Happy Sunday, friends! As you can see, I’m all about the power of the Force this weekend. My friends and I are going to see the Star Wars exhibit at the San Jose Tech Museum in a couple of weeks, so I’m fixing a few holes in my nerd cred and finally watching the original 3 films. Not sure why it took so long for me to get around to doing this, but I’m glad it’s finally happening!
This week I had the chance to hit up the California Academy of Sciences‘ weekly 21+up event, “Nightlife,” for the first time in a couple of months. Nightlife is the only event in the San Francisco Bay Area with music, creatures, cocktails, and science–definitely my idea of the perfect night out. As always, the creatures were out in full force, with butterflies flitting about the rainforest…
…tropical fish floating about in their tank…
…a brightly colored lizard, who left his perch to peer a bit more closely at me…
…a sleepy frog…
…and some very industrious leafcutter ants.
IMG 6234 from Lena Corazon on Vimeo.
I’m feeling a bit like those ants right now: running to and fro, sometimes in the wrong direction, with a giant leaf that’s several times larger than my body weight on my shoulder. I’d like to think that I’m getting things done (honestly, just checking in feels like a huge accomplishment, so I am going to congratulate myself and tell myself that it is), but some days the things I finish hardly seem proportional to the things left languishing on my to-do list.
But Rome wasn’t built in a day, right? I just purchased a handy weekly planner in the hopes that having something tangible will make it easier to schedule the few free hours that I have each day. It’ll arrive eventually; in the meantime, I’m trying to check in with myself every couple of days, if not daily.
Progress, hey-o!
Dissertation:
- Dissertation Chapter: I’m iiiinching my way along with this chapter. I printed the current draft (9 pages long, lots of gibberish), and I’ve got some notes on how to refine the outline. I also bought a copy of sociologist Patricia Wittberg’s book FROM PIETY TO PROFESSIONALISM–AND BACK?: TRANSFORMATIONS OF ORGANIZED RELIGIOUS VIRTUOSITY. While it’s a study of current Catholic women religious (unlike my historical study), she utilizes the sociology of organizations and institutional logics, the perspective I’m attempting to apply to my project. I read sixty pages this week; the goal for next week is to read another three chapters.
- Dissertation Data: I haven’t gotten around to looking at all the data I’ve collected, but I’ll be in the archive next weekend doing a bit more collecting. To prepare, this week I’ll be reading up on the overall history of the religious order, the Sisters of the Holy Family. Cool story: they were the only religious order to be founded in the US, west of the Mississippi River.
Creative Writing:
- Writing: Nothing new in terms of fiction or poetry. I’m halfway through Chapter 14 of TELL ME NO LIES, and I’ve been trying to fix the outline. I’m merging multiple drafts into one, and I still can’t decide what I want to keep and what needs to be discarded. This week, I’d like to have a chapter outline complete.
- Reading: I finished ALL THE PATHS OF SHADOW by Frank Tuttle, and ohhhhh. Can we talk about a book that just left me devastated when I was done? Not because of some horribly sad ending, but because it was lovely, and wonderful, and it made me feel. The novel is fantasy with steampunk touches, and gave me lots to think about in terms of the fantasy/steampunk hybrid novel I worked on for NaNoWriMo 2012. This week I’ll read CHASING THE STAR GARDEN by Melanie Karsak.
So that’s me this week! Be sure to wave a friendly hello to all the other ROWers participating this week.
As a fun aside, and in keeping with the Star Wars theme, I leave you with the greatest comedy sketch of all time: Eddie Izzard’s “Death Star Canteen” sketch from his stand-up show, Circle (2000). Some brilliant person with way too much time on their hands rendered the entire thing in Lego, and it is glorious. Warnings for strong language (multiple f-bombs, etc.). Oh, and don’t eat or drink anything while watching. 😛
March 9, 2014 at 11:00 pm
Hi Lena!
Sounds like you’re having some fun in-between all the work that you’re doing. I have no doubt you will achieve all that you are striving for.
Love the pics by the way. And can you believe it’s been a year since we got together? Wow. That’s crazy!
Great to see you girl! 🙂
Karen McFarland recently posted..Sing O Bla Di Bla Da!
March 10, 2014 at 8:10 pm
Karen! I was just thinking about our wonderful dinner together last year. It’s hard to believe how much has happened since then. I’ll have to let you know the next time I’m in town. It’s been way too long!
March 10, 2014 at 12:37 pm
I love the photos! It’s so great when we can find events like that in our community. A few months ago, I attended a lecture by a digital media artist on the campus where I used to work. I heard about it at the very last minute, but I’m so glad I decided to go. All of that is fuel for our art!
Denise D. Young recently posted..Daylight Savings Time & Sunday #ROW80 Check-In
March 10, 2014 at 8:11 pm
Seriously, local events, especially ones about science, the arts, and history, are some of my favorites. My boyfriend has been teasing me about the number of email lists I belong to, but I love knowing about cool things that are happening.
Thanks for swinging by, Denise!
March 10, 2014 at 3:16 pm
Great photos! What a fun time you must have had.
You can keep the Star Wars thing for yourself. I’m not a huge fan, although I loved Harrison Ford in the original movies.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
Patricia recently posted..Sometimes You Just Have To Kill ‘Em
March 10, 2014 at 8:12 pm
It was SUCH a fun night. My sister was in town and stopped by with some friends, so I got a chance to hang out with her for a little bit as well.
I know, Star Wars definitely isn’t everyone’s cup of tea! The exhibit is supposed to be about the science behind the movie, which I’m looking forward to. However–Harrison Ford, yum. Definitely the best part of the films!
March 10, 2014 at 7:56 pm
It’s been a very long day, so the Star Wars Death Canteen made me laugh. Thank you. I did have coffee today. No wet trays. No Darth Vader. Too bad. Those photos and the video of the leafcutters hauling those giant leaves around were fun. A respite. Nice to have real writing projects to balance out the dissertation (and a sense of humor to keep moving). Make it a good week!
Beth Camp recently posted..ROW80 Sunday check-in: Pure Recovery
March 10, 2014 at 8:14 pm
So glad you enjoyed it, Beth, and I’m glad you liked the pictures. I’ve been trying to get better about taking pictures when I do fun events like Nightlife.
Have a wonderful week as well!