Time to get down to business

My Coding Board--organizing the codes that come up during transcription.

Well.  Here's a new blog to chronicle my life while I am writing my dissertation.  Or while I learn to be really disciplined and work when I'd rather be doing all that life has to offer me here!   Now that I am back in Humboldt, I deeply miss my friends and fellow doctoral candidates in Boise.  This blog is dedicated to everyone who helped keep me sane while I was in Idaho. Just so you know (and can hold me to it) I'm going to do my best to finish my dissertation by December.  At this moment, that seems like an impossible undertaking, but I can do it. 
 
 We had a heat wave this week. For my friends from Boise, no, not an Idaho kind of heat wave, a Humboldt County, coastal heat wave!  Temps were up in the high 70's here (ooohh!!), which suddenly made owning an ice cream parlor in the fog belt a lucrative venture.  Everyone broke out their shorts and tank tops and found their ancient bottles of sunscreen.  The fog has settled back in now, and I think fall is right around the corner, but it was great while it lasted.  Our own little bit of summer!  .

My big distraction this week is that huckleberry season has arrived, so I'm out picking as often as I can.  Many, many tremendously productive patches exist in Humboldt County. I am not revealing where I pick, but I can say that I listen to the ocean while I search out the sweet, deep-blue berries.  How cool is that? This weekend I made my first batch of huckleberry muffins. The berries were a bit tart, so I may want to add a little more sugar next time.  If I'm lucky, I'll be able to make huckleberry jam for Christmas gifts. 

As for that dissertation, I am halfway done with my transcripts.  Only 16 more to go!   WooHoo.  Of course, I am going the long way, because I am coding and analyzing as I transcribe. But that means I will have less to do when it comes time for full coding and analysis. That's the idea, anyway!  

I will have pictures next blog.   I've been forgetting to take my camera, and the pictures I take on my phone are too small!   If you are not in Humboldt, and want to see pictures of something in particular, let me know. I love requests...just one more distraction to enjoy when my brain needs a break!   Until next time...