Deadlines and dollars

My thesis advisore returned 1.5 chapters I sent her and said she likes it (hallelujah!). She also said that between her and my co-advisor, the last two weeks of august are out, and if I want to be out before september I'm going to need to produce a chapter per week. 

And THAT is what I call a deadline. I look forward to the customary bust of activity that follows do-or-die events in my life. I'm gonna pull this off. Frankly I'm relieved. When my brain (or whatever) decides that I finally have enough pressure to work, it feels so good to just go go go and make tracks for the finish line. It was like that to re-write chapter 2 and the first 1/3 of chapter 3. I sat down and made it happen. It's the part that validates the days and weeks I spent looking at my computer screen, cursor waiting for me to make a move and just NOT being able to write more than a sentence at a time. How frustrating when you know you have it in you! Anyway, those days are done unless I feel like digging up another grand or so for the privilege of being slow. Ah, motivation, welcome back. 

************

Bike stuff! Tomorrow morning we will head back to the working centre to check out any bike possibilities and I will sign up for volunteer hours. I'll also donate my old bike (winter ride) and sell some books at a used store on the way down. I'm obsessed with kijiji and ebay and selling stuff to earn cash for the trip and move stuff out of the house at the same time. If someone wants our matching couch and chair, rob and I are fine with using camp chairs for the rest of the summer. I was reading about a couple who made enough off of flipping stuff from thrift stores to ebay to not only totally fully gear up, but buy them flights to south east asia too.    (the VW Vagabonds, check the link --------->)

Obviously I'm super inspired by that and LOVE the idea of collecting cheap stuff and flipping it for profit on ebay.  Of course, we don't really have too much time for that, plus in a university town, second hand stores are pretty well loved. PLUS, it's so freaking chic to shop there, less good stuff is around to pick up. Anyway, I'll keep my eyes open. Both of us have scored some name brand long sleeve cycling shirts, a total necessity for fall touring, plus it's quick dry. Rob also got some cycling shirts. I'm still looking, what's up with the ladies! Let's get some recycled polyester shirts into value village! hah. 

I have a huge list of stuff to go on ebay and kijiji and am hoping to list stuff tonight. A recent big score was....we managed to sell the broken accordion! I dropped the blasted thing and chipped off like 4 keys. Damn! Not only that, but I've stubbed my toes on it many a time and it was TIME OR IT TO GO. Some lad from Vancouver has decided to pick it up and we made back about $85 for it, which is cheap for a quick fix accordion and so much more than it was worth to us, so that felt good. 

The great divestment of '08 is definitely gathering steam. Awesome :-)

ooh baby I love your way

So this weekend was good! Here's why:

*On Friday, Rob got officially hired on to RIM away from the placement agency. This means a raise, job security and most importantly: BENEFITS. Can you say dollar for dollar RRSP matching? yes. oh, yes.

* Mom and dad came up this weekend and we hung out, ate and went second hand shopping
* we then all went out to London to visit C&M, and we ate and hung out more!

* The guppies were born! And many of them survived. Poor mama guppy would labour, birth a little tiny baby (they came out bent in two) and they would last an average of 1-6 seconds before one of the males would swoop in and eat it. The ones she birthed while the males were distracted or too full or something lasted longer. If they got more than 10 seconds of life, then they would figure out that they should dart away from everything. Before that and they were little McSnacks for their two dads. It was sad and cool, at at the same time. We thought we had about 8 left but I can now see about 11 that are definitely from the other day. So, we officially have a brood. Anyone want a fish tank starter kit??

My thesis proposal mark came back and the comments said what I thought they would say, and the mark was good. So, now my task is to make it actually happen. *Gasp*

Lastly, R and I are going to see if we like to play squash together, since he scored a graphite racquet for a dollar when we were shopping with mom and dad. Booking the courts are free so as long as we go, it might be a nice activity for us.

So, a good weekend. Gotta keep the good times rolling with academic plans and stuff like that. Ethics clearance, here I come! (gotta get ethics clearance if you are talking to people for your thesis, and boy howdy, will I be talking).

ciao!