Long time, no update.  In any event, I have survived the semester.  I had my prelim exam/portfolio defense on April 15 and survived the experience.  I am now "ABD."  The defense was anti-climactic, as anything would be after spending nine months preparing for it.  I am now free to begin researching and writing my dissertation, though I have ( Read more... )

 Been pretty busy over the last month. New Year's was fun, but then again, it didn't involve family. Have also hung out with friends a couple times and been to a local horror movie double feature. (That's not too much fun for a month for most people, but that's not bad for me.) School stuff is coming along well. I still have 58 books left to ( Read more... )

Work continues apace here at Chez Byers.  bittergrrl is steadily churning out her final papers for the semester and I have been continuing to write a final historiographic paper for my portfolio and reading books on my reading lists.  I hope to finish that essay in the next 7-10 days (I still have to read 7 additional books for it and that's more the hold-up ( Read more... )

Long time, no update.  Things are fine here, just been busy with school stuff.  I had a light course load this semester and didn't have to grade or teach (that will be changing next semester though), so I have just been reading and writing a lot.  The major effort was to write my dissertation prospectus and a couple historiographic essays.  Just ( Read more... )

The semester is over and done with and both
( Read more... )

My work has been going well.  The research paper I'm writing this semester is moving along well, as is my other class.  The prof really needs to limit the weekly reading load to about 300-350 pages though, rather than the 450 or so we've been stuck with every week.  I've been keeping plenty busy with just those two classes, so I'm very glad that I ( Read more... )

Well, I guess it's still approximately "mid-November" -- Thanksgiving comes early this year.  We head up to Virginia Beach tomorrow and will be there until Saturday.  Short visit, but despite the fact that it's good to see my family again, it's dead boring there and in the middle of the semester, so a long visit is not in the cards.  Is it a sign ( Read more... )

The semester has been going pretty well, but I still have a few big projects remaining to be completed.  I gave my practice lecture in Pedagogy on Wednesday, and I think it went pretty well.  I receive feedback from the prof (and the other students anonymously) on Tuesday, so we'll see if anyone else thinks so.  My military history research paper ( Read more... )

 I have been remarkably remiss in updating my blog here, so here goes ( Read more... )

My semester is over. No more papers, reading, or grading; everything's done. It went well, all in all ( Read more... )