I'm sitting on my balcony with...
* swinging bench
* kleenex box (yes still just a tiny bit sick)
* Oprah magazine
* notebook of story ideas & inky pen
* laptop
* homemade sunshade for said laptop
* Tegan and Sarah under the earphones (in case neighbours not fans of Tegan and Sarah)
* pashmina in case I get chilly in my tank top and shorts
* log footstool
* root beer
* kitty buddies
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
My School Year in Facebook Application Summary
Listening to summer songs, with the doors and windows open. Ahhhh...
The "moods" application on facebook is one of my favourites, because it gives you a snapshot diary of your life! Here's my school year in a nutshell (courtesy of screen shots.) You have to start at the bottom and work your way up. (If too small, you should be able to click on each photo to enlarge it.)
The "moods" application on facebook is one of my favourites, because it gives you a snapshot diary of your life! Here's my school year in a nutshell (courtesy of screen shots.) You have to start at the bottom and work your way up. (If too small, you should be able to click on each photo to enlarge it.)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
4 AM - Finished MA requirements. Let's hope I pass.
For five long years you have toiled and laboured for my happiness.
Last offline post... possibly incoherent
Ap 15 2:55 AM
I've been working about 12 hours/day for the last few days. They didn't feel like long days. I wasn't stressed or anything--just focused. Looks like I got enough work done throughout the semester to allow me to be quite, quite pleased with the final draft. Thanks to The God who lent me his PC I've been able to run any new stat idea that came to mind. Lending me this computer wasn't just a life saver, it probably made a difference to my final grade! (The paper is graded by 2 profs and they take the average.)
So now I'm sticking in graphs and fiddling with headers and such. There'll be no overnighter, no last minute work in the morning. I'll get downtown early enough to print (and make allowance for printing emergencies), and if I get there early enough I can spend a little time on the picket lines before I leave.
Listening to Kate Bush--I felt she should be with me in these last moments. All three kittenatudes are in the room, in napping solidarity. Fernando's studying Warcraft books in the next room.
Alright... off to finish the last bits. Tootaloo!
I've been working about 12 hours/day for the last few days. They didn't feel like long days. I wasn't stressed or anything--just focused. Looks like I got enough work done throughout the semester to allow me to be quite, quite pleased with the final draft. Thanks to The God who lent me his PC I've been able to run any new stat idea that came to mind. Lending me this computer wasn't just a life saver, it probably made a difference to my final grade! (The paper is graded by 2 profs and they take the average.)
So now I'm sticking in graphs and fiddling with headers and such. There'll be no overnighter, no last minute work in the morning. I'll get downtown early enough to print (and make allowance for printing emergencies), and if I get there early enough I can spend a little time on the picket lines before I leave.
Listening to Kate Bush--I felt she should be with me in these last moments. All three kittenatudes are in the room, in napping solidarity. Fernando's studying Warcraft books in the next room.
Alright... off to finish the last bits. Tootaloo!
Tales from an offline diary... s'more
Ap 14 7 PM
Blehhhh I hate this part. I've read the whole paper once, to edit it. But now I have to give it another read. Wether it's fiction or school, I hate rereading my writing for the millionth time. Where's the suspense? Where are the red herrings? The shattering reveal at the end when the detective has all the suspects in a room?? It's so boring. And you can't speed read either... I mean, the point is you have to read carefully. Sucks sucks sucks.
Once this is done I have to transpose this from my working program to word, and get started on the footnotes. Then add in the graphs and tables, which will result in many computer related headaches and disasters, not to mention Word shutting down all the time. As a Romantic poet once said: Happy am I. Joy is my name.
Ap 14 11:57 PM
God bless EndNote.
Blehhhh I hate this part. I've read the whole paper once, to edit it. But now I have to give it another read. Wether it's fiction or school, I hate rereading my writing for the millionth time. Where's the suspense? Where are the red herrings? The shattering reveal at the end when the detective has all the suspects in a room?? It's so boring. And you can't speed read either... I mean, the point is you have to read carefully. Sucks sucks sucks.
Once this is done I have to transpose this from my working program to word, and get started on the footnotes. Then add in the graphs and tables, which will result in many computer related headaches and disasters, not to mention Word shutting down all the time. As a Romantic poet once said: Happy am I. Joy is my name.
Ap 14 11:57 PM
God bless EndNote.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Tales from an offline diary...
April 12
Every once in awhile, like when I finish a section of my paper, I allow myself a second of "I've almost graduated!" excitement.
Then the horror of "Now I have to get in front of a class and teach!" hits me. I have no fear of getting in front of a group and starting a discussion... that's what I specialize in. But to write and deliver my own material?
I've written up four syllabi now (3 to apply to Dawson, and the 4th was a requirement for my degree) and they're long and complex. You have to think of the most logical way to present the information--much like writing a paper. You have to figure out what to include or drop. You have to gage the reading level of your audience, and you're wading through all this research trying to find the best article to express a certain idea.
But that's just putting together the readings! I've never taken this material and written out lectures. Eep! Obviously that's what I should do next. Obviously once school is done it's the last thing I'm gonna wanna do.
Oh well. One step at a time, that's the only way to accomplish your goals. I learned longo time-o ago to not get overwhelmed by the thing that's a few steps ahead; you have to take the goals, break them down into short steps, and hack away at each one.
Which is to say... back to my friggin research paper.
Ap 13 7 PM
Man am I ever tired of nose blowing. I've been sick for over a week now--this is more than the average head cold, which usually lasts a few days for me. This is some nasty bug that wants to graduate with me so it can be called Master Buggy.
I'm editing today, and it's slow going. I tend to want my writing to sound like the fairies came out of the woods at night with magic typewriters. I like to produce good prose. It's harder when I get to describing my stats results--I'm less adept at that type of writing. Back I go...
Midnight
The editing is done, conclusion written. Rice Krispie treats are in the freezer cooling, and it's time to do graphs and tables. If I can get these done tonight, then tomorrow I just have to do footnotes (which are about half done) and look up a few odds and sods. Where is my beer chugging team when I need them? Go! Go! Go!
2 Am Ap 14
Change of venue: Sitting in bed. I found an error in my paper which required correcting and a lot of RK squares. Then I ran through all my CLARIFY simulations, which is a software you can use in conjunction with Stata to describe your results in a clearer manner. It's taken me awhile to get the hang of it, but I'm pretty happy with my results.
Now I have to decide what tables and graphs I need, and build them. If you build it... the grades will come.
4:20 AM
Alright... no time for graphs tonight. Tables are soooo fiddly. It took me about 2 hours to make the main one. The Clarify one should hopefully be quicker. Eep! Eep! Then I'll abed. The graphs are done, at least, they too just need fiddling. Man... in some ways things must have been easier in The Olden Days when you did this crap by hand!
5:09 Off to bed we go.
Every once in awhile, like when I finish a section of my paper, I allow myself a second of "I've almost graduated!" excitement.
Then the horror of "Now I have to get in front of a class and teach!" hits me. I have no fear of getting in front of a group and starting a discussion... that's what I specialize in. But to write and deliver my own material?
I've written up four syllabi now (3 to apply to Dawson, and the 4th was a requirement for my degree) and they're long and complex. You have to think of the most logical way to present the information--much like writing a paper. You have to figure out what to include or drop. You have to gage the reading level of your audience, and you're wading through all this research trying to find the best article to express a certain idea.
But that's just putting together the readings! I've never taken this material and written out lectures. Eep! Obviously that's what I should do next. Obviously once school is done it's the last thing I'm gonna wanna do.
Oh well. One step at a time, that's the only way to accomplish your goals. I learned longo time-o ago to not get overwhelmed by the thing that's a few steps ahead; you have to take the goals, break them down into short steps, and hack away at each one.
Which is to say... back to my friggin research paper.
Ap 13 7 PM
Man am I ever tired of nose blowing. I've been sick for over a week now--this is more than the average head cold, which usually lasts a few days for me. This is some nasty bug that wants to graduate with me so it can be called Master Buggy.
I'm editing today, and it's slow going. I tend to want my writing to sound like the fairies came out of the woods at night with magic typewriters. I like to produce good prose. It's harder when I get to describing my stats results--I'm less adept at that type of writing. Back I go...
Midnight
The editing is done, conclusion written. Rice Krispie treats are in the freezer cooling, and it's time to do graphs and tables. If I can get these done tonight, then tomorrow I just have to do footnotes (which are about half done) and look up a few odds and sods. Where is my beer chugging team when I need them? Go! Go! Go!
2 Am Ap 14
Change of venue: Sitting in bed. I found an error in my paper which required correcting and a lot of RK squares. Then I ran through all my CLARIFY simulations, which is a software you can use in conjunction with Stata to describe your results in a clearer manner. It's taken me awhile to get the hang of it, but I'm pretty happy with my results.
Now I have to decide what tables and graphs I need, and build them. If you build it... the grades will come.
4:20 AM
Alright... no time for graphs tonight. Tables are soooo fiddly. It took me about 2 hours to make the main one. The Clarify one should hopefully be quicker. Eep! Eep! Then I'll abed. The graphs are done, at least, they too just need fiddling. Man... in some ways things must have been easier in The Olden Days when you did this crap by hand!
5:09 Off to bed we go.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
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