...I Survived

The two day preoral is, I am proud to say, complete. I essentially completed two term papers in as many days -- 16 pages in eight hours on Friday (on Alfredian prefaces) and 20 pages on Saturday (on the experience of time in the literature I'd read -- focused on Bede, Augustine, Aelfric and Beowulf). Both of the questions were really challenging -- I only got them at 10 AM each day, then spent hours and hours on writing them. Again, mostly pleased with the results -- particularly the fact that my work in the pre-oral got me to work in some texts I'd thought were no longer relevant in my work. I'm starting to think that my dissertation will be less about translation in Medieval texts but about writing in time.

But I suppose I should wait and see whether or not I passed. We'll see. Meeting with both of my advisors is after Medieval Academy...I wonder if I'll have to wait until next Thursday (which is when I will meet with them...) to find out. Eep.

That said, the most important part of all this is that I managed to turn it out, and I'm semi-proud of what I did. It's about learning, and confidence -- and if there are two things I'm sure I've got now, those are it! I also found out, quite usefully, that eleven hours of writing in one day tended to leave me unable to communicate verbally except through type. Not to mention curled in a ball on the couch. Though it should be added I was curled in a ball on the couch watching Doctor Who. That makes it a little different.

And now there's time again for posting, though I have to admit it will take me awhile to get back on the ball with that. I'm written out!

So for my post-Easter and post-Passover posting (well, nearly post Passover, as that ends at sundown today) -- some literature on the most important of all Springtime animals. They come out every year around this time, fluffy and colorful and sugary. Some are rabbits, some chicks, but they are all marshamallow-y fun:

Peeps! They're for Passover too!

and more importantly, scientific research is being done to find out the many wonders of these resilient little creatures.

In closing, I continue to listen to the Carmina Burana, compulsively. I promise, it has nothing to do with the fact that they were first described to me by my medieval Music History prof as "medieval university drop-outs." Although -- well, never mind. :)

,Sors immanis
et inanis,
rota tu volubilis,
status malus,
vana salus
semper dissolubilis,
obumbrata
et velata
michi quoque niteris;
nunc per ludum
dorsum nudum
fero tui sceleris.