I atent dead yet!

Just popped in to zap some comment-spam that akismet missed. I have 8 days to go on the PhD. Eeek. That’s about all I have time for now, epic updates once a) it is handed in b) I have collapsed enough and recovered

Another Quick Update

The PhD is continuing apace, hence not much in the way of updates here. My paper diary has fallen by the wayside as well as I seem to have run out of both time and energy. I sort of regret that, and I plan to pick it back up again in the new year as I have been finding it a really valuable tool and record of what I have accomplished, as well as helping me see where things have not gone so well and deciding what to do about them.

 

Since Paris it has felt pretty much non-stop. I did have a short rest at the end of October for the not-spouse-creatures’ birthday (his 30th no less); we went to the zoo and had dinner together and didn’t talk about archaeology or soil at all.

 

I handed in a substantial (but still pretty rough) first draft this time last week, and I’m waiting for comments. I have some experiments to finish and then I need to finish off the write-up to include them, and try to pull something coherent together. I’ve written it all in such a piecemeal fashion (as it really is the only way to do something this big) that I can’t see the thread to hang it all together with. I need to take a step back a bit to re-examine the big picture, but I’m running out of time.

 

Christmas is shaping up to not be a lot of fun, as my final deadline is the first week in January, but hey, this is the last time EVER that christmas/birthdays and other important life stuff will be buried under uni coursework.

 

There are some days that I love it, and on most days I look at what I’ve done and I feel proud, but today has been a frustrating day so I’ll be quiet about the PhD now, lest I say something I regret.  I can see light at the end of the tunnel, and I have to keep reminding myself that it really is almost there. I just have to not fall at the last few hurdles and all will be well, but just don’t ask me how the PhD is going for a wee while, unless you really want to know :-s

 

Neko out

Just a leetle update

Me at the Louvre

I went to Paris last week to talk about my PhD at the big bi-annual archaeology and geophysics conference, which went OK. I met some great people and some idols of mine, and they listened to my paper, which was pretty mind blowing. Paris was also kinda awesome: pictures are here. I’ve not had time to go and add descriptions etc to them all yet, but I will at some point.

I’m crazy busy at the moment, and don’t have time to write properly: I have just about finished all of the practical work and I’m frantically writing up to get a draft to my supervisors by the end of October.

If you are really interested in the daily panic and woe this causes, you can read my tweets!

Probably won’t be able to write for a wee while. I’ll try to think of something better to say by then.

Summer Days

Looking out of my window, here in Southampton, I’m not entirely sure it is summer, but my dairy says it’s August, and tomorrow I’m off to take part in an (almost) annual summer tradition: Living History

Some of the Gentry conversing at a previous event

This entry isn’t an ad per se but I’m going to be at Northcourt Manor, at Shorwell on the Isle of Wight doing a Living History gig set in 1642 as the English Civil War is about to kick off.

// commence plug//

The group I ‘re-enact’ with get together once a year to run an awesome Living History (as opposed to a battle recreation) on the Isle of Wight and we are called ‘Church State and Household‘. I reckon we put on a great event, suitable for any age, where you can learn about everything from life in the military to how food was prepared. We also try to explain to people the different perceptions of the politics of the time. There is a lot of social history communicated as well.

The day is a lot like taking part in a murder mystery event: guests are immersed into a day in the life of a 17th Century working manor (in this case, the estate of the Governer of the Isle of Wight). However, the King and his Parliament have not been getting on, and the whole country is poised on the brink of war… Given the Governor is a staunch Parliamentarian,  visitors are likely to become embroiled in plots and schemes and witness history unfolding. As well as the threat of Civil War looming, there other things afoot: smugglers, disputed wills… Every day there is a mystery for you to solve!

We take historical personae and events from what we already know about Northcourt- it was indeed owned by the Leigh’s, the governing family at this time, and build a more detailed story around what the history books record that you can come and take part it. We never say that the story we tell is exactly what did happen, but promise you that it could have!

I’ve been doing this since I was 14 and I can assure you all of a good fun educational day out, and the weather over the weekend looks great! If you are on the Island or able to come over, why not come and see us? There is a map above, or you can get the No. 7 bus from Newport

The event starts on the 8th August and gates are open to the public from 1o.30am to 5pm each day. It’s £7 for adults and £4 for kids, under fives are free!

// here ends the plug//

I have passed my final annual review thingy and according to my supervisors am set to complete as planned. Lot and lots of work to do, so me and Matt had a week off for his Sister’s wedding (congratulations Rosie and Ed!) last week to give me a rest before the epic write up. It’s also why I am only doing the first two days (Saturday and Sunday) of the event. I’m a bit daunted but I know in my heart of hearts that it will all be OK. Then I just have to work out what to do with myself afterwards…

Much to report?

I don’t have time to write a huge post now, but just a leetle update:

I moved home at the end of June (rather than living in Bournemouth part-time) as our housemate of the last four years has finally flown the nest! We decided that we are really OK with not sharing anymore, but this means that we now pay the whole rent, so I can’t live away during the week.

I’m (almost) into the writing up stages so it should all work out pretty well as our ’spare’ room is now my study; the PhD stuff has already taken over it’s own corner!

I ran away to the Isle of Wight with the Prehistoric Society for a weekend: photo’s are here . I want to write it all up as a post at some point, if I have time, as I learned a lot. I tweeted the main points though so you may already be sick of it!

As a result of all the moving we’ve been without internet (eek!) but are now finally back online.

I’ve been massively occupied with lab-stuff following the Somerset dig, mainly involving dissolving soil in boiling acid to blast the moelcules apart so I can vaporise them in plasma and work out what elements are present. This is less fun than it sounds.

More soon,

Neko x