Entry 7: In Which My Brain Turns to Goo

Lovely title, no? bllarrrgh. I've been working all day (yes, on a Saturday. Shut up.). I feel good about the amount of useful stuff I've gotten done. But really, I think my brain is about to start running out my ears.

There are three big things that have to get done before I can defend my thesis. Of course, there are also a million and one smaller things that need to get done, but these are the main things:

1. Finish processing data.
2. Do statistical analysis of said data.
3. Write the freaking thesis.

I have an undergrad who was supposed to finish most of thing #1 during winter break. I started in on thing #3 last semester, made a bunch of progress, and started to do more in January. Then I discovered my undergrad was majorly slacking and would not be able to finish the large database she was supposed to be doing. So we switched: she is now (hopefully) doing the small database and I'm doing the big one. Which means almost all I have done for the past two weeks is work on that. I've also spent a lot of time working with a fellow grad student to figure out exactly how we need to do the statistics. But I haven't gotten any writing done at all.

Processing data goes like this: I have database full of records that need to be coded. I open up a record and read the information in it. Then I use a spiffy little flowchart to place the information in the right category. The flowchart is a series of yes/no questions, and based on the answers I go on to the next question, and the next, until I reach a score. I write it all down on data sheets (just in case of Computer Disaster). My notes look pretty cryptic: N-N-N-Y-Y-Y-Y-N--->3 N-N-N-N--->1 You get the idea. Then I enter the score in the database, click off some checkboxes to label certain characteristics of the information, and then flip to the next record.

It. Is. So. Boring.

I set a record on Wednesday: 264 records in one day. Today I got through 234. If I stay close to this level every day, I can be done with this batch by the end of the week. Then there's one more smaller batch to do. Then I can move on to statistics, then writing, and never look back.

Good grief, what a boring blog entry. As dull as it is to process all this data, I'll bet it's even worse to read about it. This blog sucks.

On the other hand, I'm really enjoying writing it. It's oddly cathartic to sit here and type for twenty minutes at the end of each day.

Should I keep this up or no? I have no idea..... Why don't I try it for another week and then decide.