This is a marathon week for the Studyboy. He is writing the first of his 3 comprehensive exams this week. He started Monday morning and has a week to write a 40 page open book paper explaining everything he knows about methods of research and explain how to apply them to his area of study. He's been in training for this marathon for about six months. He started with daily doses of heavy reading and progressed into short writing spurts to build both stamina and speed.
So far he is weathering the stress well. He just keeps thinking of it in terms of a theatre production week; the bit just before opening night when you exist on coffee, beer and smokes. (Except it's more like chamomile tea, rye whiskey and smokes. Oh how we age...)
I was in training too. As the wifely equivalent of those people that shove cups of water at the runners from the sidelines, my job was to organise fast and easy food service so he can just keep pounding the keyboard 11 hours a day. For three weeks I've been venturing into the frozen food section of the grocery store and stocking up on microwavable lunches. This was an education in itself. I finally got to see what all those TV ads were about. Wow, who knew food-like items came in a box?
As for suppertime: If you can make it in the slow cooker before you go to work I've eaten it recently. Partly because the oven is on the blink and neither of us have time to call the landlord. Is this what it is like to have children?
On Monday he passes in the first paper and has 2 weeks to recover before starting the second marathon paper. By then my job at the nursery will be finished (it snowed again today) and I will be able to cook meals that have a longer prep time than 20 minutes. It's a good thing too because I'm running out of ideas. Tonight I'm making fish cakes for tomorrow.
For Christmas, I want a framed piece of paper that says MRS.Ph.D.A.B.D. In Latin.
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