A Week of the Rules

A week into the rules, I have to say it’s working well. I’ve stuck to the rules so far. I’ve had no alcohol, I’ve checked no news, smoked no cigarettes, drank nothing but decaf. I’ve got up for my alarm every day. I went for seven runs last week, only a little over a mile each, but still… So far this week I’ve been for two. Yesterday’s was the first proper one I’d say, about 4 miles. I’m christening it the short route in the hope that I’ll run other longer routes.  It’s nice, life’s become quite simple and satisfying. I’m still going out to the pub and stuff, and going and doing things, I’ve just cut out all the crap, all the websurfing and stuff. It means I have time to do my thesis and see friends and play guitar without feeling guilty all the time.

Plus I feel much more confident about my thesis. Yesterday I signed a piece of paper that means I have to have my thesis in by the 28th of November, or else I get fined by the University of Glasgow. No turning back now.

Stolen Parrot

I managed to glance at the first sentence in one of the local Bristol newspapers this morning. Apparently someone has stolen a talented parrot. The parrot can imitate Daleks, and can whistle parts of Beethoven’s fifth and ninth symphonies. It seemed out of place in the sentence to specify that the parrot knew only parts of Beethoven’s fifth. Lest we might think that the parrot would go from start to finish on the entire symphony, including that controversial repeat in the third movement.

New Rule

When I talk about my thesis, I am almost always negative about it. Boo-hoo, poor me I’ve got a thesis to write. It’s not great for me, because firstly it must be a pain in the arse for anyone who actually has to listen to me. Secondly, I think it’s all part of the problem. I’m bigging up the whole thesis thing more than I should. If I was more blasé, or even more positive about my thesis, it would be easier to get it done.

So, rule 12, (rules are being kept on my aboot page), is:

12. No being pessimistic about my thesis

Any and all commentary about thesis will be upbeat, and even ludicrously optimistic. Mandatory optimism, I’m looking forward to seeing how this one pans out. If it helps with the thesis I might expand it to other areas of my life…

Music Please

I’m getting moving again on the thesis. I’ve been listening to Justice and hammering stuff out. Anyone got any musical motivational choices? Justice is working great, so’s Simian Mobile Disco. I await your suggestions eagerly.

My spirits were lifted moments ago, I was reading someone else’s thesis that I’d found online, looking for information on a particular subject just to double check something I was going to write. I happened to noticed that they had cited one of my papers! I was chuffed, first time that’s happened to me My faith in my research is returning at just the right moment…

I found this quite funny on the front page of the thesis:

What sort of mind comes thinks “Oh I know, on the standard template for the thesis, we’ll stick h and then the person writing it can just type in the rest, brilliant”?

P.S. Yes, my banter is going to be this bad for the next while.

P.P.S. Something funny happened today: I ate one of those foam-type packing chips you get in boxes and a colleague, Gildas, got really angry and shouted at me, and we all had a good laugh because we couldn’t figure out why me eating a foam-type packing chip would make him so angry.

First Day of the Rules

First full day today. Though I obeyed most of the rules yesterday, I had already agreed to meet my dad for a drink, as he was in Bristol for one night only. I had three pints of De Koninck, and then I had three cigarillos. So no more booze now till my cousin’s wedding in a month’s time, and no more tobacco until I submit my thesis and smoke a Monte Cristo cigar I have waiting for the event.

I went for a run yesterday, only the second I’ve had since about October last year. I only did about ten minutes and afterwards I felt like I had been assaulted.

Today was Latte Wednesday, and so as not to be an outcast, I had a decaf Latte. I couldn’t tell the difference.

I’ve obeyed the rest of the rules, though I thought of another one to add: No more than 8 hours of sleep a night. I reckon I’m sleeping too much, 9-and-a-half hours last night. So, much as I like a lie-in, there’ll be none until I submit my thesis.

Actual thesis progress is patchy, but is definitely an improvement on recent days.