I finished up school in December and now i do not know what to do with myself!

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  4. Yay! Especially to this: "it's nice to remember that I am bright and have something to offer." What is wrong with professoirs who seem to specialize in turning this feeling OFF in people? Jeesh.

    Anyway, I'm glad that things are mostly looking up. I can smell spring today (and I'll just go ahead and ignore how it's obviously a quick thaw and not Real Spring).

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