10 days to St. John's

The countdown is really on. Just ten days before I head to St. John's for over a month. I had hoped to have a full draft of my thesis written by then, but it's not going to happen. And that's okay. I will not beat myself up over it. That's not what this is all about. It just has to be about moving forward. What's that quote from Annie Hall? Woody Allen, as Alvie Singer, says something about relationships being like sharks. They need to constantly move forward or else they'll die. Something like that? That's the metaphor for my thesis these days. And as long as it continues to move forward, I'll be okay with it. I just can't let it die. I am getting closer to a full draft all the time, but I need to stop thinking about the full draft. I get too overwhelmed when I think about the big picture. I just need to focus on section by section, and gradually they all come together to make the whole thing. I've been doing pretty good the last few days. The first few days of last week were rough. The humidex temperatures were in the mid-40s up until Friday. It was really tough to trudge out of the house with a backpack on my back. I did it, mind you, but I was definitely less productive than I would have liked. My brain really slowed down with the heat. Since the extreme heat broke, things are flowing a little easier. Today is the World Cup final, and Toronto is abuzz. Line-ups everywhere to get into restaurants and bars to watch the game. It's standing room only at my regular spot, Lit espresso bar. I'm in a corner working away. I'm one of two people not watching the game. No fans wearing colours in here, so it's a fairly tame crowd. Anywhere else, and I'm sure I would be kicked out for not partaking in the WC excitement. Even though I have no interest in the game, and when the WC started, I was frustrated that the cafe had taken to showing all the dames, I grew accustomed to the vuvuzela symphony, the BBC commentators, and the periodic shouts of excitement or disappointment. Mostly, I think it's kind of cool to see people coming together like this. It kind of reminds me of home. Not the soccer bit, just the gathering together bit. You know, like when Team Gushue was Team Canada at the 2006 Olympics? Well, not quite, but kind of...

Anyway, for anyone who follows regularly, just thought I'd let you know that things are going okay. I'll be taking my writing back to St. John's with me. And that's okay. Our wedding isn't until August 14, so I'll still have a couple of weeks to thesis away. I may see if I can find a get-away spot near the water for a few days. A little writing retreat would be lovely.

Until next time...