Sunday, August 10, 2008

Thirteen Days

...until I get my life back. The board exam is looming large - Saturday, August 23, 8:00 am (not usually my finest hour).

I've got cabin fever (in August - how sucky is that?), I'm stir crazy, I can't seem to function some days, and there are still nearly two weeks to go in this state. All I do is work, sleep, eat, and study. Well, and watch a little TV from 9-11 some nights. But damn, how boring and restrictive is that? Add to that a huge reduction in alcohol intake and you have a recipe for unhappy.

Aside from radiological physics, I've learned a few other things from this experience. Did you know that Tension Tamer tea can have some unfortunate gastric side effects if you drink 5-6 cups of it in one evening? Consider yourself warned. I suspect that it shares an ingredient or two with "dieters tea". Did you know that learning lots of stuff in one area can make you stupid in others? Well, some days I cannot put together a rational sentence, so there ya go. Did you know that if you stare at a book, your cats will be irresistably drawn to lay on it? OK, I already knew that, but they have confirmed it time and again. If you can learn physics from osmosis, my cats are pretty damned smart.

The only good thing about this weekend was the it was cool and dry enough for me to do my studying on the porch for a change. We turned the A/C off on Friday night and haven't had it on since. It would have been a great weekend for... ah, I won't go there. Lets just say the weather was gorgeous for late summer and I was grateful to be able to hang out on the porch for my miserable marathon study sessions.

13 comments:

Jeni said...

Mama Jorge Cat here hasn't yet discovered the joys of disrupting people reading -neither have the kittens, thankfully. But Gracie Baby -the cat we had for over 16 years and that died in April -was an expert at plopping down on books, magazines, newspapers -the keyboard too!
That new porch should come in handy for a comfortable spot to sit, read, study.
Keep at the studying though, just knowing it will all be over soon should give you a little light at the end of the long tunnel.

Minnesotablue said...

So you need to take a trip somewhere when this is all over. You deserve it lady

Dianne said...

I've put a post-it on my desk

8/23/08 - at 8
send out positive thoughts - not that they will be needed

keep thinking of how good it will feel when it's over

and the cats will be so proud of you!

wa11z said...

Good luck, Fermi.

Jenn said...

13 days might seem like forever, BUT BUT BUT the payoff will be terriffic (did i spell that right?)

Yes, we get stupid in some areas as we get smart in others. Look at my daughter. She can't walk a straight line (without running into the wall) but did better with my statistics (at the age of 9) then I did

Yes the weather has been great. We've been turning on the huge exhaust fan abotu 2am and shutting off the AC, unusuall but not unwelcome!

And I miss having a cat for that reason! Old Emerson used to sprawl out on my books from when he was an itty bitty until I was a young adult, I kinda miss not shuffling kitty flubber out of my way!

TheWriteGirl said...

I'm tempted to offer some platitude like, "nothing ventured, nothing gained" or "this, too, shall pass" but that would be dumb and an insult to your intelligence. So I'll just suggest that you think about how good that first bottle of wine will taste AFTER the exam.

fermicat said...

jeni - Jorge has had her paws full, but I will bet that she and the kitties figure out the joys of snoozing on your reading material soon.

minnesota - I'd love to do that, but PDM starts teaching next week and won't be free again until December.

dianne - thanks for the post-it and good thoughts.

wa11z - thanks for the encouragement.

jenny - I hear this weather is here to stay for the whole week. We can all finally enjoy ourselves and not be all hot and sticky all the time.

twg - believe me, I am thinking about that! I've already told PDM that he is the designated driver that first night I get to drink!

dr sardonicus said...

Can't think of anything else to have - just hang in there! I'll drink a cold one here in Nashville for you when you pass that test.

Kathleen said...

With cats, I don't know that it's the book/newspaper, per se, but rather whatever is holding your attention other than them, because Igor is constantly pushing his way onto my lap while I knit. I think they're just attention hogs.

tiff said...

It's down to the wire. You CAN do it. Just think, next year at this time it'll all be a blurry memory.

fermicat said...

dr s - I hope you get to have that beer.

kat - they figure whatever you are staring at so intently is the place to be.

tiff - I'm planning to go out and have enough wine afterward to make the memory of the test a big blur by Saturday night.

Natalie said...

I'll be thinking good thoughts for you too. Man, I so remember how it felt when I was writing and preparing for my defense. I got a little pit in my stomach just reading your schedule as of late - no alcohol, no fun, study, feel guilty for the short amount of time you're not studying. True sucktitude. I'm going to have an extra drink for you when it's all over.

fermicat said...

magnetbabe - thanks. I will be so glad when it is over. Ten more days.