Post-exams update

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The Edgar Degas painting to the right is pretty indicative of how I'm feeling at the moment.

So, exams are done. I passed both my oral and written exams without having to redo any of them. I've been asked to ponder my dissertation. I have to catch up on the grading and Latin I've let slide this past week. I am so very DONE, but I'm trying to at least keep a semblance of forward momentum through the rest of the semester. My committee was helpful in pointing out some of the weaknesses in my approach for moving forward, which is really helpful, and I need to take back a billion books to the library, which I'm actually really looking forward to -- but not today, as the weather is a complete pain. As I look out the window, the snow is coming down in what I think of as sifted powdered sugar -- light enough you can't really see it snowing unless you've got a dark backdrop, but enough to slowly blanket every freaking thing out there.

I am due to phone my sons tonight after gaming, and I'm starting on new Christmas knitting projects, and I made three jars of preserved lemons yesterday, and four jars of harissa the day before that, but I still haven't made the cheesecake I wanted to make, and yesterday I ended up sleeping for two hours due to a headache, and I didn't get any grading done, but I did clean two kitchen counters and all the stuff on them, and I picked up in the bedroom a bit, and I put clean sheets on the bed, and I did dishes this morning even before coffee, and and and and and.  As you may have noticed, I'm having problems breaking out of the to-do list mode of living. To some extent this is helpful, as it actually borders on making me competent at daily life. On the other hand, I am so lost and at sea right now on what I should be doing and how I should be doing it. I feel as though I'm going through the motions and trying to catch up on what else is going on. I'm hoping this vague malaise passes before the holidays kick in -- I'm not traveling this year, for good or ill, and so I want to be able to enjoy all the staying-put-ness and build up another year of traditions.

So yeah. Back to things like blog posting. Good to see everyone again, and thanks for sticking around and reading, even if only in my mind. :)


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