Escaped the valley heat. Drive to Marin Headlands and had a picnic on the beach. Got a little sunburned and spent 4 hours driving home due to wrecks on I-80. Totally worth it.
Passed my comprehensive exams. Decided to take a trip to Santa Rosa, and came back with COVID. At least the trip was exciting, and provided a nice distraction from forming my dissertation committee.
Passed both Comprehensive Exams! This means I am officially a doctoral candidate, and in the ABD (all but dissertation) phase.
It’s been a month filled with phases. And, I won’t elaborate but I’m hoping that it’s true that all things pass. “It’s just a phase.” I suppose I should take that perspective if to grind this thing out inside a year, and grab that diploma in June 2023.
In the meantime, here’s a few pictures of my favorite Sierra Nevada foothill winery…going through phases of its own.
A nice day for a nice day…on the water
This month has brought change, and only two weeks have passed. Comprehensive exams almost compete. I passed Exam #1 and barely failed the other. Upside: I have another week to revise and resubmit Exam #2. No pressure, right? The successful completion of Exam #2 only dictates whether I can continue to my dissertation or wait out the summer semester and try again in the fall semester.
This past Saturday also marked the first Kentucky Derby my parents have hosted in their new residence. That is a big change, since they have hosted 100+ people for as long as I can recall. Rich Strike, the long-shot with 80-1 odds, won in spectacular fashion. What a change from years past when the horses who won had much better odds. It gives me hope.
I have been trying to change jobs, and I feel like Rich Strike. I feel like the long-shot, but I know there’s still a chance.