At Work

"Gladys working on her dissertation"
Fun progress meter found here

Argh. I honestly wanted to come back here and share photos of my Yellowstone vacation with you. I still might, eventually. But that post (which requires me to spend a chunk of time editing the photos) has to give way to finishing my dissertation, which is due very, very soon.

The dissertation is almost finished, but I'm at that point where I'm so close to yet too far from being done. That's me above right now, freaking out over how to wrangle this thing that is, yes, metaphorically sticking its tongue out at me. I sent away my husband and son to Legoland for today and tomorrow, but I've seriously wasted the day doing chores and getting on the Internet (damn you, Benedict Cumberbatch, why are you always doing something in front of cameras looking shockingly gorgeous like a real-life Michelangelo sculpture!). I have so many ideas and notes that I have to incorporate, but I haven't been able to bring myself to go through this damn thing again. Though it's not as long as many dissertations I've seen, my brain is no longer in shape so I get tired quickly these days (okay, I'm just getting old). I want to honor the feedback I was generously given by a fantastic group of readers, including my committee members who are the ones that need to sign off on the thesis, but at the same time I just want to be DONE. Feel me?

Anxiously yours,

Gladys

{On a more serious, somber note, I've been following the horrific events in Gaza. With the world training its eyes on the killing and maiming and terrorizing of children, women, and men under occupation in that part of the world, I can't help but think of the connections with my own work right now. Although my project looks at American colonialism in the Philippines in the early 20th century, empire and militarism look similar everywhere, anytime.}