A Good Week
This has been a good week for me.
I've generally felt like I'm on top of things (teaching, studying, cleaning and laundry, as well as fun time) and only had real trouble sleeping one night. Also, I feel like things are going really well with Cory. We had one very bad day last week, but since then everything has felt just great. We're both really busy right now and really tired, but the time we've spent together has been great.
I got to see This American Life's live broadcast in the theater with Cory last night. It was really, really good. Mike Birbiglia and Dan Savage both had pieces in the show that were fantastic (Dan Savage's in particular--which was about religion, the death of his mother, and how the two continue to affect him--was great, both funny and moving.), and Joss Whedon performed a musical number that is apparently going to be part of the DVD commentary for Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog, which, I must say, sounds incredible. Plus, I always enjoy an opportunity to watch Ira Glass do his thing.
I did the laundry. All of it. For most people, this may seem too mundane to note here, but I have enough clothes that I don't have to do the laundry more than once a month or so, and so that's typically how often I do it. I hate the process, but afterwards I always feel really good about things. I could wear anything right now!
I've been making good progress on studying for my comprehensive exams, which are scheduled for next week. I'm very nervous about it, but I also think I'm pretty prepared and should do well as long as I don't let myself freak out.
Just in time for comps week, I got a package today from my friend Kim in Indiana. It's a combination late-birthday/good-luck-on-your-comps package. And it's awesome. She sent me a cute kitty paperweight made by a local artist in Fort Wayne, some chocolate (also made locally in Fort Wayne), some knee high socks that say "i am calm" on them, a package of aromatherapy mineral bath stuff, and a Pirates of the Caribbean card with Johnny Depp on the front and pirate tattoos inside. She knows me well. I mean, how can you possibly go wrong with kitties, Johnny Depp, and chocolate? You can't! So I'm planning to wear my "i am calm" socks to my comps next week and maybe even a pirate tattoo or two.
Finally, in this week's good news, the big news. Since I'm taking my comps next week, I will soon (assuming I pass them, that is) be beginning work on my dissertation. So a few weeks ago I applied for a dissertation fellowship for the fall semester that would give me a one-course teaching reduction and allow me more time to work on my dissertation. This is especially helpful in my situation as this coming academic year is the last one that I'll be able to hold my GTA position. Anyway, I got the fellowship. I am very excited about this. It relieves a lot of stress I was feeling about the fall semester and how I was going to write as quickly as I need to while teaching two sections of freshman comp (teaching comp takes a lot more time than teaching literature does).
So, to sum up, here are the things that are good in my life this week:
1. Cory
2. This American Life
3. Clean clothes
4. Progress in studying
5. Awesome package from Kim
6. Dissertation fellowship for the fall semester
Edit: Here's another thing I should've included in that list. I found an old stationary bike by the dumpster and adopted it. I rode it just now. It works fine, even if it's a little noisy. Cory said it looks like it belongs in the hatch on Lost. So I call it my hatchbike.
I've generally felt like I'm on top of things (teaching, studying, cleaning and laundry, as well as fun time) and only had real trouble sleeping one night. Also, I feel like things are going really well with Cory. We had one very bad day last week, but since then everything has felt just great. We're both really busy right now and really tired, but the time we've spent together has been great.
I got to see This American Life's live broadcast in the theater with Cory last night. It was really, really good. Mike Birbiglia and Dan Savage both had pieces in the show that were fantastic (Dan Savage's in particular--which was about religion, the death of his mother, and how the two continue to affect him--was great, both funny and moving.), and Joss Whedon performed a musical number that is apparently going to be part of the DVD commentary for Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog, which, I must say, sounds incredible. Plus, I always enjoy an opportunity to watch Ira Glass do his thing.
I did the laundry. All of it. For most people, this may seem too mundane to note here, but I have enough clothes that I don't have to do the laundry more than once a month or so, and so that's typically how often I do it. I hate the process, but afterwards I always feel really good about things. I could wear anything right now!
I've been making good progress on studying for my comprehensive exams, which are scheduled for next week. I'm very nervous about it, but I also think I'm pretty prepared and should do well as long as I don't let myself freak out.
Just in time for comps week, I got a package today from my friend Kim in Indiana. It's a combination late-birthday/good-luck-on-your-comps package. And it's awesome. She sent me a cute kitty paperweight made by a local artist in Fort Wayne, some chocolate (also made locally in Fort Wayne), some knee high socks that say "i am calm" on them, a package of aromatherapy mineral bath stuff, and a Pirates of the Caribbean card with Johnny Depp on the front and pirate tattoos inside. She knows me well. I mean, how can you possibly go wrong with kitties, Johnny Depp, and chocolate? You can't! So I'm planning to wear my "i am calm" socks to my comps next week and maybe even a pirate tattoo or two.
Finally, in this week's good news, the big news. Since I'm taking my comps next week, I will soon (assuming I pass them, that is) be beginning work on my dissertation. So a few weeks ago I applied for a dissertation fellowship for the fall semester that would give me a one-course teaching reduction and allow me more time to work on my dissertation. This is especially helpful in my situation as this coming academic year is the last one that I'll be able to hold my GTA position. Anyway, I got the fellowship. I am very excited about this. It relieves a lot of stress I was feeling about the fall semester and how I was going to write as quickly as I need to while teaching two sections of freshman comp (teaching comp takes a lot more time than teaching literature does).
So, to sum up, here are the things that are good in my life this week:
1. Cory
2. This American Life
3. Clean clothes
4. Progress in studying
5. Awesome package from Kim
6. Dissertation fellowship for the fall semester
Edit: Here's another thing I should've included in that list. I found an old stationary bike by the dumpster and adopted it. I rode it just now. It works fine, even if it's a little noisy. Cory said it looks like it belongs in the hatch on Lost. So I call it my hatchbike.