the eternal student

I know I'm ready now

I HAVE A PhD DEFENSE DATE OF MAY 25th! A professor shared with some grad students last week that if you have to ask if you are ready to graduate, then you are not ready. Six months ago I didn't know how/when/if I would graduate. Now I know I'm ready. I can feel it, sense it growing, and gaining a life of its own. For some reason (I think I now who is responsible) the past two weeks have seen everything I've been trying to do the past 5 years or so (who's really counting at this point) come together. It's been a rush. I've slept 5 hours in two days and I still want to keep going. Little annoying problems that have hindered me the past two years are disappearing. Alot of it is the fact that I have a new sense of confident in what I'm doing now. Something clicked, and I can't exactly describe what. Alot of PhD students leave in a rush and bitter or dissappointed with how their whole PhD experience ended up. I am in a huge rush and have a bazillion things going on...but I feel really really good right now. Part of it is due to Lynn, my folks, Shannell, and Budgie and Julie who have helped Lynn wiht the boys the past three weeks. I've been able to put family duties aside for a while and immerse myself in my PhD.

I know what my story (dissertation) is now and I can feel it wanting to write itself. Alot of the pieces I've been trying to force into place have suddenly fit.

In two hours we head to Boise for our 5day fully paid house hunting trip. Hotel, Car, food, miscellaneous is all covered for us thanks to Micron. Gideon and Isaac are with Lynn's mom. I think Lynn is ready to see me for a little bit, and she should be able to see me plenty writing my disseration and journal papers madly in our hotel room. I have about a month to write my dissertation. Fortunalety alot if it is written in bit and pieces of conference papers I've had.

In intense times like this I like to buy a new CD and play it obsessively to keep driving me. I bought two CDs for this go around; Johhny Cash American IV: THe Man Comes Around. A must own album, even if you have not been into Cash before. Here's a man who knows his end is near and has a few things to relflect upon. The second album is The White Stripes' De Stijl. Jack White wrote a few of the Cold Mountain soundtrack songs and recently produced Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose. I've had passing interest in him for a while and finally picked up this CD. I don't know how to describe it expect that you need an appreciation for the older blues of Son House and such, otherwise it wil lsound like noise to you. De Stijl is the only White Stripes album I can fully recommend. Jack and Meg's raw, garage, punk/blues sound hits a really good vein in me right now. Go figure.

And, here are some recent pictures of the boys. We checked out the Georgia Aquarium with my parents and found it to be okay. I think the layout of the Chattanooga Aquarium is much better because it's serence and peaceful the whole time. The Georgia Aquarium is a bit broken up, although they do have some impressive displays.

Oh, and go check out The Bodies Exhibition while you can. You will not be disappointed.

Posted by andyp at April 6, 2006 3:05 AM | TrackBack