Exam butterflies and thesis shoulder.
December 6th, 2003
It's been a good 3 years since I have had to take a university exam, if you don't count my thesis defence. I was really surprised this morning when I woke up with unmistakable exam butterflies in my stomach. That amused me, because I am invigilating, not writing the damn thing. Sympathy pains for my students I suppose. I have also been suffering from an ailment known as "thesis shoulder" which coincidentally, I first noticed when I was finishing up my thesis last December (has it really been almost a year already! Scary!). Thesis shoulder is where one particular muscle on the anterior portion of my right humerus goes into spasm. I am not sure what it is I do that causes it, but the frontrunning theory is that when I get stressed out (say, like when trying to work full-time and finish a thesis, or, say, work full-time and try and write a book chapter) I clench up when I sleep into some kind of rigour and that makes that muscle go into spasm. I have no idea, but it is back, and I am a little stressed out again this year so that is my best guess.
This morning was spent answering last-minute questions on the discussion board for the course, and tidying the house for a party and making a shopping list for Chris. He went and got groceries while I finished cleaning. The party was buffet-style potluck, so I ironed a cloth for the table, and put out my old silver forks and bone handled knives and scarab dessert forks, and my Imari inspired dishes. None of these things are worth much, but they are old, and I liked how they look. Faded, scuffed, a little shabby but loads nicer than plastic forks and paper plates.
Chris drove me to the exam and dropped me off and I spent some time assembling all the exam books and the answer sheets and the attendance rolls. I met up with Boss and we headed over to the gym and started setting everything up. Both exams ran relatively smoothly, but there were some minor annoyances which I don't want to get into here. Some people need to grow up and that is all.
I got to leave a little earlier than I had planned on, which was nice. I realised then that the friend, K, I was meeting had written the exam in another location, and I hadn't had a chance to speak with him to tell him where we should meet. I luckily had the foresight to write his phone number down and stick it in my bag, so I called him as I walked from the AC to the Library. The temperature had dropped like a rock. I wished I had brought my hat! The first time I called, I got an answering machine, and the second time, I managed to get through (I later found out that at that exact instant I called, he was calling my office phone and leaving a message to the effect that we hadn't figured out when/where to meet and could I please call him) and he called our other friend to come get us. So I met up with K and soon C arrived with another girl from the team. I must think up better pseudonyms.
The party was a lot of fun. Weener came over and I think she had a good time. I cut her hair last week and she's been using a flattening iron on it and it looks very cute and 1960s. Very mod and stylish. I think it is hilarious that she is the hairstylist and I am the one who ended up cutting her hair. We had lots of food, so everyone had enough to eat, and we ended up watching X2 after supper. C had to go to work for midnight, so he left early with K which sucked, but I hope they had a good time.
I've rinsed and stacked all the dishes but I am going to leave the major cleanup until tomorrow. I can't face it right now.
Currently Reading:
- The Thief's Gamble by Juliet E. McKenna. (Another chapter down...I can't wait until I have time this holiday to actually finish some books again. It's maddening not having enough time to read significant portions of a book in one sitting. You want to torture me, that's how you do it.)
If I am allowed to lie (or if a snatched sentence or two counts), then I am also reading:
- Dawnthief by James Barclay. (I just realised I've had the title wrong for ages).
- Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice.
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling.
Books I have Read Lately:
- I have updated my reading list to reflect all the books I read while I was away from the journal. I'll fill in my thoughts as I go.
(All links go through Amazon.ca because of the affiliate program with The Usual Suspects. I spend so much time on there, that this is the least I can do.)