Submission!

Oh my goodness, these two weeks have been very stressful. We managed to print and bind the PhD last Friday, only to discover that an entire chapter was missing! Also some spelling mistakes and general rattiness. So we had to go back, re-edit and do it all over again.
The lovely Jen, who was helping me edit the thing was very very upset. No worries, if that's the worse that ever happens, life will be good. We had time to resubmit, so no problemo!!
We worked over the entire weekend getting it back into shape and we reprinted last night and today the lovely Jen resubmitted. Her blood is worth bottling. What a champion.
I know Andy's none too happy with the quality of the writing, but I'll have a chance to tweak after the assessors have had a chance to look at it. I noticed I lost focus when I re-read it so some further clarity is required. At the very least, it's in, it's done, and I can take some time out to do other things.
My gorgeous daughter Kate was so good hanging out at Uni over the weekend. We had lots of colouring in and stuff for her to do. What an amazing child. If it wasn't for DJ, I wouldn't have found all of the errors, as he told me to go back through it in detail. What a team we are.
I will ever be in their debt, the lovely Jen, DJ and Kate. And Andy too. This project would not have been achieved without them.

A triumph!

Content analysis - quantitative analysis. The bane of my existence. Or anything to do with numbers, really. But a triumph! 85% agreement between me and the lovely Lucila. Hooray! It really was doing my head in.
So now I'm doing the real thing with Subject G's long talk-aloud. I did have to do the longest first. Well I suspect Kaz will have a long one too.
Dr Andy Dong is stuck in Reading in the UK, unable to leave because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
DJ was stuck in Singapore for a while, but he's now in Algeria, happily ensconced with his family. It really is necessary for him to go home regularly. It becomes a reality check/brain fix for him. He misses his family. I don't know how he survived in Paris so long not seeing them.
So onwards and upwards, I'm going to keep at it and plug on. Roll on December!
I really must get this PhD finished.

Running goalposts

Well, yes I am slack, or to be more precise, just very very busy. I wish I could devote all my waking hours to this study, but unfortuately I have to earn money as well, and as PhD scholarships fall well below the poverty line, I need to supplement my income. I am after all the main breadwinner in this equation.
I have to get on it however. Each time I meet with Andy, it feels like the goalposts move. I go down one path and I have to do more and more and more just to satisfy what needs doing.
I think this is why I lose motivation. I'm doing what I think I want to do then I have energy and commitment, then it all gets shifted. I feel like I'm walking on sand.