Yes today is my 31st birthday, fun fun fun! I got a great present too! For starters it’s a pouring down wet and miserable day, but that’s not the present I’m speaking of. I got the present of fear! One of my friends emailed me to wish me a happy birthday, and to let me know she got her extension for school. You see you have 7 official years to finish your PhD, with a 3 year extension afterwards. You have to officially write in for the extension. I asked for 1 1/2 years rather than the whole 3, up this fall, because I wanted a deadline to shoot for. I got it, but never actually got an official letter from the school. I had to fricken call up and ask about the status, they said it was granted and they usually just send a letter to the department and not the student. Well my friend did hers a year after me, since she was a year behind me. She got hers, but has to write monthly progress reports to the school! OMG! I think this must be some new rule they implemented. This sucks as I know I’m going to need to ask for at least another semester to finish up, probably more reasonably 2 (getting me out first thing next fall if I don’t make it out by spring, no summer graduations!) This along with the presentation/paper I’m giving in November is enough to light a flaming fire under my ass. I am determined to have as much of this thing written and turned in by the end of this semester so I only have to ask for an extension so that my committee can tell me what to fix and then pass me. Hopefully I won’t have to write any monthly progress reports. Uhg!

Dustin