It was only a few weeks ago that I originally formatted this f*cker, how could I forget how bloody long it takes.  I've been formatting since about 9:30 pm, and it's bloody 3 am now!  ARGH.  Actually, it was all formatted and ready to go about 3 hours ago, and then I realized that I'd buggered up the page numbering.  And then Word started to spaz out.

*headdesk*

My 9 am meeting with super Super is going to suck.

Cripes, I am doing anything I can to avoid thesis edits.  I'm getting close to being done too.  If I can just focus and work for the rest of the evening, I'll be done.  DONE.

Evening forecast calls for SHINY with a slight chance of focus.


NOOOOOO!  I WILL GET THIS DONE.  Cuppa tea, some tunes, and I'm Doing This.

Well, this has sort of been a crap day.  Thesis edits are...not really coming.  I can't seem to make myself look at them.

But whatever.  My thesis defense party is tonight, so I'm going to go chill and enjoy it.  :)  Mediocre thank you card for super Super is mediocre, but hopefully the bottle of scotch to go with it will distract.  Seriously, someday I will hire a writer to do all of my silly little writing things.  I really suck at it. 

Defending my thesis today at 1 pm.  homg.  I'd actually feel better about this if my presentation were behaving itself or if I'd had more time to practice it.  Oh well, it'll go well, I know it!

Off to practice once more, then shower and run!




omg almost done my Masters!!!

I keep putting off writing this post, mostly because I hate writing the important ones.  I'd much rather blather on about ..yoghurt or something like that. 

But anyways, I've submitted my thesis.  I'm sure there's lots of stuff in it that should be expanded on or taken out or re-written or corrected, but I suppose that can be said for any documents or bit of writing, and there's no sense on continually bashing my head over it or else I'd never be done.  And anyways, I'm sure my committee will tear it to shreds give me lots of useful advice and edits. 

Oh yeah that's right, I'm not really done yet.  Will be defending my thesis on June 9th.  For those who do not know what that means, it's basically an oral exam where a committee of people who have read your thesis, does a couple rounds of grilling you with questions about your work.  I've been told it lasts anywhere from 3 hours to when you break down and weep, whichever comes last.

Despite this, I refuse to look at the defense as anything but a Good Thing.  I'm the expert here (apparently), and I sort of like presenting my research and blathering on about it.  I'm better at talking about it than writing about it.  Also, I'm hoping that my committee will have suggestions on how to present some of my data, or locate where the gaps are that I know are present in my thesis.  So...it'll be a Good Thing.

Until then, though, I'm sort of in limbo.  Not really done, but not really not done...if that makes sense.  I just wish it were June 9th already.

Although I have been enjoying some time off.  Took the weekend and basically just relaxed and did things I wanted to do (Torchwood marathon ftw!), so that's been lovely.

Anyways, back to the regularly scheduled inanity after this.

Although I will say...I can't believe I'm (almost) done!  :D

Okay, I'm making a sticky post at the top of my journal so I can keep track of what I need to do.  This is actually part of the list from a couple days ago, hence all the crossed out things.  It encourages me to see that things have been done.  :)  This list will stay at the top until I submit next Tuesday. 

I'M SORRY I'M SO BORING.  CAN'T BE HELPED RIGHT NOW.  MOVE ON, NOTHING TO SEE HERE. 


THESIS TO DO LIST

Writing:
Send Lit Review to super Super. 
Write draft of Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations
Compete draft of Lit Review
Write addition (short) section in Results chapter
Write short blurb about this section in Methods
Send Lit Review to super Super
Send Lit Review to Grammar Fiend Friend
Write draft of Abstract
Reword that one section in conclusions

Break-down of Lit Review Sections:
As in Environment
     Aqueous speciation
     Sources of As and As mineralogy
     Effect of pH and Redox Conditions
Wetlands
     Introduction and Use of Wetlands for Remediation
     Wetland Types
     Processes Effecting As Mobility

Editing:
Change hydroxide --> (oxy)hydroxide ...EVERYFRICKENWHERE
Remove XRF stuff from methods chapter
Maybe edits from Grammar Fiend Friend on Discussion.
Review and edit Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations
Send Chapter 6 to Grammar Fiend Friend
Review and Edit Lit Review
Add report from 2006 to previous work section where they identified similar trends
Track down references for using Scor + Arseno. std for sorbed phases on oxides in section 4.2.3.1
Final Edits on Conclusions/future recommendations section
Change proportions of species in XANES appendices

Figures and Tables:
Change As conc. to corrected values table 4.2
Find atomic weight of Fe, recalculate concentrations in table 4.10
Edit and finish formatting table 4.10
Add eh-pH diagram to lit review Fig 2.1

Other Sections:
Type up title page
Table of Contents
List of Figures/Tables
List of abbreviations
Reference List (remove unneeded, add additional needed)

Formatting:
Make sure formatting is the same in all chapters
Appendices
Add PHREEQC data to appendices
ESEM appendix

Other:
Research submission process


Whatever else (EDIT THIS LIST AS NEEDED HOMG)

Okay, so I've been up all night, writing.  Not finished.  :(  But I did knock a few things off my list, and my lit review is closer to being done.  Except that a reference I need is in my office at the university. 

Do I:
A) go now and pick it up, then come back here to nap before getting back to it
B) go now and stay there, get all the stuff I need from the reference, then come back and nap before getting back to it
C) go to bed, then go later on when I'm not a zombie

My choice would definitely be C), except that buses here suck and they stop running after 6 pm on Sundays.  AND they're down to 1 bus per hour on my route.  Ick Kingston, your public transit sucks.

Actually, that sort of answers my question.  Because I just missed the bus...

Hmm.  Go get dressed, have a 15 minute nap, grab a bite to eat, then I think follow option B.  Because the reference I need is the literary equivalent to a cinder block, in weight, size, and interest.  Might as well get it over with there and be done with it.

I'll sleep when I'm dead.  Or finished the thesis.  And now that the light at the end of the M.Sc. Thesis Tunnel is blinding me, I actually think I know which one will happen first!  *knocks on wood*


Oh, and submission deadline was pushed back again, this time to Thursday.  Which I'm half pleased about, half annoyed at.  I just want to be done already, but I also don't want to hand in a steaming pile of dung, either.  Extra editing time is your friend!

Kay I'm off.

At about midnight last night, I was nodding off and couldn't concentrate on the chapter I was working on.  So I decided to have a nap, set the alarm for 2 am, and...woke up an hour ago.  Bugger.

Oh well, I guess I needed it.  I really had wanted to finish that chapter last night, though.  Got a cuppa coffee, had some breakfast, time to get to 'er.

I'm about to hit the sack for a few hours, but I managed to get about 2/3rds of my lit review done.  Not too bad, I suppose.  I now have a better feel for how I'm going to tackle it.  Oops, super Super just got back to me.  I'm not to touch the already-written sections.  That's alright, there's the 1/3 that's not even touched yet.

*headdesk*

After sending her the chapter, I did manage to do the edits from my Grammar Fiendy Friend.  I love getting drafts back from her.  She always makes such funny comments (including making fun of journal aurthors names "May the LaForce be with you") and is generally so excited about my project, that it gets me excited all over again!  This is what an editor should always do!  :D  Heck, even super Super does it, so frankly, editing is less horrible than it's been for previous work.

Anyways, I'm pooped and it's time to get some shut eye for a bit.  Night all!

Final submission deadline extended to May 24.  Thank goodness!

Trying to write, but not accomplishing much.  Despite (or perhaps because of) the best thesising nest ever.  Need to have this done by tomorrow; do I force my way through it or get to bed and try to get up early?

Hmm.  One more hour, and if I still can't concentrate, I'll go to bed.

But first, a cuppa Earl Grey is required, I think.