Category Archives: large family

Happy bird-day

It’s my birthday. I’m 52. And while I do have days (like I wrote about in my last post) where I feel a bit conflicted about getting older or especially in being a ‘mature’ student, for the most part, I am quite content about the whole thing and really try my very best to embraceContinue reading “Happy bird-day”

Resistance is Futile (and deadlines are looming).

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit”. ~Aristotle I have a little card on my desk that has this quote on it and I come back to it again and again (and again). I fully admit to being very distractible. Sometimes I try and go easy onContinue reading “Resistance is Futile (and deadlines are looming).”

Take Aways from my freakin’ writing retreat–Day 3

Realizing that I won’t get everything I wanted to get done, done… but also realizing that I STILL got more done than I would have if I hadn’t been here…  Also, “Why haven’t I done this before????” (oh, yeah, many children, 2 jobs…) Note to self; always bring more coffee than you think you willContinue reading “Take Aways from my freakin’ writing retreat–Day 3”

Sh*t just got real…

OK- so I am not really sure that “the sh*t just got real” thing works in this context– I just really wanted an excuse to say that. But, if it means that I need to really get my rear in gear– or my submission date is looming (September 29!!!) and I still do not have aContinue reading “Sh*t just got real…”

Hello My Name is Mamalegato and I am a Procrastibaker.

I belong to a Facebook group for PhD and Early Career Researcher Parents- where,  we share the challenges of parenting while trying to navigate academia and just recently one of the members posted a photo of some adorable but labour intensive looking Easter themed cupcakes proclaiming herself to be a procrastibaker- I can SO relate,Continue reading “Hello My Name is Mamalegato and I am a Procrastibaker.”

The Early Bird Gets The Worm (and gets a bunch of other stuff done too.)

    I am an early riser. I always have been, my Mother was too, she grew up on a farm and I like to think it is in the genes. Even as a undergrad student, working until 3 am in a bar, I still woke up at 9 am (early for a barmaid andContinue reading “The Early Bird Gets The Worm (and gets a bunch of other stuff done too.)”

How (not) to write a PhD and keep/lose your sanity…

When I am feeling my most discouraged and whipped by this PhD I tend to start listing mentally, everything that has happened in my life over the past 2.5 years that have made it impossible for me to “properly” get this thing done. Pathetic, I know- but somehow I think it is kind of aContinue reading “How (not) to write a PhD and keep/lose your sanity…”

Adrenaline junkie…who me?

Several years ago a colleague in academia commented to me that procrastinators are adrenaline junkies, and I think about that idea every single freakin’ time I am writing or working on something, especially if it has a deadline.  It can be a paper, an article, rehearsing a show, marking student assignments, pizza lunch forms forContinue reading “Adrenaline junkie…who me?”