Maintenance day update

So, I got some news the other day that is exciting and daunting all at once.  My paper that I proposed for the Great Lakes History Conference was accepted.  Now I just have to put together 20-30 pages for my session and make hotel reservations for that weekend in November.  Professionally, this is about as huge as my winning the assistantship at OU.  Personally, it’s a little scary.  The last time I did a presentation like this I was a junior (was I a junior?  I think that was the summer between sophomore and junior year) at Grand Valley State presenting on our work at 20KT275 and 20KT276 at Student Scholarship Day–a completely different animal.  I wasn’t flying solo on that one, for starters–I was presenting with two other people.  This is all me, and while the work on the subjugation of Wales under Edward I dovetails with my thesis research, it’s different enough that it’s going to take a bit of additional research to really get this together to my satisfaction.

On another note, officers and I announced that we’re shaking the RoA tree.  Some people are enthused, I’m not sure how others feel.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed, since I’d definately hate for this to fail.  I’m glad that we’re no longer working in the dark, though.  Folks know that we’re doing something, which is good.  Very good.  I have to get myself working on the charter documents based on what we have so far, since the whole IC angle of the mess seems to be my strength (well, no, is my strength).  And think of what the next set of things on deadline are going to be, since we have a deadline on some things coming up…gee….tomorrow.  And then roll from there.  I want everything in place before I start my assistantship in September.

Still haven’t told my boss at the mall about the assistantship.  I’m putting off the inevitable panic she’s going to have.  I’ll tell her in a few weeks.

Star Trek! And other such fun things

Big update this time, since it’s been a while since I updated (I know, I shouldn’t have fallen behind).

So, saw Star Trek on Friday morning with a few friends.  And let me tell you, this movie was more than squee-worthy.  It was fantastic, and I’d go see it again.  Repeatedly.  A few minor gripes, but all told, I cannot wait for the next one, and there’d better be a next one.  This film was amazing, and JJ Abrams scored as near a perfect 10 as anyone not Gene Roddenbury could–and I know that he’s not spinning in his tin can somewhere floating above us in space.  Go and see the flick if you haven’t yet, even if you never liked Star Trek.  This film was simply amazing.

 

On another note, second 80 in WoW — finally, says my guild (again).  Once again, got the screenshot:

Aekatrine hits level 80

It’s very exciting–and apparently, I don’t suck at healing as much as I thought I did (I’ve been assured that raid healing is easy–we shall see).

 

But wait, there’s more!  Even though I haven’t been writing as much as I should (and I really do mean that, I’ve got a lot of writing I should be about; maybe I’ll do some of that after I’m done with this), there is some good news beyond gaming and social life.  I got a new job!  Though I’ll be keeping my old job.  I’ve been offered the graduate assistant position for Oakland University’s history department and I’ve accepted.  Huzzah!

So much to do.  Must work on jewelry…and sewing…and thesis….and other writing….so much to do, so little time to do it in!

Never say never

Never let it be said that when you write your thesis or your dissertation that no one will read it in the future, since that’s simply not the case.  I have yet to e-mail the advisor on this particular thesis, but I’ll let the cat out of the bag right now:  I’m fascinated by a Ph.D thesis out of the University of Minnesota from 2004.  The thesis in question is on St. George of England and English national identity–a subject I’ll at the very least touch on in my own thesis on the uses of the Arthurian legend during the reigns of Edward I (r. 1272-1307), Edward II (r. 1307-1327), and Edward III (r. 1327-1377), since the sense of identity and “Englishness” plays a role in why the image of King Arthur was used during these reigns.

Amusingly (as almost a side note) the thesis cites my advisor’s work on pilgrimages and miracles in the first chapter.  Go figure (then again, totally not surprised, since it is a saint’s cult and the image of the patron saint of England that’s being discussed in the thesis, after all).

In any case, it’s bloody hard to borrow anyone’s thesis–really, really hard, since most universities don’t lend them.  I have to shoot an e-mail to the history department at the University of Minnesota to thank them so much for letting me borrow this text.  I’ve already found quite a few references that I’ve ordered or will be pulling from Kresge Library at OU so I can take a peek at them based on what he’s gleaned out of them for his work–things that it seems to me may well be important for my work.

So, wherever you are, Dr. Jonathan Good — thank you.  You wrote a monster of a dissertation, and I’m very pleased to have had the chance to read it.