Steamed Puddings

I had an interesting meeting today with GPCW and Placentologist regarding the first draft of thesis paper 1, otherwise known as “all your gels are belong to us [sic]“. It turns out that even though they both said earlier this week they wanted to submit this paper to Clinical Journal X without much fuss, we spent the whole 3-hour meeting picking through each sentence of the methods and results sections I’d rewritten from the thesis. I don’t think I could adequately convey to them how little I care about this material anymore.

As usual for any meeting involving Placentologist, we figured 3 hours would be enough time to touch on the entire draft. We just barely got through the methods (which are lengthy) and the results (which are not) within this time. Placentologist kept commenting that we needed more biology in the discussion section, and I pointedly told her near the beginning that I saw this as a great place for her to contribute (read: do it your damned self). I wrote a THESIS on this stuff, and I shouldn’t have to write every word of a paper on which there are 8 authors. In the words of The Garbage Man: “Can’t someone else do it?” Bonus points if you can tell me the song that goes with that quote.

I was happy when the three hours were up and it was clear that Placentologist had other committments. Too often my meetings with her have stretched to five hours, into late nights, starting in early mornings, or over periods in which I would have otherwise eaten or peed. I have really been looking forward to the end of thesis papers 1 & 2 so I can avoid having any more long meetings with her.

She has pushed for the last year for me to get this paper written, suggesting that having an acceptance in hand before my oral exam would prevent any problems. Kiwiman has always scoffed at this suggestion, saying that if I were to have problems, the supervisors (Placentologist and CSO) should have caught them already and not allowed me to submit the thesis. I agree…but some of today’s meeting had me worried. I’m still freaked out that my oral exam COULD happen within a month.

The elephant in the room was my knowledge that Placentologist will not be at my oral exam. She doesn’t know that I know, I think. She apparently thought it would be inappropriate for her to examine the thesis in which she helped me write sections. I tend to agree, but wish she had discussed it with me…something she still has not done. Open communication is something we do not always have.

I took the bus from work to Placentologist’s office. She works at a satellite campus which is an hour’s bus ride from my house/work. I started the journey back at about 5pm. The sun was still high in the sky, since daylight saving time doesn’t end here for another ten days or so. When I sat down on the bus, I thought: “It’s so nice and sunny - I should go for a run when I get home. I slept in and missed spin class today, so I need to get moving. Last night I noticed some ‘chair spread’ creeping in, too. Must be those Creme Eggs at easter.”

As I rode across town in the Auckland rush-hour traffic: “(Yawn) I was so tired towards the end of that meeting. Maybe aerobic exercise is a bad idea. Too much work.”

When I got home: “I need a drink, and some junk food. Let’s open those yummy corn chips. Maybe I can finally get the Long Jump achievement in Portal while Kiwiman is at squash. I can go to the gym in the morning (if I get up early enough).”

I deserve an award for talking myself out of exercise. Do any of you do this too?