Can You Get a Double Dr.?

So, what’s new with me? I am so off my sleep schedule I was falling asleep in seminar today. I just emailed Todd that I think I’ll do a joint OEB (Organismic and Evolutionary Biology) and WFCON (Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation) degree….not because I’m convinced it will help me get a job, but because I don’t like settling for mediocrity and I guess I like to make myself suffer.

Mundane Life of Term Papers

I just lifted a huge weight that has been hanging over my head all semester. I wrote the first draft of my Carnivore Class research paper for Todd. In February, I gathered articles and fretted over an outline approach. In March, I ignored the whole thing, always knowing it was a daunting task ready to crush and stress me. In April, I complained to my friends that I lacked any time. Today I wrote 8 pages. The target was ten, but at least I have SOMETHING (if only a draft). And, it all came about in a surprising way….after me taking ME time, not struggling to study study study. Friday night, last minute, Anna called me up to go salamander hunting. I was the only person she could think of who might be interested in standing in the mud on a rainy, cold, dreary night. She was right. So, off we drove into the fog – only to get lost. We eventually caught up with the crew…and they were all 1st and 2nd grade children! Not at all what we expected, but it turned out for the better because we were turned on by their enthusiasm: Mom! Mom—I can HEAR them crawling! And shouts of “there’s one! There’s one! (while they were looking at an empty log) echoed across the pond. But, we did glimpse a few spotted salamanders and wood frogs. Fun and I got dirty! Good way to relax and up this morning at 8am, exercised, studied Thai, threw in a load of laundry, and sat down for an afternoon with dholes.

Plugging Away

Everything has been the routine of school work. Organization. Most days I stick to it closely – with short breaks for food. Some days I wander to 1 hour of bad T.V. Today I feel a bit better. I pushed out a draft for an AZA newsletter. It is still lacking, but I took the first major step toward checking that off my To-Do list. I have kept on with practicing Thai an hour each day. Just plugging away, plugging away. Looking forward to this summer. Terrified for this summer – that I won’t accomplish enough – that I keep putting off true data collection. Cue the stress levels. Breathe. There is so much to learn. Is focusing on things task by task, day by day, taking things in steps or just denying facing the full problems? Keeping busy, but ignoring reality? I’m yawning. Todd’s Motto: Just Do What You Can Do. I’m glad he realizes I can only do so much (now if I could just get myself to believe that)—as long as you can look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and know you aren’t a slacker.