Ah yes. My PhD. I've been doing it quite a long time. This is my 6th year in fact. My supervisor is beginning to despair. But I have finally committed to having it finished this academic year.
Gulp.
I'm not sure I can do this. It will be very tight and fairly brutal. Heads down and all that. But I do keep on being taken off my academic thought train by the following:
1. Children. My goodness me do they disrupt a train of thought. There I'll be focusing upon the reification of Marxist processes in the cultural arena and the very next moment I'll be yelled at to extract Lego from someone's nose, wipe a bottom and whilst I'm at it the dog has been sick and it smells and can I go to see Eddy now and buy some football cards on the way and Mrs. Jones says that we are going to the nature reserve tomorrow and my boots have holes in and I can't find my sweater.
I'm not even mentioning the effect that pregnancy and newborns have upon the brain capacity - but it has taken me quite a while to remember how to read a full sentence with words longer than 2 syllables in.
2. Dogs. Need walking. Good to get space to clear my head of the above, but Jessie insists on coming in/going out/ coming in / going out / wanting feeding / wanting play / rolling in something disgusting that really does impact on my ability to concentrate.
3. Building Work. Self inflicted issue this one. I can't quite remember why I thought that a 3 month build to extend the kitchen would be a good idea at this precise moment, but I did. Too late to change anything now, they've knocked walls down.
4. Good friends with good coffee. I cannot resist the call for a quick coffee and a gossip. So weak, but such fun.
5. Ditto 4 but with husband and wine.
6. Blog. Actually this fairly unloved blog needs a good dust down and sort out. I'll still blog, occasionally, but I think the spruce up may have to wait a while yet.
7. Twitter. Again fairly unloved at the moment, but so good for wasting time on when the Marxist cultural studies get a bit... shall we say wordy?
8. EBay - I'd kicked the Ebay habit, I really had. I hadn't bought anything for years. But a weak moment and great purchase later (Orla Kiely dress if you must know, very nice indeed and a total steal) and I am back. 75 items currently on my watch list.
I'll get there in the end. But if you see me faffing about on the Internet, please administer a good, sharp kick to my backside.