i ♥ PhD

"Piled Higher and Deeper" that is... the comic.

I just lost it... I just went officially batty.

Two days ago, I submitted a paper I worked on for ~6 months. It is 9+ journal pages long. Anyone who's written a paper of that length, I'm sure knows what pain, oh what pain that is. That damned paper also represents work I've done... no, committed to for the last 4 years of my life. 4 years → 9 pages.

Normally, I think that would warrent a bit of a break.

Except... I can't really rest on my laurels because there is another to write, and word on the street is someone else has observed something similar in a really similar system. I think it's okay... I won't exactly be scooped, but the shine will be taken off of it a bit if I don't get to it first. So I've got to get this sample done next week to prove (enh... maybe disprove, but I'm pretty sure of this one) a biggo hypothesis I've got and get right back to writing.

On top of this...

Yesterday Hubby and I had to go to this politico conference/buisness schmooze thing and put up the posters that we've been dragging around to conferences to show how awesome nano is here. No one cared... but we added to the statistics of the number of "great posters by students". Super...

Today, I had just gotten to work set up my laptop and was about to head to the little girl's room after being out in the cold (you know, morning coffee + cold air = trip to little girl's room?) when Supervisor pops by with the job candidate for today for a lab tour.

Once that was done (and I made my trip to the little girl's room), I check email. Re: submitted paper, problems with manuscript (wha????). Re: TIME SENSITIVE: scholarship app I asked about over a month ago... due IN ONE WEEK. Re: theory collaboration, put some results together can you look 'em over? Re: slides from pizza lunch talk for new undergrad project. Re: job talk at 11:30. Re: regular seminar at 4:00.

Somehow in the intervening spaces between talks and lab visits I actually dealt with the scholarship app (except transcript), looked over the theory stuff, though didn't reply yet. Went to BOTH talks. Found and sent the slides. And knocked 1 1/2 things off my existing to do list that I was OH SO LOOKING FORWARD to eliminating in these two last days of the week before I have to start a sample which will KILL next week (if I'm lucky!).

no... dice...

And then I got an email from Supervisor. Tonight. At 10:30pm. Can you take the speaker tomorrow morning? I have a meeting. Oh, and maybe have Hubby show him his stuff too. Hubby says "too bad, I've got stuff to do". Note: Hubby was not emailed about this... only me.

I nearly cried.

Last week it was publicity materials for this schmooze-fest we went to yesterday (in addition to the scientific poster). It seems I'm becoming go-to-girl. Although in a way I appreciate the respect, and the recognition that if I'm asked, it will get done... I'm tired. I need a nice long nap... maybe on a tropical beach.

Hubby told me to drink my beer. My beer that was supposed to celebrate submitting the paper, because I didn't drink it on Tuesday because we had to get up at 6am. I think I'm going to have to pour it down the drain again. Waaaa...

So when I went to PhD comics and saw this... I just laughed... and laughed... and laughed... not that I really feel it's particularly relavent (actually Supervisor doesn't usually come to see demos... perhaps because of group legend that this used to happen?) but... just... so... funny.... PhD comics: brightening the bleak and dreary lives of grad student everywhere.

I'm going to go cry myself to sleep now, so I can get up and to meet with Mr. Speaker bright and early tomorrow morning.