Exam One, uh kinda done?

One week to the day and I have completed a rough draft of the first exam question. I am fried, knackered, flat, dusted, done, crispy, wasted. My bum hurts and is numb. Numb bum! Say that five times fast. Numbbum numbbum bumbubndmum mubdumdum dumbumnumb nubbummubbum nmnmnmbbbbbb. You get it.

Unsprung spring

OK, so we got snow. It was lovely, made for great ice gobblins (my hubby's creation) and sloppy trekking. Nice distraction and great sleeping weather. Lots of water for my thirsty spinach and 'tatoes. The heat will arrive all too soon, and so will my deadlines! Yikes. Out of the reverie and into the crunch of ideas into text. Sigh. More snow?

Bad Weather Boone

I am eating lunch. Golden Soup in the Green Banana Cell. It's cold, windy, icy, and snowing outside. All of my classes and rehearsals have been canceled for today and tomorrow! I am happy with my little bowl of sunshine. Sometimes life is just too good.

Fried Monk in the Green Room

I am only just finished part I of Section I of Questions I. I still have part II of Section I, Section II, and Section III of Question I, Question II, Question III, and Question IV. Any questions? I am tired.

Head Shaving

Rite of Passage

This exam constitutes 1/3 of the entire PhD process, and it is the most important part, the culmination of coursework and foundation for dissertation. I felt the need to mark this period as a rite of passage and, like many people from various cultures, mark my body to visibly express this process of transformation. I asked my husband to shave my head. He laughed so hard he cried. So both of us got something out of it. My children have been rubbing my head, which feels good and nurturing. I anticipate seeing the passage of time daily as my hair grows. In the end, I will have a new measurement for this task, something like, it takes ___ inches of hair growth to know your qualifying exams are complete. When most folks use the metaphor of pulling hair out during stress like this, I'll ask, "Hey, how much did your hair grow writing exams?"

It Begins . . .

Whoah. Received my questions today. I am overwhelmed and my head is melting. Complex? Yes. Good quesitons? Oh yeah. Man, did I ask for it.

Saint Patrick's Day Painting Party

Completely changed my office to make it a bit more comfortable. Green. Bright Green. Bright Banana Green. This helps as there are no windows and I will be in here for hours and hours. The studio is just next door, so I can get up and move if need be.

Preparations for Performance

Twelve days until I begin my qualifying exams for my doctoral program. This blog will track the experience of writing four, 25 page professional papers in six weeks. I've already proposed the areas about which I will write and summarized how they relate to what I hope will be my dissertation topic. No matter. My committee of three will write questions that they feel I need to answer in order to demonstrate my knowledge - breadth and depth - within the field of dance studies, philosophy, performance and history. Hence, the performance here. What better way to talk about the validity of personal experience as research than a blog, right? Keep watching. They'll be more. In the meantime, I'm loading my Mac with tunes, organizing my resources, & spending time cooking and sleeping as these are things that will not be happening while writing. Wish me luck!