The problem with the "Three Sisters"

It was probably that there were just three of them. A lucky number for some, but perhaps not for sisters. I think four is better.

An interesting play, though perhaps some meaning can still be deciphered from subtlety (for those who like reviews).

It might well make a good panto though (a challenge, Prof Cole).

Mumbles on a holey Bubble

There's not really a reason for this blog. I just felt like mumbling a bit, probably in a procrastinatory effort to avoid work for a bit longer.

Life has changed. Not very much, but I do feel like the Bubble has burst a bit. Now that my PhD is nearly finished and I'm 'free', there seems to be a lot more real-life stuff to be getting on with. I think I didn't quite realise how lucky I was there for 4 years, with money and only one big project to focus on. Now there are all sorts of things that to be busying myself with: teaching*, a lecture* or two, lab work for other busier people, book research for other even busier people than those busy people, papers to convince journals to publish*, vivas* (hopefully just the one though) to prepare for....and strawberry plants** to be moved. I don't mean to complain though - my CV is loving all these things, and I think I will enjoy lots of them*. And I guess this is what it feels like to be a grown-up (in some small way). All part of life's rich pageant.

The weight of the DPhil does seem to have lifted though; I ran a half marathon through the beautiful and glowing autumnal lanes of Oxford this morning, in a pretty good-for-Lyd time given my carb-loading involved cider and cereal. Oxjam was worth the lack of sleep though.

I'm quite pleased I get to hang around in this Bubble, albeit now holey, for one more year.

An extract from my thesis.

I twarted the PhD Monster!

Evidence....

It wasn't pretty, and I nearly drowned in marshmallows, but I well and truly broke open the PhD monster's guts and am now eating its insides. It feels good. (Thank you, special chums, who captured the monster such that I could then twart it with a powerful potato masher.)

After 4 years, 103,120 (or similar) pollen grains, hours of Radio 4, some mini-breakdowns (when someone drank my milk), and quite a lot of little sleep, I have managed to hand-in what some might call (my examiners included, hopefully) a thesis. 300-odd pages, mostly of colourful pictures, and quite a few words are now out of my hands....thank bloomin goodness.

I think there are many more mumbles I'd like to record about the whole thing, and the finishing of "It", and really SO many people I'd like to say thank you to for being them and for being here, or atleast somewhere....but it will all come out in the wash at some point, I'm sure.

For now, bedtime for PhD-submitted bozoes. (I reached whole new levels of sleep-deprivation in the final week, and now know the POWER of adrenaline.)

R.I.P. PhD Monster.