My final was much harder than expected, causing me some moments of near-panic about forty minutes from the end. I got hung up in a 25-point problem -- the wording of the follow-up questions made it clear that I shouldn't have found a significant group difference. How often does it happen that a too-small p value is the problem?
Finally it dawned on me that I needed to move on pronto, at which point I about choked realizing how much I needed to get done in 40 minutes. Bad planning for sure. But it's over, and I lived to tell the tale. I will be disappointed if I blew my A -- I would have to have bombed pretty badly.
This semester we spent much more time than last semester in skiing off-piste, learning how to go beyond the straight-up drop-down menu options in SPSS. I can't say that I'm exactly at home in the syntax windows, but I've gone from utterly flummoxed to vaguely grumpy. We'll call it progress.
Last night I was planning to put my feet up, start Barnaby Rudge again, go to bed early. Alas, it was not to be. Pete went to bed around 8 but was unexpectedly wakeful later. It was a short night, and I was grumbly this morning. "I know, Mom," said Alex. "How about if tonight I take Petey, and you can relax?" How sweet is that? Sweet enough to stop the grumbling, for sure.
Joe wants to wear a pair of too-big shorts, and approximately twice per paragraph I have been called away from the 'puter to implement a new idea for keeping them up. Pinning is unacceptable, in all its many permutations. Duct tape was an interesting idea that led to intense frustration. He finally gave up and is wearing clothes that fit. We are heading out in a little bit, to enjoy some sunshine and pick up scrapbook pages.
What are the odds that I can finish Barnaby Rudge and catch up on photo albums in the nine days before my summer class begins? Probably slim. But a mom's reach must exceed her grasp, or what's a heaven for? (Andrea del Sarto, scrapbooker.)
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