The end is in sight!

So, today was the last day of classes - woohoo! This time next week, I will be totally free and clear.

Actually, I'll be free from 12 noon next Tuesday. Not that I'm counting or anything.

I've submitted one final project - phonology is done and dusted! Now i just have the syntax and logic finals to do, due on monday and tuesday respectively. Syntax will be interesting to do, at least, although I'm reading an Austin & Bresnan paper for it, which means trying to understand LFG-type stuff, so blurgh to that. Logic will be a painful trial... I am seeing Mike tomorrow, though, so I hope I think of something sensible to ask him soon! Also, MathsGuy has very kindly suggested that we might get together on the weekend to study. Bless him for taking pity on me! (I think my face during our last class might've been somewhat telling...)

So, Adam got our phonology papers marked and back to us in record time! I think he broke the world landspeed time for marking. I got 100%, which I've never actually done before - and yet it feels oddly hollow.

Still... better than a kick in the teeth, I guess!

Jelena passed her qualifying exam today, so we went for a drink at Gentle Ben's tonight, and they had $1 drinks and music and dancing. The music was mostly pretty bad, but we did go briefly wild at some classic 80s rock... Ah, we're so old!

Have I mentioned lately that I really, really like the people in my class? (And by class I mean the other first-year linguists, including the people in the Anth-Ling, HLT and NAMA programs). They are all lovely, and one of these days I will have to take some pictures to share my new nerdy linguist posse with you all. ;-) There are plenty of sweethearts in the rest of the department too - I will plot to photograph them as well!

So my sister's friend was in town briefly, and brought some things from home and took from me some presents to send back to the family. Which wouldn't bear mentioning, really except - he said I sounded americanised!!!! I'm so offended!! I am NOT assimilating, I refuse! I'm also actively trying to train the americans to say 'bin', 'rubbish' and 'youse'. ;-p

Curtis keeps repeating things I say, and trying to reproduce my vowels, especially the 'o' vowels. It's actually very disconcerting.

Christmas is alarmingly close! It's very strange to think that Christmas is so close and yet I'm still working (on other than summer semester, that is.) I wonder if Christmas will be less painful and stressful when there's not accompanying heat and humidity? Hmm. Worth discovering I guess. I was really happy to hear that Jaeci will be in town these holidays - yay! I was beginning to think I'd be the only person left in Tucson!

And finally - I apologise in advance to all, because as is usual, there is no way I'll manage to get Christmas cards sent. Sorry!!! I'm both disorganised AND cheap so... yeah, I never manage to get them done. But I promise I'll be thinking of you all!! Love you, miss you, wish you were here, or I was there, or something! I'm gonna try and come back either next Christmas or the summer following. But meantime... I know Jessica has her visit all planned, so what about the rest of you? Come on, get it sorted! And after next semsester (so, starting next August) I'll be moved out of this place into somewhere hopefully more guest-friendly... ;-)

So - see you soon? ;-)