Coming to the end

I know I am coming to the end of my dissertation when I don't mind deleting large chunks of good analysis I did. For a long time now, I had the stinking suspicion that the analysis of the data from one of the teachers in my study didn't really fit what I was writing about- that it might be a different phenomenon all together. In the past I would have been sad to have to give up so much work (I think that analysis was a total of at least one month of solid work, and not to mention the hours of data collecting and stuff). I tried so hard to find a way to fit it in. It is still good data but writing about it in this dissertation just makes things too complicated and unreadable. So I am letting it go for now instead of trying to find ways to elegantly shoehorn it into this piece of work.

I have in the past let go of other large chunks of data and analysis from this dissertation, but not one where I have invested so much time and energy.

Oh well, this means I am that much closer because that is one big chunk less I have to edit and make work.

Charity

I believe very much in giving back to the world but have realized that there are limits to my charity. Today, I take serious issue with my digestive system's new approach to giving. It has decided to give away everything it receives.

Adventures in artland

Pearl Paint in Philly is closing down so J stopped by to do some scavenging. He picked up some really fun bright orange modeling clay. Tonight we had some sculpting fun and here are the results. Can't you just see the excitement in our eyes?
The piece of clay I worked with had an extension that looked a lot like a beak, which is what inspired the beaky-lizard head I made. Also, I recently hung out with my neice and nephew who are into dinosaurs. This may have contributed to the beaky-lizard idea.

A few weeks ago I had a really really bad day. One of those days where I felt really angry about the futility of it all (can you tell it was dissertation related?). In any case, J suggested I try to channel that into something else, since I could do no productive work that day. The picture on the right was the result. I think I was trying to express how I felt at the moment, like an egg dropped from high up.