Well, got up early for the first time in a while, today. Things have been so crazy for so long; even though I'm tired right now, it seems worth it to just be in this early morning space again. The light today is very similar to the way it was in Seattle last summer; I've found the chai Alex and I used to drink there, and I've recently started playing that Clannad CD again. Very odd. Comforting, but it feels like I should be writing science fiction rather than academic papers.
I'm almost done with academic papers, at least for a good long while. The last one is done today, on Freeman, and even if I didn't do quite as much research on it as Tom would have liked, or taken it in the direction he was really interested by, I think it's going to be a good paper. That's satisfying -- I wouldn't want to go out on a shoddy job.
Self-assessments are due in fiction and creative nonfiction as well, and I have one more piece to revise for cnf. Then I'm really done. A reading on Saturday, which should be pleasant. A ceremony the Saturday following. I keep thinking there's something more (oh, I have to pick up seating tickets today, must remember, tomorrow's the deadline) I need to do; oh, right, the final sailing test. Have to call and check about that -- I missed class last Friday rushing around doing thesis stuff. I *think* that's it.
I'm really looking forward to being done with school for a while. I've learned a lot, and some of the classes have been wonderful, but my time at Mills has been a very odd experience. I think some of it may simply be part of being a grad student rather than an undergrad -- the work is better; the work is incredible, but the social life/theatre/friends hasn't been the same. Maybe it's just me, though...I think I was a bit of a mistfit at Mills. I realized yesterday that there wasn't a single person I knew well enough to collect hugs from when I needed them; that's probably at least partly my fault. I've been so busy with my other life (what I thought of as my real life), that I didn't put much energy into finding friends at Mills. Lots of great colleagues, though, who have taught me so much about writing, so I really can't complain. And maybe I just goofed off too much as a college student (which *would* explain the far better G.P.A. I have now. :-) Can't say I regret that either, though. Fodder for poetry and stories :-)
I'm going to start working on my paper at 7, but before that, I'm going to try to finish setting up that recipes page I've been promising y'all. It may not be well organized for a while, but I'll do my best. If you feel like skimming through the journal and seeing if there are any I missed, that'd certainly be appreciated.
I hope you're all doing well, you shadowy figures. Oh, I receive updates from some of you, especially when things aren't going so well, and I admit that I probably don't have the time to keep up with you all, especially since the consistuency of the readership changes. I suppose it's reading Heather's journal that's reminded me how little I know about the rest of you. Some of these pages may be moving soon (though the main site will remain at www.iam.com), and when that happens, perhaps I'll learn how to write a CGI script so that y'all can talk to me up here, and I can talk back, and you can talk to each other. If you're willing to admit to the world that you read erotica, that is. :-) (Oh, I know, you came here by some completely innocent means. You were looking for a chai recipe, that's it, and you're shocked, simply shocked, to learn that there's sexual material on these pages! You'll have to write your Congressman...)
Okay, time's slipping away. Talk to you later, my dears.
4:00. Well, doing the recipes section took longer than expected (because I was trying to find some clipart and Netscape kept crashing -- I *must* budget some money for more RAM sometime soon), so I didn't start the paper 'til close to 8, which meant I handed it in closer to 1 p.m. than the noon I told Tom to expect it (it also ended up being a couple pages longer than expected), but hopefully he'll forgive me (and forgive the extra pages he'll have to read, poor man (don't pity him too much -- he has a beautiful and talented writer wife, gorgeous children, a great job, *and* an English accent. What more can any man ask for? :-)). Seriously, Tom's been very patient with me, this semester. I've been lucky to work with him and Julie.
Well, the most recent exciting news is that I'll be giving the graduate speech at graduation. This would be more exciting if I didn't *know* that half an hour from the deadline, when I turned in my entry for the contest, mine was the only one they had. I suspect I won by default, but I guess I'll take it anyway. :-)
Tonight I finish the Carol Queen interview and send it off to Jeff, who needs to fill some space in the magazine badly. I can definitely use the money, so it'll be good to finish it.
Okay, I've paid my school bills, I've returned my Writing Center key -- oh, I have a library book, right. Got to clear that up or they won't let me graduate. :-) Which would be embarrassing since I'm supposed to speak...
I hope they let me revise the speech before I present it. I wrote it rather quickly...okay, I think I'm just babbling now. Talk to you later.