Freedom

The fact that I am finally finished with my masters hasn’t sunk in yet. I handed in the final assignment yesterday, after I had a surprise lunch with Miss A, (always a pleasure even if I did leave her drooling over cake memories). I’m not sure what I was expecting as I put the assignment in the box. It’s not like a fanfare is usually played, but it was all a bit anticlimactic. 

I came home, read two more books, and went about my business. Even after getting up this morning it still doesn’t feel like it’s over. If doesn’t even feel like I’m on holiday or something. It’s all rather strange. Perhaps after three years of studying it’s going to take a little while for my body/brain to adjust.

Miss R wants to celebrate me finishing with a lunch or dinner with everyone, since I refuse to go to graduation. I refuse to sit there for 2 or more hours bored out of my skull so they can get my name wrong and hand me my piece of paper that says I’m a Master. They can post it to me. I’d much rather eat with my friends.

Now that I am free we can start planning the zombicide event. Not exactly sure where we are going to have it or when. I am going to spend the morning unpacking the box while the washing machine serenades me. Uni may be over but chores are forever.

August Recap

I am sadly behind in my posting this month, and the next is looking no better. By the end of October I will have finally completed my Masters. Before that, I have to finish my final assignment, and sit my first (and last) exam in my academic career. More study, but less reading.

On the up side I have only got 94 books to read in order to reach my target. Plus my faulty ereader was replaced with a newer model (after a not inconsiderable amount of drama, which I won't go into as I'm trying to keep my blood pressure at a reasonable level).

Books read in August:

216. Wintersmith  by Terry Pratchett

217. I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

218. The last hero by Terry Pratchett

219. Thief of time by Terry Pratchett

220. Maskerade by Terry Pratchett

221. Rope burns (Million dollar baby) by F.X. Toole

222. Berserk v9 by Kentaro Miura

223. The black madonna by Peter Millar

224. Berserk v10 by Kentaro Miura

225. Unseen academicals by Terry Pratchett

226. Cold comfort farm by Stella Gibbons

227. Fire in the East by Harry Sidebottom

228. King of Kings by Harry Sidebottom

229. Lion of the Sun by Harry Sidebottom

230. Berserk v11 by Kentaro Miura

231. The Caspian gates by Harry Sidebottom

232. The Zombie survival guide by Max Brooks

233. Berserk v12 by Kentaro Miura

234. Berserk v13 by Kentaro Miura

235. Howl's moving castle by Diana Wynne Jones

236. Neuromancer by William Gibson

237. Berserk v14 by Kentaro Miura

238. Berserk v15 by Kentaro Miura

239. The seven daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes

240. Einstein's Riddle by Jeremy Stangroom

241. Nation by Terry Pratchett

242. The princess bride by William Goldman

243. Berserk v16 by Kentaro Miura

244. Trees that shaped the world by Tom Petherick

245. Dodging the bull  by Paul Mitchell

246. The gathering by Will Peterson

247. Blood price by Tanya Huff

248. Blood trail by Tanya Huff

249. Berserk v17 by Kentaro Miura

250. Blood lines by Tanya Huff

251. Berserk v18 by Kentaro Miura

Halfway peoples

Ok, I’ve been slack. Not just a little slack, but on an epic scale. Since semester finished I’ve been spending more and more time away from my laptop. Time that has been channelled into far more pleasurable activities, like seeing my friends and reading. Always reading. This slackness has meant that I didn’t print my reading list for May or June, something that I have now rectified.

With the countdown to my final semester I have started getting things into order. I’m in front for my reading, which is a good thing. Today being the 1^st of July, and day 183, I am quite pleased that I am currently reading book 187. It’s all downhill from here. I realise that in lots of way this challenge has taken over this blog. The last few posts have been little but my reading lists. It would be easy to think that it has taken over the rest of my life too. But it hasn’t really. 

I don’t go out any more or less than I would if I wasn’t reading. I can honestly say that I haven’t missed out on doing anything with friends, or going places with Miss R. I don’t entertain any less, or see fewer movies (though there hasn’t exactly been a wealth of stuff worth seeing). In fact the only thing I do less of is watch tv. Which, in the grand scheme of things, I can’t take that as a bad thing.

On the baking front I finally sourced chestnut flour for my wheat/gluten free baking. It’s first outing as part of a vegan chocolate pumpkin cake was a success. I plan on consuming the last of it with a bowl of warm custard after dinner.

I’m running a second photobooks class on Tuesday morning, and have managed to pick up a few extra shifts, so the bank a/c is slowly recovering from the chunk my rego took out of it. Work also paid for my first aid course. I expect my certificate in the mail any day now. 

The quest for full time work continues. There are possibilities with the opening of the new library in September, but council is still looking over the positions. In the end what they decide will come down to money. I don’t want to leave my library, but it’s hard to live on only 17.5 hrs a week.

Maybe Miss R and I should open that dessert home delivery business …

March recap

 

Well, so far I’m still on track. In fact I am already ¼ of the way there. I have to admit, I am still enjoying the reading. Actually, I think I am in probably more in danger of becoming resentful of anything that interrupts my reading than of the reading itself. With that in mind I have tried to be careful about some of my reading choices. I got completely sucked into the Dresden chronicles, and I devoured the Hunger Games trilogy, but other than that I’ve been fairly good.

I did manage to see around 15 films @ MQFF. I would have liked to see more but it was never going to happen. Miss R & I both picked some interesting one, but we went to a few separately. Hopefully next year we'll have time to see more.

Uni is keeping things interesting. Major academic projects are not my idea of a good time, but unfortunately I'm doing ‘Electronic Publishing’ so there’s no avoiding it this semester. My initial proposal fell through, so now I’m scrambling to find something else so I can get my plan in on time. It does not look good.

The photobooks class went really well, and head of the training team was very happy with it. She is still talking about having me join the team, but needs to convince her managers to find the funding in the budgets. It’s nice to feel wanted, but I’m not holding my breath.

I am looking forward to catching up with the girls in a few weeks. Between work, uni, and the reading, I haven’t been very social. I’ll have to work on that … in my copious free time.

Books read in March:

64: Sybil Exposed, the extraordinary story behind the famous multiple-personality case by Debbie Nathan

65: Claymore vol 7 by Norihiro Yagi

66: Claymore vol 8 by Norihiro Yagi

67: Claymore vol 9 by Norihiro Yagi

68: Claymore vol 10 by Norihiro Yagi

69: iD_entity vol 5 by Son Hee-joon

70: Storm Front by Jim Butcher

71: Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

72: Grave Peril by Jim Butcher

73: Summer Knight by Jim Butcher

74: Death Masks by Jim Butcher

75: Blood Rites by Jim Butcher

76: Dead Beat by Jim Butcher

77: Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher

78: White Night by Jim Butcher

79: Small Favor by Jim Butcher

80: Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

81: Changes by Jim Butcher

82: Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

83: The other Tudors; Henry VIII's mistresses and bastards by Philippa Jones

84: Kurogane vol 1 by Kei Toume

85: Kurogane vol 2 by Kei Toume

86: The kingdoms of dust by Amanda Downum

87: Kurogane vol 3 by Kei Toume

88: Kurogane vol 4 by Kei Toume

89: Kurogane vol 5 by Kei Toume

90: Terminate with extreme prejudice: an expose of the assassination game, its killers and their paymasters by Richard Belfield

91: Hunger games by Suzanne Collins

92: Catching fire by Suzanne Collins