======= Date Modified 27 Aug 2008 00:29:01 =======
i am clocking out for today.
total productive hours today - 4 hours and 4 minutes.
i have done aim 1 (from the evening shift aims), wrote out all the interesting stuff from various emails for discussion. about 9 pages (one side only) worth of handwritten notes.

i am sleepy - off to bed in abit.

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how was your evening Tractorgirl? Armendaf? Mira? freeLouise, Ruby, bov2000 and the rest of the A-team, sorry if i've left someone out, too sleepy to think :p

Hi Lara,

Thanks for asking - had a slightly disappointing day yesterday, actually! Did about 2 hours of writing, sorted out half my illustrations for this chapter and got several useful references from an old yellowing book that made me sneeze. Then I did my food shopping, cooking and watched detective programs on TV as my treat for the day. And now I'm back at work for 2 days, so any PhD stuff that gets done will be a bonus - though reading through the draft so far and editing it on the bus is usually quite productive, I find! My deadline is the 31st for this chapter, so will have to crack on with it on Friday.

How's everyone else getting on?

======= Date Modified 27 Aug 2008 11:10:08 =======
Hi everyone,

I didn't do any work on the thesis yesterday either, but I did deal with the one thing that could have made me go to work today, so at least I have all day today and Friday. I also did some exercise, went to footie for the first time in almost 4 weeks (I usually play once a week), so every muscle and joint from the waist down is sore... but it feels great!

So, I'm still trying to finish section 3.1, which has a number of smaller sections within.

May we all have a productive day 8-)

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone is having a good day. Yesterday i only got a couple of hours done and i have to say i really admire the people who have jobs but are also completing their PhD. I wasn't working yesterday (but was at a couple of job interviews) and i was really tired! To the point i could only do 2 hours and then had to wind down with a couple of episodes of Starsky and Hutch!!! Anyway, well done to everyone who does work and also study, i have a lot of admiration!
As for today i got up early and have done so far 3 hours of productive work which i am happy with. I am slowly getting Chapter 7 done!! I want to do around 7- 8 hours today to really make in-roads into it so we will see how i go this afternoon after some lunch.
Lara: Thanks ever so much for the encouraging words about the interviews, Will definitely take on board and hopefully this will really help with the ones next week! Thanks ever so much and hope your day is going well. you are really getting there with Chapter 5 so well done!!
Armendaf: glad you enjoyed your football. Tonight i am going to the gym so i reckon tomorrow i will be sore too! I really need to start getting fit again, and i'm sure exercising helps with stress!
Anyway hope everyone has a good day. Here's hoping i can have a good afternoon!! Aims: Guess what!! Yep Chapter 7!!!!!!

======= Date Modified 27 Aug 2008 21:06:24 =======
======= Date Modified 27 Aug 2008 17:48:42 =======
Hi everyone, Tractorgirl, Armendaf and Ruby!

I have to confess i haven't done anything so far today! i've been in one of my moods where i didnt feel like it. now i feel guilty that i've wasted the day and i cant catch up. but then i think i can still clock in decent number of productive hours and maybe get something done at least.

i just got an email from a family friend telling me to finalise chapter 5 and to send it to him asap and then move onto the next chapter. which has kinda motivated me now to finish this chapter and finalise it to final draft version instead of leaving it in 1st draft version

so i've set myself a deadline of finishing the entire chapter 5 by saturday in final draft version.

that includes: introduction, results, discussion.

results are in 1st draft version, which need to be transferred to final draft version.

discussion is at zero draft stage at the moment. need alot of work on this.

introduction - needs abit more work too.

--but i am just going to focus on today:

my aims:

1. summarise the results from chapter 5

hmm since i have to go through the results again, i might aswell take this opportunity to write up my results from my first draft scribblings and finalise the results section to final draft format at the same time.
so aim 2 is:

2. finalise results section and write it up onto word document, including figures.

3. read papers and make notes for discussion

4. make notes on the discussion section of chapter 3 and 4, so i dont contradict myself when making connections!

Hey All,
sorry i have been off the radar all of a sudden... i have been running around like a headless chicken...sudden administrative work and some extra papers to correct...have not managed to meet my deadline and have got an extra day ( quite shameful really !!!) :$.... still don't think that i have the focus ...sighhhhhh

Lara - don't worry about it too much, i admire the way you work when you do ..consistent for days , so don't worry about the dips , hope your summarizing and reading is going ok
TG- grt you have done 3 hours ...well done
Armendaf- I know exactly how you fell after exercise ..i am on the path to getting fit again ...

more on the progress tomorrow, have a good night everyone...


:-)

======= Date Modified 28 Aug 2008 01:21:25 =======
Thanks Mira, your message made me feel better! and dont feel shameful about needing an extention. good luck with it. and i totally sympathesise about losing focus. i do many many times during the day! lol
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I second that, well done TG on getting those 3 hours of productive time done! i hope your afternoon/evening went well. how is chapter 7 coming along now?

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well done Armendaf for getting some exercise in! good for you
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Ruby - glad you treated yourself with some detective tv shows! i love crime american tv shows , at the moment watching The Closer. great stuff. my favourite is criminal minds though! :-)
good luck with your deadline!!
--


well folks i am calling it a day. i have no idea how much "productive time" i spent today as i didnt keep track and worked rather sporadically with bits and bobs.

i managed 2 out of the 4 aims.

1. i've summarised the results from chapter 5: done
4. read through and made summary notes from the discussion sections from chapter 3 and 4, and realised just how much work they need aswell!! its never ending lol. and then realised i really need a paper from 1995, so not sure if i will get a chance to go to the british library to track it down, so might just rely on the abstract to get by and then worry about reading it for the viva or something. dont want to waste a day on one paper

so tommorow
i am spending the whole day reading through papers and making notes for discussion chapter 5, i dont know how many there are, but there are about 50 or so! but basically its all about methylation -i suppose most of the reading will come in useful for the introduction sections aswell.

see you guys tommorow, and i really dont know what i would do without the amazing support i get from each and everyone of you. you all are so great!!! :-)

i look forward to hearing about your day tommorow

night night

Hi Everyone!!

Well, as predicted i am in agony following my trip to the gym last night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone else there looked really slim and fit! I was on the treadmill next to a couple of people who weren't even breaking a sweat, then i started running, turned a nice shade of beetroot purple and my T-shirt was dripping with sweat!!!!!!!! Oh well, least it was a start, and i am aiming to go again tomorrow but early in the day to avoid the crowds!!!!

How annoying! Just checked my post and most of my message is missing!!!!!!!! Can't be bothered to re-write it again as it was really long!! So just to say hope everyone has a great day and well done to everyone on their progress!! My aims for today, get chapter 7 finished!

Here's to a great day!

======= Date Modified 28 Aug 2008 12:44:34 =======
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oh b***er just as i was telling you about how messages get deleted, just happened to me! gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa :-s

okay i cant be bothered to type it out again. but i had a nightmare about viva's ! basically consisted of 3 rounds of viva's with internal examiner, external, and finally the last round of both examiners. i had to pass each round of viva to get to the next stage!

and the first viva, the internal examiner was looking through my thesis said it was good. but it was like a 10 year old school project! a very thin A4 black book, with figures and tables literally glued in! and the text glued in ! i was thinking in my head, what the heck is this. i cant believe the printing shop did this. and one figure was upside down. i was so embarrassed!!

then at the end of the viva just when i thought it was over, he didnt ask me any questions just talked mostly and made pleasant conversations. realised he wasnt an expert in my cancer field and said there would have to be another internal examiner appointed and i would have to redo the viva! to get to the second stage.
lol the dream is absurd, funny, but scary!!

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======= Date Modified 28 Aug 2008 14:00:02 =======
okay time to take drastic actions. less than a month now. i really have to start putting in the long hours and finalise each chapter.

recieved an email with good stern advice:

"you're getting nervous about the 30th -the nightmare has to end some day. Ok review the work plan for each chapter, make a list of what you need to do in each chapter and then tick it off when done. Satisfy yourself with everything, there is plenty of time. Just glue yourself to the chair and do it."

so that's what i am going to do now. glue myself to the chair and just get it done.

the way i see it, its only a month now, so can push myself harder now. and come october, will be home free... just gotta get through each day and think each day about finalising the chapters as best as can be done.

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aims for today:

1. read all the papers related to methylation (i think there are about 50-70) skim read, for the interesting bits, and make notes. get a zero draft of the discussion of chapter 5 done today.

2. write a zero draft for the introduction. (i feel i cant write my discussion without having a good solid understanding of the literture already out there)


so basically no matter how bored i am ,or how much i dont want to do it. i have to be really strict with myself now.


good luck everyone!!



*gets some heavy duty glue and sticks butt to chair* :p

Hi!

Lara: Are you still glued to the chair?!!! I needed some glue this morning as i couldn't seem to sit still and kept moving about and found it hard to settle down! Hope your day has gone well and that your Chapter 5 is coming alone well. Don't forget you have tomorrow and Saturday to meet your deadline and you can get so much done in that time. I know you will get it done and good luck for tomorrow.
As for me. am really tired now but just finished Chapter 7! I am having a tea break, will then re-read it and then spent tomorrow morning double checking it before sending it off. Am sure it will need further work but i guess at least this version is finally done!! Well for now anyway!!
Next i need to sort out the appendix, table list, figure list and finalise the contents pages so my aim is to get this all done by the end of Sunday so fingers crossed!
Anyway, hope everyone has had a productive day, but don't worry if not! We are definitely not robots and anything we can get done is all a bonus

======= Date Modified 29 Aug 2008 01:14:16 =======
woohoo you finished chapter 7 TG!! WELL DONE!!!!! you're a superstar!! i am so impressed you met your deadline and got it done!! excellent work. wow sounds like you're very near to finishing your thesis. that's super!

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well had some family friends come over, so didnt get much done today i am afraid, just a couple of hours of productive time.

but tommorow i am planning on sticking myself to the chair. and you're so right. i got the whole day tommorow and saturday to meet my deadline. my final final deadline for chapter 5 will be sunday.

cause i have so much work left to do for all the other chapters!! yikes

but you're right, just gotta do it, and plenty of time. i wish i was at the stage right now where all my chapters were complete. and i was just phaffing around with proof reading, but am nervous cause i still got so much to do for all the chapters. but from tommorow onwards will just glue myself to the chair and just do it

a family friend has given me a deadline to complete my chapters 1-5 by next friday. so i am going for the sprint!

and then worry about chapter 6 the following week,the chapter which i dislike