Do or Die

This is it. I took a full time job in August 2007 even though I was just in the preliminary stages of writing my thesis to finish my MS degree at Utah State. I had completed my coursework and research project and just needed to run the data through analysis and write it up. Not a problem to do that evenings and weekends while working full time right? Wrong! I know some people seem to be able to do that, but I have not.

We moved to Roosevelt and I started a rather demanding full-time job with an unpredictable schedule and lots of overtime. I loved it and dove in headfirst trying to learn my area and the duties of my position. We had baby Mack in October which added some additional stress and time commitments, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Life got full and complicated and before I knew it, a year had passed and I had made very little progress on writing.

In August of 2008 after an exhaustive and frustrating real estate search we decided to build our own home. We did our own framing, electric, paint, finish carpentry, tile, stone, etc. I spent every extra evening and weekend minute at the house from Sept to February. In the spring we moved in and I started doing a little thesis work again. I found some time here and there and finally finished my data analysis. In the meantime my university colleges, my employer, my family , and about everyone else I know hounded me constantly about when I was going to finish my degree. Then I got the news that 2 of my 3 committee members were retiring and the 3rd was moving to California. We dedicated that fall 2009 was the last window of opportunity for me to defend. I figured I would have lots of time in the summer to get my writing done and be ready to defend in the fall without a problem.

Well here we are mid September and I am really starting to sweat. I have turned in 2 drafts to my committee and both times was asked to do major re-writes. I am halfway through the second re-write and I can hear the clock ticking (loudly). I have been royally chewed out by my boss and my wife (I will let you guess which chewing was worse). I turned back in a deer tag that took me 9 years to draw to give myself more time to write, and after paying $1200 in tuition to register for the required 3 credits of thesis defense this is it. Do or die time. If I can't finish this semester...