March 2008 - Posts
So my daily dissertation update was actually written yesterday, but I'm going to leave it as written since nothing else has happened with my dissertation...
Well I feel as if I am in the home stretch with my dissertation. With the exception of entering the information regarding the remaining weeks of my Podcasting workshop, as well as the data from the LoTi Survey that will be taken by teachers during the last week, I have finished writing my paper. It's a strange feeling to be mostly done because I feel like I have been writing this forever - even if in truth I only began writing in earnest around Thanksgiving/Christmas of this past year. I sent my finished paper to my Mom to read who then took it to my Dad to read - who is an incredibly picky reader, which is good. I just finished making the corrections my Dad found, and adding my appendices to the back. I can't believe it but my paper is 86 pages so far! Wow! I think that is the biggest thing I have ever written. With the remaining weeks of the Podcasting workshop information entered, along with the post workshop survey data, I know I will be over 100 pages which is good.
I guess this really should be #4 but I didn't post yesterday (or work on my paper yesterday - I needed a break!), so it's going to be #3. I spent a couple of hours on my paper today, expanding my existing sections to include more nationwide and Delaware technology-related statistics. I think it feels more complete now.
I ordered some stuff for Prague yesterday and today. Yesterday, I visited Yves Rocher and ordered some new hair and body products for the trip. Mom went in on the order with me so we qualified for a free umbrella (mine), tote bag (Mom), and $75 mystery goody box (depends on what's in it, haha). Today, I did some ordering from Victoria's Secret and got some great deals on clothes. Ended up getting some free stuff from there too - yea! So I'm going to look forward to watching the mail this week waiting for those new treats to arrive.
Peter's Mom, Svetlana, e-mailed me today with some information about our trip. It sounds like she has been planning our trip for months. Actually, it's quite possible she started planning things for us to do the moment they knew we were coming for sure, which I think is totally sweet of her. According to Svetlana, we will be going to the theater twice while in Prague. The day we arrive (I see a lot of caffeine in my future during this trip!), we will be seeing "Angelika", which according to my Google search is an "immortal story of a beautiful lady and her life created by Anne and Serge Golon." And later during the trip we are going to see Don Giovanni, the famous Mozart concert. I love getting dressed up so this should be fun! Svetlana is telling me not to bring dresses - I think that means she has something planned for me - but I'm bring two black favorites just in case. I picked up these shoes in black from Victoria's Secret - they will match anything!
I'm starting to feel a little sick - which makes me mad because it feels like just yesterday when I was so sick I had to stay home for two days from work. That's definitely very unlike me. I never stay home. But I had a terrible cold that turned into Bronchitis, Strep, and Ear Aches. I definitely don't want to feel like that again. But on Friday, I started coughing. And I was coughing more on Saturday, and even more today. My throat doesn't hurt, but I feel it coming. I'm going to see what I can do to get some Vitamin C tomorrow. I have so much to do in the next two weeks that being sick just isn't an option.
Week 3 of my Podcasting Workshop started today. This week teachers are going to give their Podcasting lesson to students, reflect on how it went, and talk about it with each other with their colleagues in Blackboard. They're also going to learn how to set up their own Blackboard site to make distributing existing Podcasts with students easier, and to have a place to upload their own Podcast that they are making during Weeks 4 and 5. It's hard to believe that this workshop is already half way over with!
Tomorrow, I'm working more on my paper. I intend to get Chapter 3 most outlined and filled in as this is the chapter where I talk about what my technology plan is. I figure that I can definitely finish the part where I talk about my pilot program. I'm also headed to the gym tomorrow. Ordered all my pants in size 2 so I have to make sure I'm fabulously fit!
12 days until we leave for Prague!
It was a rainy day today. I'm not a huge fan of rain - especially when I'm wearing cute shoes. It seems like I always find a puddle somehow and get my feet when and then my feet are squishy in my cute shoes and that makes me mad. Sigh.
Today, I put together my final Human Subjects Review (HSR) packet. It's been approved by my Advisor, and I stop by the Post Office after work to over night it to her. She should get it by 3 PM tomorrow. It feels good to be done with that.
I didn't do all that much on my dissertation today - just a little reading. On Saturday and Sunday I will be busy writing.
In other news...
Two weeks from today we fly to Prague! This sure feels like the trip that will never come. I've been searching Amazon to try and find cute travel sets of makeup/body stuff to bring with me. I have to bring something on the plane. I get so nervous that the plane people will lose our luggage. In fact, they lost/misplaced my luggage the last time we flew to Prague, 7 years ago.
Part of me thinks I should just get this:
and fill the bottles up with my favorite products. But (a) that feels like too much work and (b) part of what I like about getting mini travel stuff is trying new products! And after all, we will be gone for a week and most travel stuff will last that long, right? I use a lot of shampoo though. Hmm.
And this is just seriously cute:
I totally don't need it but I like it!
So, I have decided to push myself to post "Daily Dissertation Updates". My hubby is in the midst of his "40 Days of Blogging" for Lent, he was on day 28 yesterday, and has been doing very well - hasn't skipped even one day. I saw that he had his first commenter the other day - yea!
There are only 14 days until we leave for Prague, and I have a ton to do on my paper. I'm self-imposing a deadline of finishing up my paper - chapters 1 through 3 - by Sunday night. Chapters 1 and 2 were already written, but I was told to add additional information to it by my doctoral advisor, so I've spent the past few weeks finding additional sources, and I think I finally have enough now. I just have to sit down and finish writing.
In other news... my Podcasting Pilot is finishing Week 2 and I'm pleased with the results so far.