The Grene http://emily.posterous.com Why not make a better world? posterous.com Tue, 09 Oct 2012 03:53:31 -0700 It's Autumn! http://emily.posterous.com/its-autumn http://emily.posterous.com/its-autumn
Autumn

I'm a bit late on this post.  I was distracted on the equinox by being in Dundee for a wedding.  I am also without a cat, who has moved in with her grandparents for the duration of building repairs.  Catless Em is definitely more pouty and less goal-oriented.  

My Summer goals saw mixed success: I defended my thesis, but have struggled with my fitness.  And so for Autumn, a new type of goal!  Every week, I will MAKE something in which I can take pride, LEARN something about the world I had not known before, and GIVE something away to another person.  This is less about forcing myself to do these things, since I do them all quite often, but more about recognising and reflecting on what I have done.  Oh, and I have to submit the corrected version of my thesis by the end of November.

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Mon, 03 Sep 2012 08:19:47 -0700 Summer Goal 1: Accomplished http://emily.posterous.com/summer-goal-1-accomplished http://emily.posterous.com/summer-goal-1-accomplished
Photo_on_03-09-2012_at_4

Passed my Viva with minor corrections!

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Fri, 01 Jun 2012 07:20:29 -0700 It's Summer! http://emily.posterous.com/its-summer http://emily.posterous.com/its-summer
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Em-official summer begins with sunshine and celebrations. It's a bank holiday weekend that contains a wedding, a jamboree, and my birthday. Spring went relatively well: I achieved my primary goal of submitting my PhD thesis, and have defeated all of my eczema but the stubborn patch on my leg. My goals for Summer are 1) Defend thesis and 2) Become buff. We leave for California a week today, and I'm so excited. Lots of summery posts to come, but give me a few days; it's a busy weekend!

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Thu, 24 May 2012 06:12:36 -0700 Whew! http://emily.posterous.com/whew http://emily.posterous.com/whew
Passport

I can finally relax and make plans for our trip to California, because
I can finally go! The UK Border Agency has just returned my passport,
along with Jamie's passport, our marriage certificate, my citizenship
test pass notice, and indefinite leave to remain in the UK for
purposes of settlement. I am almost British!

This is very comforting, as I've been without photo ID since
mid-February. We've been making contingency plans in case we were
undocumented at flight time: Jamie even applied for a second passport!

For internet search purposes, the elapsed time for UKBA immigration
applications submitted by a US national in February 2012 was 14 weeks.
The expected period, by way of Jamie's research, is 16.

So, in conclusion, yay!

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Mon, 21 May 2012 10:07:52 -0700 Spring Goal 1: Submit Thesis-- Accomplished! http://emily.posterous.com/spring-goal-1-submit-thesis-accomplished http://emily.posterous.com/spring-goal-1-submit-thesis-accomplished
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Look! It's finally done! This afternoon I submitted two bound copies
of my thesis to a shed fifteen minutes south of my office (why?) and
now I have some free time! Don't ask me what my plans are next; I
intend to catch up on sleep for a while.

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Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:13:26 -0700 The view from the edge http://emily.posterous.com/the-view-from-the-edge http://emily.posterous.com/the-view-from-the-edge
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When I have finally finished this infernal thesis, I hope to be able to look back on my epic quest with fondness. Here my penultimate draft is pictured along with the mystical hat of dryness and the restorative chocolate bar of serenity, not to mention the pencil of ultimate power. (Ignore the Voip phone of always being in the way.)

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Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:35:09 -0700 92 Days of Spring http://emily.posterous.com/92-days-of-spring http://emily.posterous.com/92-days-of-spring
Dpbfromhill

Now a third of the way through Em-official Spring, I look back on my
accomplishments. In these 31 days, I have spent a lot of time with
family. I have baked sandcastle cakes and gotten all the early
planting done. I built a potato box from reclaimed wood, knitted a
pink-and-purple hat on request, and swept the front and back steps. I
have been to the Farmers' Market five times, bought seven balls of
wool, and acquired only one new item of clothing (a bridesmaid dress).
The thesis is in its last throes, waiting for comments from my
advisor before going up a level for approval.

I have a lot to look forward to in April. There is a craft fair on
Easter weekend, and I'm baking hot cross buns for friends on Sunday.
Earth Day and my first bloggiversary will be something to write about.
The landmarks will be my super-secret surprise on the 12th and Joy's
visit at the end of the month.

I think I have done a lot to be proud of. I just have to remember
that when I'm in the middle of stressing out about the thesis.

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Thu, 01 Mar 2012 08:46:00 -0800 A seasonal approach to goal-setting http://emily.posterous.com/a-seasonal-approach-to-goal-setting http://emily.posterous.com/a-seasonal-approach-to-goal-setting

13

I have thought for some time that months are too short. Weeks,
laughably so. Who can get anything done in a month, let alone a week?
So my new frame of reference is the season, a bit like the fashion
industry; it seems to strike a balance between stress and
accomplishment. Therefore, Em-official Spring begins today, March 1,
and lasts three calendar months. In that time, I have two main goals:
1) Submit thesis and 2) Defeat eczema. Sub-goals may be added
throughout the season.

Calendar items of note in Spring are:
10 March: Margot's wedding cake dry-run
18 March: Jamie's conference and UK Mothers' Day
15 April: US Tax Day
22 April: Earth Day
28 April: Stu's wedding
4 May: Katherine's hen
5 May: Bird's graduation
13 May: US Mothers' Day
26 May: Eurovision Song Contest
and a special look-ahead for Craig and Katherine's wedding on 2 June. 


Now I am off to reorganise my sock drawer to prioritise springy socks,
while leaving the nice warm ones within easy reach for emergencies.
Wish me luck.

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