Writing, Thinking, Planning

I've revised Chapters 1 though 3 the way I needed to and also the Table of Contents, including a major change to an Appendix. All I need to do is read it through, sending hard copy to my Supervisor as well as sending her an electronic version. She's in China for 2 weeks right now.

I've been invited, through my other Supervisor, to some workshops in Gippsland and Fitzroy. I wrote back to her and my reply is so sulky I amazed my self. I finished the email with "I'm really ambivalent about both sessions, I don't want to go or present because I don't think much, if anything, will be relevant for me". Oh well, at least I'm not always sulky.

I also realised I've done more work on my dissertation than I think and I spent this morning hunting stuff up for Chapters 3 and 4.

I'm still in the throes of organising the last 15 transcriptions.

Saw War of the Worlds and Madagascar (again) this weekend. I enjoyed War much more than I thought I would- it was fairly like the original radio play too. Nina adored it. I also loved taking my Mum to see Madagascar for the first time.

I think I may speak to a counselor about feeling stressed and my PhD- I think it might be useful.  ¶ 12:32 pm

  Tension doesn't help

I'm like the little red train in the poem that is climbing a hill, so long as I think "I think I can" I probably can. When I doubt myself it helps nothing. Still I am re-editing the first few chapters while I wait for my transcriptions. Actually, while I go over the lit review I'm getting theme ideas about my qual data, which has proved useful.

Saw Kung-Fu Hustle on the weekend and I loved it. I expected nothing from the film and adored it.

I have finally finished the CD. I have to put a pay claim in this week. I have also finished another draft on my journal article and will mail it to my supervisor today. I miss Mavis being about. I hope everything is going well for her. She emailed me last week with news, which was lovely.

I saw an old friend on ICQ yesterday and it was so nice to catch up with him. I think we'll have lunch in the coming weeks- Oh and I have dinner with the girls soon, which I usually love. We'll go to St.Kilda.

I had coffee with Vicki today and was glad to hear that she'd been promoted since last we spoke. She is starting a bioethics Masters too, which I think is fabulous. I'm going to send her a copy of a survey in case it gives her any brilliant ideas.

Oh well, back to reading chapter one now....  ¶ 2:46 pm

  I can't believe how much work there is to do yet!

I have 13 tapes to transcribe plus the ones I am doing myself. Between the CD and 2 journal articles I don't know whether I am coming or going, plus I need to get my project with Walt on the move. I've also just taken up my seat at ethics again- phew

Then if you include the thesis, along with transcriptions are the analysis and the various stages of drafting it as well as the review stage when I return it to participants for comment, which will take about a month.

I was sick last week too and pretty much took 2 days off. I hope minor bugs and things go away soon. I don't like feeling so defeatist, but right now everything looks a bit impossible.

My supervisors have been late with my annual review so I had to apply for an extension to that or my income may have been threatened. They treat it like its no big deal, but the university is slow to rectify mistakes and it could have cost me 6-8 weeks of income. The uni would have back paid me but what was I supposed to do in the mean time? Sheesh!

Mavis left last week, which was way sad for me. Its been lovely hanging with her when I manage to have a life at all. 9-5 jobs look OK sometimes, let me tell you.

At the same time, I think it's good that I'm in a routine and have an office to go to. It means I get up and go to "work" every day regardless of mood and that should see me across the line I guess.  ¶ 1:17 pm

  Last interview tomorrow!

Well my last interview is tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait to get it over with!

I'm back on the human ethics committee again now and I finished reviewing web sites for the review article last week. I also finished a huge part of the research CD last week. I have to get moving on the stuff for the research I am working on with Walter- it needs an ethics review, which will take hours.

This week I need to enter data from the interviews into Excel and QSR, organise transcribing, transcribe the IT interviews myself and burn a CD or two with the audios from the interviews on it. Phew!  ¶ 11:23 am