Things to Do to Get Out of Writing

Probably all of you have read If you Give a Mouse a Cookie, where the mouse gets a cookie, but then he wants milk, and a whole list of other things, and it just spirals into silliness (cute book, I like his little overalls). I am like the art history student version of the mouse. I have never been this unmotivated to finish a paper. I don't think I'm that much of a perfectionist, but I'm not happy with how this seminar paper is turning out, yet I don't have enough time, inclination, or interest to completely rewrite it by Monday. I hurt my neck today. I've been looking at my computer practicially non-stop for the past week, between this, and a presentation, and a 15 page annotated bibliography (finals week, eh?). Anyway, I turned sharply, and now have shooting pain up the right side of my neck and head, and now it hurts to turn left. This worked out well for me, though, as it just gave me an excuse to go lie down and avoid staring blankly at the word document. Other things I have done in the past two days to get out of this paper:

--watched four hours of royal wedding coverage, starting at 6 am yesterday. Call me an Anglophile, call me a mushbag, call me a hopeless romantic--I loved it. The tradition, the glamour, the dress, the vows, the beautiful people, the HATS. A lovely interlude in a really bad month.

--read 97 articles (conservative estimate) discussing the royal wedding. Traditions explained. Hat analysis. Middleton family history. Royal family history. Official photos. Anything that the BBC has posted in the past 24 hours, I have probably perused.

--listened to the Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack, approximately 26 times. You know what a great part is that no one knows about? The Wedding Procession. Very danceable.

--went for a late-ish night walk (with someone else, don't worry).

--did no constructive procrastination (ie, laundry, dishes, vacuuming), although I did pick up my kitchen a bit, and cleaned off my closet floor, which made me feel less crazed.

--went to check my mail and then went for a walk instead because it was so nice out.

--watched/listened to the entire first season of Arrested Development. Granted, most of that happened while I was marshaling images and doing another bibliography, but still, it is not very scholarly.

--on an impulse I bought Indian take-out last night, which was a lot more than I normally spend on food--it's one of the more expensive places I've been here, where the entrees are usually $15. But the food is great, and who doesn't want to eat saag paneer (spinach-curry-ginger-homemade cheese awesomeness) with naan and rice? So on the plus side, I haven't had to cook, but I did walk to the Indian place downtown which took awhile (did I mention that it has finally been REALLY NICE out?)

--went to the end of year graduate art history student celebration, which my advisor hosted at his house. A lovely house, too, Indiana limestone and with excellent art, of course. The department provides wine and a bunch of gallery-type food, plus pastas and salads, and really tasty brownies. It was a good few hours of sociability.

--painted my toenails and my fingernails.

--started researching phd programs

--started doing MA research (conveniently forgetting that I will not finish this degree if I don't FINISH THIS PAPER).

--tried to come up with fun saying to help me care about semiotics, and failed.

--stared at the cardinals outside on my plum tree.

--stared at the wall.

--filled in my May calendar.

--made studying play-lists, most of which involved Fiddler on the Roof.

--compulsively checked email (in case professor had decided to cancel paper, etc.)

Well, back to work! My neck is spasm-ing, so I'm going to stop typing for the evening. Tomorrow I am meeting friends for a hearty breakfast and then locking myself in the library until the paper is done or until the library closes, whichever comes first. Scholarly vibes welcome.