Digging through "The Pile"

I went digging through "the pile" on the kitchen counter. You know the one. As mail comes in, you throw some stuff away. Some things, like bills, you put near the computer to handle in the near future. However, some stuff goes into "the pile." It needs to be dealt with, but you just don't feel like it now.

Wow. I clearly have been putting off too much for too long. Among the surprises, I found:

• renewal info for Rob's drivers license
• renewal info for my drivers license
• emission testing notification for the car
• renewal info for the car tags
• paperwork from the accountant for taxes
• all of the miscellaneous forms for the taxes

Needless to say, it has been a busy morning plodding through "the pile" and getting stuff done. I've made huge progress, but my to-do list for the next few days just filled up!

An Odd Success

I'm still relatively new to this whole blogging thing. I'm also fairly new to the whole world of interior design. I am just shocked at the success of one of my posts on Daydreaming About Space. Last fall, for my theory class, I had to research and write a brief paper on a paradigm shift in architecture or design. I wrote about the shift away from modernism that was personified by post-modernism. I felt that post-modernism was more of a mannerist style than an actual movement, and it is defined more as being not-modernism than anything in particular. I used Charles Moore's Piazza d'Italia as a defining example.

I wrote a post to summarize my research on the topic. Since that time, I have been having regular hits to that post, sometime 10 to 20 each week. The hits are from around the world, and right now my post is the fourth one that comes up if you google "Piazza d'Italia."  I'm not sure which amazes me more: my successful posting or that fact there are that many people interested in Piazza d'Italia!

Mega Weekend

Wow, what was I thinking? This weekend, everything so to come together. I had a thesis committee meeting on Friday; I have to prepare for two midterms (Monday & Tuesday); I had opera on Saturday night; I am on call; and at the last moment, Michael decided to come visit for the weekend.


I have gotten better at looking ahead to try to prevent freak-outs. One of my partners agreed to take one of the call days. I also arranged to take off take off Thursday, Friday, and Monday. So not only have I been able to get a lot of work done, I have done it a non-frenetic pace...and I've been able to enjoy myself as well!

Slow Start

The new semester has started, but I am getting off to a slow start.  I am having problems summoning up motivation.  I'm not quite sure why.  I am actually pretty interested in the coursework.  I should be able to make significant headway towards my thesis.  I will be learning new and buffing up old computer skills.  In addition, I should start making some progress towards building my portfolio.  All good.  Maybe I've been dealing with this whole work/school/life balance for too long....two years can be draining.

Back to Full Time Everything

Tomorrow, I start back to school.  Part of me is excited.  I start fleshing out what my graduate thesis will be.  I get to learn some new computer skills.  I'm growing in new directions.  I'm making progress towards graduation...and towards my new career.


However.....there is a big however.  I'm two years into graduate school.  I am so tired from balancing 80% at work and 70-100% time at school.  That doesn't even take into account trying to have a proper home life.  It is simply exhausting.  The break was rejuvenating, but it will take a few days to erase all that.  I know I can hang on through this year.  I don't really consider failure an option, but I feel that I am pushing my limits.