Despite the gouging of eyes, we have been experiencing a number of very happy things around here:
– Nathaniel has been sleeping a seven-hour stretch each night for the past several nights. I am delighted, and hope that I’ll keep from waking up during those stretches sometime soon. Also, since his sleep after that stretch is much shorter, I’ve been able to get up and get a bit of work done in the early mornings as I watch him sleep. A double win!
– Our friend David Swartz is currently visiting us, and it’s great having him here. He’s in the UK for a conference, once again reminding us that there is some benefit to knowing so many traveling academics. Sydney’s known him for something like ten years (or more?) and he has four children of his own at home, so he’s a perfect fit for our house. Now, if only he could have brought his wife with him!
– Rather than let my dissertation defense loom as a shapeless cloud on the horizon, I finally took a deep breath and pitched a date to my committee. There’s a conference in Buffalo in October that I’d really like to make, so I asked if somewhere immediately before or after the conference would be a good date. My committee agreed, so, once I get the paperwork rolling, we’re on! It feels wonderful to have a clear goal for finishing the dissertation, and it’s one that gives me some time for revisions, for family crises and travel, and will keep me on Cornell’s books as I go on the job market. As an added bonus, my advisor took my emails as a good reminder to get back to me about the chapters I’ve already submitted, and is sending her comments on them by mail. Her initial comments, however, are very encouraging!
Alan Schmierer