Surge of Energy - Editing Almost Complete!

1/3 of the way through the final pass through the manuscript.

Reading the whole thing through, making small changes, making sure I'm referring to people correctly on first reference, fixing notes, etc.

Will type it all in tonight, and then mail this motherfucker off tomorrow.

Am so happy I could cry, if it wouldn't get in the way of getting everything done. Will cry the tears of joy when really, truly done.

After I watch tonight's brand new episode of The Ghost Whisperer, that is.

(And you know what? I think I'm not actually horrified by the document. It's so. much. better. than the dissertation ever was. In fact - dare I say it? - it kind of doesn't suck. Who knew?)

Update, 5PM: Ok, done with edits on the whole thing and fixed first references. 1/3 of the way through the notes. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to all of the scholars with whom I argued in the notes of my dissertation. Oh lord, was I a tool. Note to self: notes are not there to have one-sided arguments with people that you don't know. God, I was such an asshole. I also apologize to the handful of people who've bought the dissertation and who have read said notes. You clearly must think that I have anger management issues. (I suppose I can be happy that all of this contentious brow-beating isn't in the text of the dissertation, but lord. What was I thinking?)

Update 6:13 PM: Notes, DONE! What's left? Bibliography (very few changes to be made there), a few last-minute additions to the newest sections (I feel like there's too much me and not enough secondary support - I've got all the research done, and I've marked where things need to go, so this should take no longer than a half hour), and then typing all the crap in. And then printing it out. And then mailing it. That's ALL. I don't think I'm forgetting anything.... MOTHERFUCKER! I'M SO EXCITED! COULD SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS! Ooh, Louis XIV's "Hey Teacher" just came on the shuffle. That's a great song. Woohoo!!!!! So excited!!!!! Must work more but really just want to celebrate (though it would be premature). Can't wait until this stupid thing is done! Which means I should get back to work. Don't wanna. Want to prolong the elated feeling. But will feel more elated when am really done. Damn!

You know, Trans Am is amazed by the whole book thing - like in the "I can't imagine doing that" (with an implied "you're crazy") way. I suppose it is amazing, huh? I tend to think of it as normal and not particularly interesting, because of the crowd I run with, you know? (Actually, I find the amazement a little irritating if I'm honest. I'd much rather people take it in stride a bit more.) But damn straight it's amazing! I can't let myself think so most of the time or I'd be crippled with anxiety, but it's AMAZING! To Medusa: I want to write something to you, but you know that it's totally inappropriate to write, so you'll just have to guess what it is.

God, I'm an annoying blogger right now. But I can't go anywhere with people to tell them of my amazingness, or I'll never finish, and I can't call anybody because if I do that I won't finish. So you, my readers, will have to suck up the fact that I'm annoying. I promise to be more annoying later on, when I'm done with EVERYTHING BUT THE PRINTING!!! (Which of course I'm doing at the office tomorrow and not on my home printer. I also suspect I may be a little drunk at that point, so you may get a rare Crazy tipsy post.)

And I'm totally going out tomorrow night. This calls for TOTAL CELEBRATION and not any activity within the monastic prison in which I've caged myself in order to see this project through to its completion.

Oh, and The Man-Kitty's in the mood to celebrate, too. See, after nearly three years, he's managed to achieve his goal of getting on top of the kitchen cabinets. I didn't think this was felinely possible, but apparently, after much careful planning and strategic jumping onto the kitty condo, the ever-resourceful Man-Kitty found a way (without, I might add, going on the kitchen counters, which he's been trained not to do). Dude, my cat totally is the one in charge in this establishment. Ok, back to work.