and the paper progresses

	848
45
lab.drwicked.com

This application is awesome. It literally forces you to write. I highly recommend availing yourself of Dr. Wicked's assistance should you find yourself faced with a blank screen and a deadline.

The paper is coming along, slowly but surely. Those 848 words are still significantly short of the 1500 required for my first draft, but when combined with my notes and fleshed out -- as in, no longer written-on-the-spot but edited for clarity and style -- I think I'll be pretty close. I've still got three hours before I'm forcing myself to take a break and go laugh off some of this stress at this evening's performance by the Intellectual Bulimics' Comedy Troupe at Fenian's. During that time I intend to continue making progress, and I'll have several hours tomorrow after work for final touch-ups before I must submit the draft online in the evening...

deadlines and decisions

I've given it much thought, and I've decided to go to Tulane Law School. Tomorrow I'll submit my decision and commitment deposit to the University, and commence with frantically planning The Move.

Meanwhile, April 15th looms ahead with a hefty tax bill to pay, and the first draft of my research paper for Women's History is due that day, too. Right now I'm taking a break from transcribing notes and thinking about how I shall compile the thoughts I've had and research I've done over the last several months into a coherent narrative. I take comfort in the fact that my submission for Wednesday is really and truly a first draft, and that I'll have two more weeks still to tweak it for a final grade. This also leaves me plenty of time to spend at the Archives in an effort to dig up some biographical info on my main cast of characters, who are still just plaintiffs and defendants at this point since all my primary source research thus far has taken place at the Law Library where little biographical info is available.

Honestly, though, I'm struggling to maintain momentum and muster motivation. The more I think about moving to New Orleans and going to law school, the more excited I become about the prospect, and the less I find myself concerned about my performance in these two grad school classes at JSU. I'm convinced that my future success lies along the legal tract, which leaves me without much care as to putting forth the effort to be a stellar grad school student in these last few weeks of the semester. That's not a productive attitude, however, so I'm reminding myself that this paper is not just for class requirements; I do, after all, intend to submit a polished version for possible presentation at the Preyer Panel at the American Society for Legal History 2009 Conference. So I'm working through the ennui, but struggling to do so.

And thoughts about The Move await in the wings all the while. I'm really not sure how we will accomplish it; I've never moved so far before! I don't know how to find a place sufficiently ahead of time but not so far ahead of time that we would have to pay 2 rents for 2 or 3 months - which we can't feasibly do! - in order to snag it up before some other student does. All the challenges aside, I'm eager and excited that we will make it work, somehow.

I also find myself preoccupied with anticipation of transitioning from grad student to law student. (Which will mean re-naming this blog!) I've been talking to my boss, who survived law school 20-some years ago, about what it's like to be a law school student, and from what she tells me I've got a rough row to hoe during the first year. And to make things more challenging, it will be nothing like the schooling I've grown accustomed to. We both know I'm up for the challenge, though, and I know I'll find it all immensely interesting, and so it is just one more aspect of this whole newfound-direction-for-my-life that I am eager to embrace. And one that easily distracts me from the tasks at hand.

For now, it's back to the research paper. Tomorrow I've set aside time for taxes and budgeting and other planning for The Move, but break time is over and so I shall end this idle screed.

careful considerations

I must submit a decision to Tulane Law School in ten days. Last week Hubby and I took a lovely trip to New Orleans, in part as a belated birthday celebration trip, but primarily so that I could visit the Tulane campus and meet with faculty members with whom I've been corresponding since the fall, when this Grad School Admissions Game began.

I was impressed with the campus, but moreso with the encouragement and kindness of the faculty. One professor in particular expressed her willingness to help me plan and embark upon a career as a legal scholar if I'm willing to work hard to get there. I certainly am willing to put forth the effort, which has me seriously considering attending Tulane, even though I've been rejected by the History Department and therefore cannot pursue both a J.D. and Ph.D. there.

My faculty meetings helped me to realize that both degrees aren't strictly necessary in order for me to make a happy life for myself. I'm confident that, with Tulane faculty as my allies, I can carve out a successful path forward from Tulane Law School and find a happy balance between the law and the academy, the two things I've demonstrated an aptitude and passion for. And New Orleans, as always, is irresistibly charming. Both Hubby and I would positively love to live there. It's relatively close to all things familiar and familial, much moreso than Albany, which is the only other school to offer me admission thus far. I still haven't heard from UC Riverside, but there, again, the distance from here seems insurmountable.

So I've much thinking and talking with Hubby to do, because I've only ten days to make my final decision known to Tulane.

Other than having this major, life-changing decision on the horizon, all is well. The vacation was much-needed and thoroughly enjoyable, even despite a low-grade fever that marred my enjoyment of the first day and which has since evolved into a sore throat and mass of yellow gunk inside my head. I'm on top of my school work at present, although the research paper is coming along more slowly than I would prefer, despite my diligent primary-source research the week of Spring Break. But I'll not fret about that as I have three weeks still to work towards completion of that project.

Tomorrow it's back to school-and-work, after a lovely weekend of studying and writing interspersed amongst much cooking and a little cleaning. Another month and the semester will be all but over, and with the semester winding to a close I shall strive to make more time for blogging...