a Thanksgiving memory

As frivolous as it was for me to take two nights and go home for Thanksgiving last week, I'm glad I did it. I can hardly believe it was just a few days ago! But I'm quite certain I would've been too depressed and discouraged to be very productive in Ann Arbor if I had stayed; moreover, I did grade all my papers and complete this week's teaching prep while home, so this week, it's all dissertation, all the time! I only have four more days, so I don't have much choice. Waaaah!

Before I put my head down again to revise my last main chapter, I wanted to share a photo that my talented cousin Ruth captured and then emailed me last night. 

My niece, the Florette, is getting so big! She is wincing after I gave her a kiss on the cheek. She better start getting used to my affection! <hands on hips>

D.I.Y. Standing Desk

Being a graduate student is dangerous work. For example, your lifestyle is so sedentary that you may develop severe pain in your hips, lower back, and shoulder and neck areas. Also, this lifestyle will apparently kill you. Recent headlines*:

Is Sitting a Lethal Activity? (NYT)
Your Office Chair is Killing You (BusinessWeek)
How to Stop Your Office Chair from Killing You (Forbes)
How Sitting All Day is Damaging Your Body and How You Can Counteract It (Lifehacker)

The solution probably includes regular exercise, more intentional activity, less laziness. But what to do if you've sworn off exercise until your dissertation is due, despite your persistent and distracting pain? People seem to be pretty excited about the "standing desk." I've seen one or two while walking past the philosophy offices, and they look pretty convenient. But they're also expensive, and though there are some plausible D.I.Y. set-ups described on the internet, I have neither the time nor the space in my studio to construct one.

Good thing that I already have one!

Turns out that all you need is a baker's rack from the Flower (a gift to me when she moved in with the Fat), and a GIANT Cuisinart toaster oven! While I still sit to do most of my writing and editing, I like to grade papers with this arrangement. Here's hoping this keeps my body from completely falling apart in the next month.


*Apparently even on my blog, I can't resist creating a select bibliography.

Who has the best friends? I do!, Vol. II

I posted earlier about how lucky I am to have such wonderful friends. One of the silver linings I've discovered about going through this challenging period of stress, self-doubt, and deadlines is that the abundant love and support of my friends and family have become even more obvious. I'm so glad that I don't have to do this alone! Sarah B. has been staying up-to-date on all of my milestones and bringing dinners and treats to my place. Julie and Katie are the ultimate cheerleaders, always helping me stay positive and offering their encouragements (not to mention Julie's help on my cover letters!). The Fat and the Flower text me adorable pictures of the Florette every day. My mom sent me home in October with so much food that I'm still working through my freezer – no sad eating for me! Dave doesn't yell at me when I yell at him. He's the best!

I was prompted to write down and share these reflections because of a surprise gift today from Shuen:

That's right: flowers, teddy bear, AND candy! It's like Valentine's Day with a new boyfriend! Seriously, though, I feel so loved. And her timing is perfect: today marks the beginning of the final push. I met with my advisor for what appears to be the last time before I turn in the dissertation to the committee on November 30th. To the finish line!

Restless Floyd Syndrome

Before I left for Greece, Dave gave me a present: a small stuffed dog, white and black, whom we christened Floyd. During my year abroad, Floyd traveled everywhere with me – Greece, Turkey, the islands. He has become something of the mascot of our relationship. He's starting to become a bit worn out, but that's only proper, I suppose, because of how well-loved he is! He reminds me of the Velveteen Rabbit in that way.

This is Floyd's second (and much more elaborate) stop-action movie! Dave is the screenwriter, director, cinematographer, producer, and second grip of this 2012 independent film. I'm just the muse! ;) I hope you enjoy:

Frazzled Fraggle

It's all starting to catch up to me, and I'm becoming extremely frazzled. As of today, I have exactly three weeks to revise my dissertation and get it to my committee before the defense! I plan to send off the introduction by tomorrow, but I expect that to require a lot of revisions once I get feedback. Urgh. The good news is that "frazzled" sounds kind of like "fraggle." Try saying "frazzled fraggle" three times fast! At least it will make you smile.

Here's a fearful fraggle:

Now...what cute thing sounds like "frantic"? Because I'm pretty sure that's how I'll be feeling next week!

Love, a poem by George Herbert

Last week was truly awful, and I have nothing good to say about it. So instead, I'll post this 17th-century poem about love!

An old friend shared it with me a long time ago, but I found myself considering it more carefully recently. In addition to its clear Christian meaning, I think it illuminates the abundance and generosity of true romantic love as well. Don't love and feasting make a great pair? Or am I just thinking this way because Dave has been making me dinner more often?? =) (*Correction: Sarah B. has also been making me delicious dinners! More love!)

LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
     Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
     From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning           5
     If I lack'd anything.

'A guest,' I answer'd, 'worthy to be here:'
    Love said, 'You shall be he.'
'I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
     I cannot look on Thee.'     10
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
     'Who made the eyes but I?'

'Truth, Lord; but I have marr'd them: let my shame
     Go where it doth deserve.'
'And know you not,' says Love, 'Who bore the blame?'      15
     'My dear, then I will serve.'
'You must sit down,' says Love, 'and taste my meat.'
     So I did sit and eat.

http://www.bartleby.com/101/286.html 

a bit of good news

Last night, I found out that my abstract had been accepted to a conference in the UK! Amid all the uncertainty and anticipated rejections of the job market, it's nice to get a little affirmation (nevermind the fact that I suspect all proposed abstracts were accepted). It's a conference entirely focused on the reception of Heracles/Hercules in the post-classical world. There will be talks about Hercules in early Christian theology, opera, the Renaissance, Victorian Britain, etc. My topic is less highbrow, I must admit: I'll be giving a paper about Disney's Hercules!

I haven't done much work with modern reception, but I've been hoping to get into it, so here's my chance. I hadn't seen the movie in years, until my family reunion this summer, when I watched it with my cousins! So all of that hard work is finally paying off. ;) I'm looking forward to many of the papers, and there are several seniors scholars attending whom I hope to connect with.

The conference is in Leeds in June – maybe a European honeymoon is in the works for us? My last international conference was three years ago, in Argentina. The Fat accompanied me, and we had many adventures – visiting Iguazu falls, getting our palms licked by giraffes at the zoo, eating the most delicious grass-fed beef, hanging out (weirdly) with people from our high school. I can only hope that this next conference will be as memorable!

T-rex, take 2

My friend Joe recently directed me to the tumblr "T-Rex Trying..." I apparently never get tired of the short-T-rex-arms joke! I hope you don't either:

Infantilized

One of the big complaints about graduate school is that it is infantilizing. At this point in your parents' life, they had careers, a house, 3 children, etc., and your peers are accomplishing those things, too. You feel you have little control over your future, but are instead subject to the whims of much more powerful (but unaccountable) senior faculty. You are still procrastinating in your yoga pants, like you did in college. You have neither the stability nor the financial resources to do things you might really crave, like starting a family, living in a big-enough apartment (don't even think about a house), replacing your holey socks. Of course, one can combat this feeling by deciding to live like a "real" adult – showing up at the department from 9-5 in professional clothes, taking responsibility for time management and students – but mainly, you end up avoiding your friends with careers because they make you feel embarrassed about your own life. This email I just received doesn't help:

Undergraduates at the University of Michigan:

It is beyond important to make sure that you are fulfilling your fruit and vegetable needs throughout the day, in order to prevent and protect against illness (especially during midterm crunch time!).  Please take this survey to help us analyze the availability and convenience of purchasing fruits and vegetables at stores in the areas that you most often buy snacks during the day (State Street, South University, etc.).

CLEARLY I AM NOT AN ADULT.