PhinisheD

It's finally done. I took my dissertation over to Sproul Hall this morning and turned it in. There was a woman in the office who filed just before me who had the widest, most absurd grin on her face. While she was waiting for them to print her receipt, she would periodically bounce up and down in her seat. I can't say I'm that excited, but I'm not a naturally effusive person. Nevertheless, it's really nice to have that big monkey (fisher?) off my back.

After getting all of the paperwork squared away, I headed over to Telegraph, grabbed a slice of Blondie's pizza, and (predictably) went to Rasputin's to reward myself with some impulsive music purchasing. (Proving that I'm still stuck in my post-punk rut, I got New Order-Substance, Echo and the Bunnymen-Porcupine, and Public Image Ltd.-Second Edition.) Now I'm sitting at my desk trying not to think of the handful of papers I have to grade and the talk I have to give at a workshop in Arcata next week (and which I haven't started writing).

It's nice to be done, and I'm happy I'll be hanging around the Bay Area for most of the summer. The last few months, I don't feel I've had as much time to appreciate living here. I'll be getting started on some of that appreciating tonight over beers at the Triple Rock. It'll be my first (and second, and third...) guilt-free beer in a while, and I'm really looking forward to it.