Had such a hyper productive day at work (and a quiet week) that I might have nothing to do tomorrow which is great timing for working on my assignment! (zero shame)

I’ve made a lot more headway into how I want to structure this and what the key readings are. Many thanks to an awesome and very supportive/responsive supervisor. I might have a breakthrough with getting my assignment extension too, thank fuck there are basically no more assignments aside from the thesis itself after this.

It has been a truly Kafkaesque experience. I have been reminded how not being trusted or believed really, really sets me off. Something to take note of

There is a desperately anxious part of my brain that is just waiting for a notice like this to come rolling in any day now. I feel like I’m on a decent wicket but I absolutely don’t want to be slugged with a rent increase this year, next year I can handle it, just not this year pls…

Didn’t help that the real estate agent (that my landlord no longer uses - we transact directly) called ME by mistake last week asking if I wanted a new valuation of the property. Fuck off, I hope my landlord told them to take a hike too because inevitably it’ll come back saying “look how much more rent you could be getting!” … and my rental provider, I should say, is probably only going to maintain prices up to a point.

Anyway. Sorry you had to get slugged this, it’s an awful stomach-pit feeling and just generally shit given the quality we put up with for the prices. I hope you get some traction with the awnings…

Oh that’s absolutely gorgeous!!! I would love to have that in my home. The patterns bring me so much joy. Looking forward to more updates

Well, I have a bit of a skeleton going now thanks to a few meetings with my supervisor and emails summarising the overall logic flow.

Where I’m getting a bit stuck is going through the literature to actually understand what the hell I’m talking about. I find myself getting lost in the weeds without being able to understand what I need to focus on at this stage of the project. The specific area of research is an area I didn’t have much exposure to in my coursework so it’s kind of on me, choosing to jump into the deep end… but I feel like I’ve made some progress by getting through a couple of particularly dense papers and starting to how everything is connected, adding notes to the skeleton as I digest the papers.

I like need 3 more entire days to just smash through this but I frustratingly have to work to earn money and all that shit, and it’s mostly screen based work… I’m going to see how much I can get away with phoning it in at work this week so I don’t lose my study momentum

Gracias! I will gratefully accept all calamari and veg gyoza offers even if they arrive the slow way via train (maybe throw some potato cakes from your chosen train station in as well). I need all the moral support I can get 💪🏽

One of my rituals is to use special washi tape to decorate the top of my notepaper for that day - I can set aside some special washi tape for uni work, maybe!

Though I definitely find that working in a different physical environment altogether has been the biggest help. I have gotten a lot more done today than I have in the past couple weeks

A ritual before and after study?

I could definitely see that helping. Being physically in the library does help me focus a bit better (like the ritual of getting to uni, setting up, and acknowledging that now is uni time)

I haven’t worked out a good way to get into that mindset when I’m at home or have had work that day though. It seems nigh on impossible for me to work up the energy to think about uni after a day at work. It took me years to work out a ritual to help me get into ‘work mode’ when working from home.

I may need to accept that I’m only going to get uni work done while I’m at the library. Luckily, it’s only a 15 minute drive from home.

Okay, printing out these papers and trying to study in the uni library (albeit a very sad and neglected place now) is helpful, but I’ve had a ridiculously slow start to the day… and I’m dreading having to go to work the next couple of days, breaking the concentration/energy I need to focus on a very different mode of thinking/writing.

Maybe doing this work and study thing isn’t a very good idea :c I thought I had it in me but I don’t have the energy that I did 4-5 years ago. Okay okay, no more dwelling on these negative thoughts, just keep on with what I can do at the moment. I’m making some progress on this assignment outline.

I frigging love Woolshed Falls. Beechworth and surrounds is really lovely. I definitely want to go back again.

Literally giving it away online for free (because I hate wasting things), but nobody’s gonna want an opened one I suspect. There’s no way of telling that all the ink is actually in there…

Honestly would’ve been cheaper to just go and print all my stuff at officeworks or uni with how much I’ve now spent. But I will suck it up because it’s one less barrier to my INCREDIBLE inertia at efficiently getting uni stuff done. I can print out stuff any time I want now, no excuses about libraries not open or not wanting the hassle of loading stuff on an usb to print.

Wasted $36 on an ink cartridge that was the wrong one and I had already opened it when I realised. Really kicking myself. That would’ve been a week of coffees or a nice dinner or several days food. Grrrr. Between this and the $200 fine and uni fees due tomorrow I’m glad I have a pay rise coming up. Sigh. I’ve been in muuuch worse financial situations so I just gotta forget these things and move on.

I want to bury my face in his glorious mane but I’m sure I’ll mostly get scratches on my face

Spotted at the shops. Is this a prank from friends or legit. Either way, must be fun getting double bullied on the roads

I am similarly struggling with uni… Contemplating printing out some papers to read and amnotate, without the distraction of screens

Think I slept for nearly 12 hours there. zzzz… Today and tomorrow are my last chances to get my uni stuff done and not sink into old patterns of guilt and shame. I’m going to make it work. Getting out of bed now so that I don’t loll around for hours…

Whoo, what a long day. Out to the city for movie, chat with friend, lunch at a HK cafe to satiate my cravings (Ovaltine! And yu xiang eggplant and you tiao), then sitting with my friend for hours of driving as she just bought a car and only recently got her licence and wanted to practice driving various routes including all the way across town… had a video call with a family member in between… I’m ready for bed now honestly. Also it’s cold again. zzzzzz.

Yes, it’s always a silly experience having voice navigation on down Royal Pde…

I just watched All Shall Be Well which broke my heart and made me angry but also really made me want a sumptuous HK spread and mooncake 😭 please help chef

Ugh, not liking the overcast (maybe rainy) conditions ahead. Everyone who did their laundry this week must be so relieved.

At least the temps don’t look so bad! More like Sydney temps. I think we’re safely past the 1C mornings and 11C maxes…? hopefully…

That’s true, but I find Indian in general is expensive for a single person for dinner, unless you take home the leftovers. I looked up other Indian joints in Richmond on the way home and most places are $20+ for one curry. I just wanted like a $20 set meal like a lot of places do for lunch… one serve of rice with two curries and a pickle or something.

There was a promising looking south Indian place on Burwood Rd in Hawthorn that had a thali set meal for $16 but I would’ve had to detour and by that point the tiredness had hit me. I’m happy to have come home and decompressed