The Start of Something New

It's January 4th (as most of you are probably aware) and the first day of winter term (which some of you might not be aware of). I've been at work for nearly an hour now, and have an hour of work left to go. I go lucky when I logged on to check for hours up for grabs this morning, and despite the fact that I got out of bed at 9:50, I took the 10:30 shift. That meant no shower, and not much in the way of breakfast. A glass of orange juice, a couple handfuls of saltine crackers, and 1/3 of a 100 calorie pack of sweetened dried cranberries. However, I do need to cram as many hours in as I can before the 15th so that February won't be so financially...creative.

I have spent a good part of this morning at work reading Gender Identity in Consumer Research and doing more research as something in the article tickled a neuron or two. This article, and the new ones I've procured, are pertinent to my thesis, in specific to the thesis proposal that I need to get whacked out and approved hopefully by the end of February (at the very, very latest). I need to email my advisor for a meeting to discuss my partial proposal that was a paper for a different class (funny how these things can work), contact the graduate school office for a list of graduate student advocates so I can start the arduous process of securing one for my committee, find the final member of my academic committee, figure out why the class I'm registered for isn't available to me through the online network, and set up a workable excessive schedule so that my muscles don't completely deteriorate from all the reading and writing while sitting.

Finding balance in my life as always been tricky for me, yet it is unavoidably necessary for my mental and physical well being. I know that my knitting time took a hit when I got out of bed this morning. In fact, I knew it last night as I raced to finish my Prairie Boots. The knitting is done, and I have all the buttons and the extra soles all ready to be sewn on so they are actually finished. They are quite lovely, if I do say so, and I do plan on getting pictures up just as soon as I can. At some point I plan on getting back to my Hot Pink and Vintage cardigan. The post-it note I had marking my place on the chart has vanished, so it will involve some close inspection to figure out where exactly I am (though I do have a vague idea). My knitting will slow down again, and I'll have to figure out a good, small traveling project for bus rides. Maybe I'll give sock knitting another go...

Some of the shiny has worn off of the start of term, as the years progress. Maybe it's the knowledge of what's to come, or maybe I just needed a better breakfast than saltines and cranberries. What I do know is that Gender Identity in Consumer Behavior Research is waiting, and it's just the tip of the iceburg.

Oh hey, my online class just showed up, too. That's one thing off the list.