This week is one of many vacations from week. I have the week off and “surprisingly” I am doing homework. My dear husband is working hard in Florida forgoing sleep and has left me to my own devices. I have been enjoying sleeping in later than normal and mid-morning work outs. I had class this evening and really got a fire lit up under my bum. Those that know (and love) me know that I am an overachiever if there ever was one. See, the way this works is that I have two classes that are primarily devoted to this huge project that takes upward of a year to complete. In order to truly start the research I have to write the first three of the total five chapters. I have to submit these chapters along with my data analysis techniques and all of the letters I have to send to administrators, teachers, and parents to the IRB- they make sure I am being ethical and that there is a purpose for my study. Most people have completed at least one of their three chapters in the first of the two classes. My previous teacher was less than informative, less than accommodating, and basically left me behind in the game. All of my classmates have completed all three chapters and are ready to submit their applications to start doing research. Me, of all people, am getting raised eye brows from the teacher telling me to get moving! Ahhh!! I am a perfectionist and don’t believe in turning in ‘rough drafts’ (or sloppy copies, as I refer to them to my students). I like everything to be done and done well so there will be less work later. So, tomorrow I am devoting yet another day to the computer. I have a good start on my next chapter and then I have all kinds of research to do for the third chapter. I am very lucky to have the week off, but how will I handle this time consuming project when life starts up again? My current professor is amazing and is a great support system. She has told us to contact her when/if we get to that breaking point. I am pretty well organized, but for as organized as I am, I am as much of a neurotic control freak when it comes to homework!! Oh yeah, I am working for an ‘H’ paper. H is for honorable. I will not settle for an ‘S’ (satisfactory) on something that takes almost a year of my life!! Oh dear Scotty, hold on!!

-Tiff