Sunday, October 11, 2009

Losing the thread (a freewrite)

I just spent the last 48 hours with my six year-old nephew. That was three mornings without work. And I find that I've lost the thread of my conference paper, and now feel a bit of panic looming. So, before bed tonight, I need to figure out where that thread is, again. This paper has far too many working files associated with it. But I need to do what I did in September: find a manageable task, and complete it.

I have officially acknowledged that I am overextended this semester.

6 comments:

Belle said...

WElcome to the overextended club! At least there aren't any committee meetings!

Word verif: mented. As in we are de-

Susan said...

No, Belle, we're having MEETINGS of the overextended club. Committee meetings. But they will include beverages of ones choice. (Caf/decaf, alcoholic or not)

And that thread, Notorious? It's the one you cut off because it was dangling from the hem of your jacket.

ER Doc said...

48 hours with a six-year-old is a useful way to gain perspective... on what, I'm not sure, but it can be interesting to work on initial reading and writing skills, as well as learning the names of all the engines on the Island of Sodor...

Notorious Ph.D. said...

Damn, Susan -- Okay, I'll come to the meetings, as long as I don't actually have to do anything.

The good news is that last night, I found #264 in the ongoing series of Documents and/or Secondary Sources That Will Save This Conference Paper by Providing a Much-Needed Focal Point.

Hooray?

Susan said...

Notorious, you think a conference paper needs to have a focus? You could just say "here are some interesting ideas that I'm playing with and give parts of 3 different papers, all underdeveloped.

Actually I'm only semi=facetious about that. Am I the only one who thinks that 20 minutes is far too little time to do anything in?

squadratomagico said...

Susan is right: lotsa conference papers are like= that. Not that I respect any of those paper-givers, but it's sadly true.

And my word verification is "oungnize," evoking both "organize" and "agonize." Apropos, no?