This week I'm heading back to Newfoundland (where I'm from) for some much needed summer vacay. I figure I don't have much time left to take vacation when I want, for how long I want so I might as well take advantage while I can. Once I get a 'real job' and stop living in this fantasy world called grad school days off become a thing of the past (though a real paycheck will be nice).
So, between flying half way across the country and sending my computer back to Dell, I may be internet challenged for the next two weeks or so. Consider this my warning: I may post half as often (given my current rate of 1 post a week).
I'm both looking forward to the break in writing and dreading it. I don't particularly enjoy writing, but I'm at the point where it's going to slow me down to have to stop for two weeks... and it will be hard to get back into the swing of things when I resume.
Update: Finished first draft of chapter 1 (of 3) and have received it with editing from my supervisor. Working on first draft of chapter 2 now :)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The worst possible thing happened to me... with not so bad results
This past weekend, as I'm starting to feel the pressure of my thesis looming, I decide to take papers home and work. On the weekend. Now I know many of my fellow grad students do this - all the time - however I do not. I made a deal with myself to not work evenings and weekends, and to treat my graduate degree as a job (and a low paying one at that) after the torture of completing my undergraduate honours thesis while doing six courses (in an effort to go to vet school, which I didn't even end up doing).
But now, with deadlines looming and the aspect of paying ANOTHER semester's tuition, I have decided to get my ass in gear. So I brought home papers and set myself up in my desk, upstairs in the house I am house sitting for a prof. Perfect office, with windows all around and a great breeze, a comfortable chair and lots of light. The only thing is it's as far away from everything else in the house as you can get. Mind you, this is just a two-storey house, so it's not that far, but when you're in the middle of reading/writing/searching, the walk to the kitchen seems like forever.
It was in the afternoon when I decided to take a break and do some laundry. As the TV and laundry are both downstairs, I balanced my laptop precariously in the laundry pile and walked down the stairs. On the very last step I shifted my weight and tipped the laundry pile... spilling my laptop onto the hard floor. I heard cracks and saw plastic fly.
Want to make a grad student have a meltdown? Throw their computer. My computer, with all my pictures, data, chapter files... I couldn't breathe. I picked it up (gingerly) and ran to the kitchen to plug it in. I PRAYED it would turn on. It did. The screen lit up. I signed in. Apparently the only damage was to the casing. I sighed a huge sigh of relief and IMMEDIATELY plugged in my external harddrive and backed up all my data/writing/music/pictures (something I had been lax about for the past few months).
Then I called Dell. Since I have complete care, they will fix all the broken bits. I just have to send my laptop to them. Unfortunately, that means 10 business days without my computer. Luckily I'm going on vacation next week, which makes up at least 5 of them. And I will borrow an old laptop from my supervisor until I get mine back. So after two years with my computer, it's going in for an overhaul and will come back (hopefully) like new.
Not too bad for throwing my whole life on the floor.
But now, with deadlines looming and the aspect of paying ANOTHER semester's tuition, I have decided to get my ass in gear. So I brought home papers and set myself up in my desk, upstairs in the house I am house sitting for a prof. Perfect office, with windows all around and a great breeze, a comfortable chair and lots of light. The only thing is it's as far away from everything else in the house as you can get. Mind you, this is just a two-storey house, so it's not that far, but when you're in the middle of reading/writing/searching, the walk to the kitchen seems like forever.
It was in the afternoon when I decided to take a break and do some laundry. As the TV and laundry are both downstairs, I balanced my laptop precariously in the laundry pile and walked down the stairs. On the very last step I shifted my weight and tipped the laundry pile... spilling my laptop onto the hard floor. I heard cracks and saw plastic fly.
Want to make a grad student have a meltdown? Throw their computer. My computer, with all my pictures, data, chapter files... I couldn't breathe. I picked it up (gingerly) and ran to the kitchen to plug it in. I PRAYED it would turn on. It did. The screen lit up. I signed in. Apparently the only damage was to the casing. I sighed a huge sigh of relief and IMMEDIATELY plugged in my external harddrive and backed up all my data/writing/music/pictures (something I had been lax about for the past few months).
Then I called Dell. Since I have complete care, they will fix all the broken bits. I just have to send my laptop to them. Unfortunately, that means 10 business days without my computer. Luckily I'm going on vacation next week, which makes up at least 5 of them. And I will borrow an old laptop from my supervisor until I get mine back. So after two years with my computer, it's going in for an overhaul and will come back (hopefully) like new.
Not too bad for throwing my whole life on the floor.
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