To the mattresses....

Remember "The Godfather?" That's me this weekend - not for fear of being the odd man out-and-about in a Mafia war, but rather for fear of never getting anything done on my dissertation.


So this weekend I will be invisible - traceable only from the faint scent of coffee that follows my studying everywhere.

This week has been hell, and I feel a serious need to detach and work - Even the boy is taking off for Racine.

If this seems too vague, let me give you a list

1. 6 (yes 6) writing seminars in which we analyzed every possible permutation of the idea of boredom as we slogged through one poorly thought out introduction after another.
2. Kafka - Tuesday was The Penal Colony and Thursday...
3. Teaching Kafka - as Bob was absent again, I had to somehow drag a class through The Metamorphosis (pulling teeth?)
4. Dissertation meeting - in which my prof. wrinkled his forehead and said - "I just don't get it...." followed by "So... how is this different from what other people have already said?"
5. My apartment is a disaster. I have been absorbing furniture (my parents have decided to move into an apartment) and thus my apartment looks a lot like a furniture warehouse. Anybody have a need for some opera chairs?
6. Depression - the drugs aren't really working very well anymore and I wake up in the morning with teeth that hurt from being clenched together all night.
7. Stress - Apparently I need to teach yet another of Bob's classes before the end of the quarter - this is a full 1/5 of the classes this quarter when I should be teaching somewhere around... oh.... none. In addition, although I really appreciate the drinks, being forced to take off for oldtown late Monday evening to talk about student papers lacked a certain something.
8. Preceptees are dropping out, and I can't help but feeling that it is somehow my fault for not helping them more at the beginning stages of their papers.
9. Student papers - while I'm on the subject, one student's paper (for Bob) was so blatantly offensive to not only the French in general, but my, you know, French professor, that I had to sit him down and have a chat about inappropriate and offensive writing (which he seemed to take as some kind of joke).
10. Weight - "Tipping the scales at nearly 1 Wisconsin unit we have in this corner, the world heavyweight boxing champion ----- Katie!" (cheers from the crowd)... yeah. It sucks

Thus, this weekend is all about the dissertation, sleeping, cleaning, pampering, exercise, and possibly a fruit fast.

Perhaps this will finally pull me together.

Today seems to be Kerri madness with studying and possibly thrifting, followed by the boy leaving for Racine, and me curling up with a nice calming appletini in a warm bubble bath.

Let's hope the bubbles clean out my head as well.