Work Work Work

You know, for an unemployed person, I sure am busy these days.

My NaNoWriMo project is steaming along, at about 36.5k - only 15k until I meet the minimum requirement, which I should reach this week (fate and toddler willing), but the book is meant to be more along the lines of 60-65k, so it will take me a bit longer to reach that. I am also looking for interested publishers. I thought I had one in mind that seemed terrifically ideal, but with further research I am not so sure. I am thinking of playing with the big boys and sending it to Harlequin's e-book off print. We'll see how that goes.

This week, one of my short erotic romances releases for sale, and on December 10th my Christmas romance comes out. I have to remind myself to do those book trailers, ASAP. sigh. In December, I will have to write a couple Valentine's stories if I can find the time, as well, since next term I won't have the time to write much. (Planning one novella for all of next term, so I have to make hay while the sun shines.)

In other writing news, I finished off one freelance gig for a mag in the UK, and some editing work (some for money, some for my upcoming fiction releases), and am now off to re-write an academic chapter I submitted for an edited volume. The editor said he wanted the topic in the book, but didn't like my "flow." So, we'll see what we can do about that. He offered to call me to discuss it, but given the tot's obsession with the phone, that is so not a good idea at the moment. The editor has AIM, so maybe we'll go that way. Though it will be a ton of work to re-write the thing, I have hopes of doing it before the New Year.

I continue hoping to squeeze in some time to convert the dissertation for publication, as well. High hopes, indeed!

In terms of work, I submitted a really important job application (for a Real Job, yo), which was a lot of scurrying. I also applied for another class here for next term, which I actually got (YAY!), so now I am busy trying to prepare for two courses running from Jan to April 2011. It's hard work, and a bit stressful, but really exciting. I am starting to look forward to my courses. Check in again in February, though, as that excitement will likely have worn off by then. The finalized syllabi are due to the dept by December 1, so that is my task for the next while. Then I can start stockpiling lectures and materials, and start working on the course websites. I have a couple more applications for Sept 2011 due in January, and I am hoping the job ads for summer courses will come out soon, so there will soon be that fun, as well.

Aside from all that, which I think is a lot, there has also been the day-to-day mommy/life stuff, but that's a lot less interesting, so I shall spare you. Soon, I need to start preparing for the holidays, as well, so FUN FUN FUN there. sigh.

I hope everyone is well, and bears with me as I often neglect this poor old blog. I will return when I can.

There's my completely uninteresting, utilitarian post. Enjoy!

poop, again

So now, after finagling to figure out a way to pay the university the back money I owe them for fees and such, in order to be able to graduate in October, it now turns out that I need to pay an additional $115 for gown rental (NOT a deposit, which is another $100 - it is non-refundable), which means I will not be attending convocation.

However, I think I have the fees under control, so I will be receiving my piece of paper... In a tube, through the mail, like every other degree since high school.

Oh well. Purple never was my best colour, anyway.

money

So, if I don't get together an extra $300 by Sept 30, I will not graduate in October. This on top of the rent and other bills (plus food) I need to scrape up from lord knows where this month.

So, yeah. I won't be graduating this October. Not sure if I ever will now.

I am so glad I wasted so much tuition over the past years. So terribly glad.

Whaddaya Got?

Got an email from the grad people today telling me that I have been cleared to graduate my program, so they are confused on why I have not applied to graduate, supplying me with a helpful link to do so online.

I calmly emailed them back saying that I still owed the university money, so I could not apply to graduate. I think they were a little taken aback at my apparent willingness to toss the whole degree (which is now finished) due to a relatively small balance on my account.

I informed them that if I could pay it in time to graduate in October, I would, but if not, maybe for next June's convocation, if I can. If not then, oh well. (I didn't add that last part, but I think it was implied.)

Now I am sure some of them are questioning the soundness of my wits, but, frankly, I could care less about some worthless piece of paper that will never net me a job. I certainly don't care enough about it to go without groceries, so tough titty, folks.

I know I completed the PhD. That's enough for me. Since I will just have to take it off my CV to get customer service work, I fail to see the value of the actual scroll.

So, whatever. If they care so much about convocating me, they can waive the fees.

Out With the Old

Today, a lady at Grad Studies managed to make my dissertation into a secure PDF, so now it is officially over - it's time to start letting go of the dissertation as a dissertation. So, this weekend and after Monday's job app, in the midst of doing other Real Life Stuff (money matters, private sector job hunt, daycare process, etc.), I will be weeding out the last of the dissertation errands.

To Dos:

• Burn all dissertation materials onto a CD and hide this somewhere safe. Maybe a backup, as well.
• Make sure all major drafts are stored in the Gmail.
• Go through dissertation files, and save all homeless material and bibliographies for future use in a separate file on the hard drive.
• Save my new secure PDF and the last draft of my dissertation in Word to a fresh file.
• Keep all the PDF articles I might need in the future to a new, organized "Research" file.
• Clear out my USB jump drive and laptop - save the secure PDF and latest Word version on there, instead.
• Delete all dissertation leftovers from my hard drive.
• Go through all paper articles and notes, to toss or file. Return all library books, and box up my books that are no longer needed within arms' reach.
• Move all dissertation related labels, tabs and folders from all sidebars and desktops.
• Archive all dissertation-related emails, etc.
• Close out the dissertation blog - maybe cut and paste it and delete the blog?
• Clean the comp hard drive and de-frag (I can hear it sigh in relief already).
• Send secure PDF off to the fellowship people on CD and via email to my committee.
• Send out thank you cards to dept admin, grad studies contacts and to committee.
• Make sure university business office account is squared.
• Go pick up bound dissertation when it is finished and find a nice shelf for it some place.
• Start moving forward with derivative publications. Say good-bye to the diss.
• Get my manual on how to convert a dissertation to a book, and start in on that.
• Apply to graduate when I can afford to do so.

And then it shall be done... Is there a ritual for such a life stage? I wish there were.

A Spot of Relief

I heard back from grad studies (someone there who actually does know of what she speaks, and one who I do trust), saying that I am unlikely to run into troubles with spring fees if I meet the May 31 deadline, but that I should email her ASAP after the defence if it looks like I might not be able to meet that mark.

One issue did arise, however - my advisor cannot approve the dissertation's final submission via email, so we will need to appoint someone local to sign off on it, if advisor is out of the country (which, let's face it, she will be, since she nearly always is). This was a surprize to me, since I usually assume everything can be done electronically these days, so I am SO GLAD the grad studies person mentioned it. That could have really sunk me if we hadn't been warned. Literally, this has truly saved my arse.

Sometimes it really pays to just bloody well ask if you have concerns.

10 Days til D-Day

I am so very, very far behind on the defence prep - job hunting and postdoc apps, etc, are really sucking up my available work time these days. One doesn't really realize how long it takes to even so much as craft reference request emails and the like - a couple of those after the tot goes to bed, and I'm practically out of time before I collapse into bed.

Right now, I am scrambling to get a postdoc app to Ohio by the 20th, and the Pittsburgh postdoc is looming. There's also a handful of local teaching gigs I want to put in for - though my own department still hasn't listed their fall/winter openings (though I check every day - often twice a day)!

(Nor have they publicized my defence, so things must just be really hectic for them right now with the program review and the hiring process to fill the eastern religions position. I was thinking of whether or not I should email them and ask if they are going to send out my defence announcement to the department mailing list, but, really, why do I want that many people there?)

Still waiting to hear back from my inquiries regarding what happens over the next while since I cannot afford tuition this term, and I suspect everyone on the planet but me is on vacation. Money issues continue to weigh on me, since I am in debt and basically busted - and the job hunt is likely to get ironically expensive. However, I persevere.

Just ten days left - I have to edit up my dissertation as much as I can in case the admin assistant will kindly print me off another copy so I can coil bind it for the defence (and for re-reading), and I have yet to write out my lecture in full draft, which is becoming a bit of a crisis. However, if I do end up having my mock defence later this week (how the hell did that come up so fast?), that will provide me with the motivation to write it out and rehearse it, IhopeIhopeIhope.

Further, as always, there is more prep reading, etc, that I should be doing - of that, I think, I am hardly likely to run out.

Nevertheless, things are ok here. Tot has been eating well and being a good kid, and I am maintaining my optimism. I spotted a fruit fly today, which makes me narrow my eyes in seasonal aggravation, but won't let that bother me for now.

OK - back to work.

This is What My Face Looks Like When I Give a Crap

Got an email saying that I might be delinquent with this year's progress report (technically, I am not - I did send it to my advisor before the deadline, but I don't know what happened to it after that). Since that report's major "threat" is that it can get your funding pulled if you don't do it, and since my funding ran out quite some time past, and since I am about a month from laying rubber out of here, they shall have to pardon me for not being too concerned. Or at all.

Paper work should be called paper FUN!

Insider Info

It is always worth having a friendly relationship with the department administrative assistant. They are the real info centre of a department.

First, I discovered that one previous student did indeed have food at their defence, and that this admin assistant was the one who ordered it - now, I have coffee, cold drinks and cookies ordered for my own defence. I will bring a dozen doughnuts and a box of berries, myself.

Second - I have discovered that the courses for my department for fall and winter are to be posted next Monday. This doesn't give me much of an advantage, but knowing for sure that I haven't missed them does give me hope.

She asked me if I had ever taught my own course before, and I said no, sadly. She said she was sure the department would be more than willing to help me on this, and I said I hoped so. Silently, though, I have my doubts on that one.

On one hand, the department really should give me my first class, as the degree without teaching experience is actually quite useless on the job market - there are always dozens of under-employed ABDs/PhDs around with actual class experience, so getting a foot in is nearly impossible. They should know this, and I hope they are willing to give me at least one course to get the ball rolling - once I get one, I think it will be a lot easier to get classes (or a real job, dare I hope?) in the future.

But, on the other hand, I cannot blame them for not hiring me. In today's economy, they need to protect their department, as the university is always looking to hack away at departments that fail to earn. Why should they stick their necks out on a newbie with no experience when they can get tested professors? For this reason, I cannot fault them for not wanting to risk a foul-up.

That having been said, I am really hoping the admin's words were prophetic. If they took that chance, it would pretty much save my career, because, as it is, breaking into the biz with nothing but TA and research experience, even with publications, is absolutely grim.

Fingers crossed some more.

Losing My Brain

I have student loan forms to get in today (to keep me from having to make $800 payments every month while still in school - I sent these in only to get the "missing some information" letter), a stupid workplace safety certificate to get the paper work in for which I thought was taken care of (mandatory to save my job), bills suddenly due (didn't expect that today, and have not enough dough to really cover this - paying credit cards with credit cards now), 50 papers to mark (with some reading to do before I can do this), teaching apps due on Monday, a public lecture to finish by Wednesday (upon which my degree's completion depends), a NEW draft of my introduction to be done (this from the third reader who has given me no feedback the last three months who suddenly contacted me today with this bright news) - just two weeks before I have to submit the completed dissertation to enable me to defend and graduate, an article to submit for publication this upcoming week, a rough draft to edit for my tutoring student, and RA work that must be done ASAP.

OK... Not... to... panic...

I want to smoke from every orifice I posses.

Calm Blue Ocean

Harassed at every corner, by aggravating students and bill collectors and student loan paper work and dissertation crap, along with that stupid poison control certification thingy through campus which is pretty damn stupid for someone who never uses chemicals in her work, the intrepid student/mom sallies forth into the world to try to sort her life out. If, that is, she can get away from the overdue vital email exchange with one of her readers that seems to be suddenly crucial to her submission deadline...

F********************************CK!

restless

I wish I had something fun to do. The weather is so nice, and I am forcing myself to not open the dissertation files today. I want some excitement... Cheap excitement.

Over the next week, this is on the docket:

• Job application for March 15. (Decided to go a head with it even though I no longer stand a chance at being convocated by the time the job starts. WTH? It's free to apply.)
• Prepare my public defence lecture and powerpoint, and choose the clips.
• Find a nice shirt to wear to public lecture. Possibly a skirt, too. :-o
• Mark assignment 4 for the course I am IAing for this month.
• Finish RA report.
• Edit works cited and expand filmography notations.
• Write dissertation abstract.
• Prepare old intro to send to a journal for publication.
• Do some student loan stuff, and possibly tax return.
• Re-read dissertation after a few days away from it.
• Skim through all my research notes to make sure I didn't forget to add/ref any points.
• Clean apartment and do some baking.

So, that will keep me busy for the next week. But what to do NOW?

Feb is Waning

OH HOLY POOP. How is it the 18th already? I am so screwed, as I have so many Real Life things that have fallen behind, my mind reels... from student loan red tape to health card crap to rent, I am not prepared for March, and the bitch is creeping just around the corner.

Crap.

Ugh. Campus.

Boo! I have to go to campus today to get something signed and to shift some library books around between some profs I work for, and to pick some stuff that came in for me for the dissertation. No telling what campus will be like, as it is now (shockingly) the last week of August! Possibly crawling with undergrads doing their reindeer games... though that might be next week, I hope. Well, at least the weather is supposed to be cool - the student business office has a lot of stairs, so no stroller means the carrier. And we get pretty nasty-sweaty in that thing on humid days.

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Wish I could hide at home today.

However, duty calls, and duty knows no social anxiety disorder!

Feet Do Your Duty...

Oh man - How is it nearly mid-July already? Where did the last week go?

Poop! Poop, I say, and poop I mean.

The rest of the summer is a dead heat to finish things.

A break down:

July:

• Prepare dissertation theory and methods chapter for the committee for August 1 (yikes)
• Write article on Seinfeld/Larry David for Jewish Quarterly by July 21
  
• Submit bursary apps for fall term (ASAP)
  
• Get forms signed and submitted for loan relief (ASAP)
  
• Finish up bibliographies for Dr M
• Finish annotating bibliographies for Dr R
• Get started on project for Dr K
• Possibly more WebCT work for Dr M?
  

August:

• Write genre review dissertation chapter for Sept 1
• Figure out tuition for fall
  
• Write entries on Jewish topics for Dr B's encyclopedia of religion and modernity for Sept
  
• Finish Dr K's project
• Write review for Women in Judaism (ASAP)
  
• Finish up with Jewish Quarterly

Oh, and add to that being a wife, a mother to an infant, a friend, and a human (with needs to bathe, eat and sleep regularly myself). Jeesh.

Can I just run away with the circus?

Holding My Breath, Inspite of Myself

Today, Murph mails off the immigration package that seals our fate. It is the culmination of a long, long process - on our end, anyway. Now is where the Canadian government takes over.

Let's just hope the guy on the other end of the mail at least likes his wife. Or was visited by three spirits last night.

Wish us all luck!

ECK!

The last thing you want to be woken up by on a day when you are 7 weeks pregnant? A phone call from your doctor's office saying your Province of Ontario Ministry of Health Card has been rejected, when you made extra sure to update it before you even went in...

Let's just pray for a miracle on that one...

UPDATE: After 40 minutes on hold with the OHIP infoline, I am happy to report I am still in the system, and I should be covered... Now to just hope whatever momentary error that dumped that particular bill will be sorted out.