A Love Song

So, Spring Break is over, I'm back, it's time to hit the grind again.

Sigh.

I am so not ready.  Jesus be a motivator.

This is what I really wanted to write about, though:  Over the break, my guy got inspired and creative and wrote a gorgeous song for me and about me.  He played and sang it for me tonight.  I was just overwhelmed and impressed and flattered and grateful.  It was beautiful.  It was perfect.  It brought me to tears.

Sometimes I can't fathom being loved this way.  Sometimes it's unbelievable and hard to accept.  At times, my inner cynic insists on waving away notions of "meant to be."  But what if it truly is?

Can I admit that there is a tiny sliver of me that is terrified?

I want to silence the myriad questions and what ifs that occasionally cloud my daydreams.

Thankfully, I always return to the same fact that I have both doubted and believed: God is in control.

Pop-Up Blockers

Google Chrome is my boy.  The address bar also functions as a Google search engine, you can set it to block cookies and pop-ups.

But what I'd like to do is enable pop-up blockers in my life.  You know what I mean?  What I'm talking about are guys formerly in your orbit who are now largely inattentive, but who suddenly pop up out of nowhere. Dude, where you come from?

There's a nice sofa over in the corner and I'd like to cordially invite you to have a seat.  Have several seats.  Saddown.  SEET down.  I'd just like to say nawl, son.  Nawl.

That is all.

Next Stop: Prospectus

This is the last post about comps.  The absolute last post about comps ever.  In life.

I completed my oral defense of my comprehensive exams Thursday and I passed.  Comps has been, effectively and forever, put to bed.

I am so thankful.  It's another milestone that I am glad is finally behind me.

Now, what I have to look forward to is writing what is lovingly called a prospectus.  The prospectus is basically the outline of my dissertation.  It will end up being the introduction to my finished project.

If I do everything I'm supposed to do on schedule, I'll be ABD by the end of the semester.  April 3, I submit my prospectus.  April 17, I defend it.  And once I successfully do so, then and only then will I be known as a PhD candidate.  All I'll have left to do is write the monster.  And once I get a couple of chapters under my belt, I can start applying for jobs.  Scary stuff.  But we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I'm currently on Spring Break, which is only sort of a break...there's always more work to do.  But I'm trying to enjoy time with my family while I try to get a good start on prospectus writing/research.

There are so many things I'm excited about.  I'm realizing I can't be afraid to be excited about them.

Things are going swimmingly with, well, let's call him what he is, the boyfriend.  Before I left to go home Saturday he gave me a pretty legit box of chocolates and said, "This is for your parents.  Tell them I can't wait to meet them." (Insert girlish squeals of delight.)

I'm also getting paid beaucoup money to be my professor's research assistant in Boston in May.  I ain't complaining.  For the first time in a while, I'll be able to put some money in the bank.  Yezzir.

I also got a teaching assignment for the rest of the summer, so I'm set.  Super excited.

I'm so grateful.  I really am.  That's all I can say.  I'm so very grateful.