Not really panicking...

But at the same time, I'm panicking...

I realised this year, that I have just 1 year left in which to do my masters (well, much less than a year now). To complete it, I need to:

• Record and score all my behaviour data (barring recording 1 section from 1 population)
• Finish measuring vegetation, and analyse all vegetation, including the measurements that were taken a few years back
• Do all the stats on the above data
• Write up an entire masters
• Do my teaching assistant duties for the year, so that I can get paid
• Somehow maintain my image of sanity...

And, some of the above is being hindered by my not-quite-working computer system. So, somehow I need to increase my productivity, decrease faffage (real word). It seems that I might have to shut myself in a dark room for a while, but then, that increases the probability of insanity!

GAAAAH!

On the down swing

So my last few post have been rather depressed, and that is probably because I have been. It has been a difficult time especially in my masters, and, although things are not currently (as of this afternoon) going wrong, they aren't exactly going right either. I know that because of the current spate of going-wrongness, I am inclined to see the glass as half empty, but hopefully after a break to clear my mind (this weekend), I will be better, brighter and back to normal.

Helen posted a post card that I think is absolutely inspired. She found it here, along with more of this guy's work, which I think is really good. Anyway, back to the post card (Sorry for stealing a potential blog post topic, Helen!). I read it yesterday and nearly burst into tears. Possibility girl describes me so well that it is scary. The only part that doesn't totally fit is the basking in adulation of my potential.

So: which way to go? Will I ever reach my potential? What do I have the potential to be? Another post card from the same guy asks some hard questions:

My answer at this point: I really don't know.

So, For now, in order to be less stressed, I will make lists. Lists of things to do, things that might go wrong (so I can have two zillion back up plans for when they do), things that make me happy, things that I like and things that I want to do.

That will do for starters!

(Note - I'm not fighting anymore, I'm just too tired to do that anymore)

Its not just Fridays, its Thursdays too!

Why is it that when a whole bunch of maybe-not-so-cool events happen in a short space of time, I pretty much self-destruct? And its not like the good stuff isn't happening either - yesterday I reached the half-way point in my vegetation sampling (yay!).

So: 6 out of 10 DVDs that I have burnt for my experiment over the past week have, for some reason, failed. This wouldn't be so much of a disaster, if:

1. I hadn't deleted one of the sessions off a hard drive. It would have to be me, right?
2. The DVD machines that I use didn't take 5hrs-and-50mins to record one DVD.
3. The hard drives that are in the said DVD machines had a ton more space on them.
4. I didn't have to buy other DVDs - one machine flat out refuses to even consider recording onto the DVDs that I currently have.
5. It may not even be the DVDs! I used some better quality DVDs to start off with, and 2/5 of them didn't work either. So the machines may be at fault.
   
6. I know that I will probably be waking up at arbitrary hours to change DVDs during the night, just so I can get the recording done.
7. My neck hurts. Probably because of tension. Bring on the blinding headache, yes please!!
   

That being said, it is even a mission to do the recording. I have to record three days, solid. The DVD machines only allow me to record for 12 hours. The DVDs can only handle 5hrs50mins. So in between stressing about whether the DVDs have actually worked, I have to divide tracks and combine others, all of which takes a ridiculous amount of time. I haven't finished all my recording, and this setback means that, even if I use the two machines that do have some space on them to record over the weekend, I will still be behind on my schedule.

So I did what any self respecting person would do last night: I went for a good, hard run. The only problem was that after about 800m, my asthma kicked in. Fun times. I did complete 2km's, but seriously. My legs don't even feel tired, and it didn't even feel like a stress buster of a run.

Seriously.

The world is out to get me. I wonder what will go wrong today?

And as a completely arbitrary aside, a guy who I met about 3 month ago (and subsequently haven't had any contact with) asked me out yesterday. Weird. I really don't know how to respond (I haven't yet), and this too is causing me some consternation.

Crazy, crazy week

I haven't posted for some time, because of the above-mentioned craziness. I have had the 'flu for the past week and a half, which made my already busy schedule hecticer (real word...). For the record, I'm still sick, although I am getting better now (albeit slowly).

Last week I:

• Tutored twice, and prepared for these two tuts.
• Went to one tutor's meeting
• Was a teaching assistant for one lab (on ferns)
• Went to a tedious TA pre-lab for the above lab
• Marked practical reports from the previous week
  
• Sampled vegetation for my project
• Changed bedding for 10 of my animals
• Entered data for half of my July vegetation sampling
• Went to see the doctor (not seeing that particular one again - EVER)
• Voted on my diving-clubs' new committee
  
• Did (and re-did, and re-did again) a presentation for my proposal meeting
• Had the proposal meeting

And all this while sick... I would feel proud of myself, if I wasn't feeling so awfully tired! I do feel quite proud of myself for one thing not on the list: I was nominated to be secretary for the diving club, and I elected not to stand for the position - I would rather not over-extend myself in the next year...

So, that's the story from the week. I hope next week will be better but, I need to

• Correct my proposal
• Enter the other half of July's veg data
• Clean the rest of my cages
• Try and contact GDACE (again!)
  
• Post letters
• Mark prac reports
• TA a lab, and attend the pre-lab meeting
• Go to the monthly tuesday dinner
• Go to movies with the girls on wed
• Maintain the illusion of sanity....