Thanksgiving was great. The first Thanksgiving without having a paper hanging over my head in a while. That was awesome. I spent lots of time with family and didn't get enough sleep. I've started my Christmas movie watching by kicking it off with While You Were Sleeping.

I didn't have to make more changes, whew. It was approved and is now sitting in the hands of the college awaiting their approval. I am breathing much easier.
Oh, and I have an interview with the online university a week from tomorrow. Exciting.

So the graduate chair had a few edits for me to make, but the worst part about it is, I have to use Adobe Acrobat Pro, which I can purchase for over 150$ or I can drive down to Provo to use. Hum. So this evening I made the forty minute drive to make 15 minutes worth of changes and then drove back (it was getting late). Argh. I might have more tomorrow. Argh.

Tuesday I applied for a job with the online university I worked for earlier. Haven't heard anything yet.
I am still waiting to hear back on the revisions I made, which is causing some heartburn because I think I am supposed to have turned it in to the department already.
In the mean time (I stole this from a friend's blog)...

Who knew that writing a new introductory paragraph would take me almost as long as writing a ten page paper? I hate introductions and conclusions.

I passed my thesis defense with minor revisions (thanks to them not really wanting me in the program any longer). There were some tough questions but there were also some I could answer pretty easily. I got so much support from people; it was amazing.
I listened to U2's "Beautiful Day" on the way home.

The anxiety has definitely settled in. I have been having nightmares all week about failing tests, having to teach a class that I don't know anything about, and watching Hawthorne's life. I know I shouldn't be so worried and I try to tell myself that, but apparently it doesn't get through to my unconscious:)

More Hawthorne stuff (don't worry, hopefully only a couple more weeks:).
Towards the end of his life he got sick and his wife said: "I am amazed that such a fortress as his stomach should give way." It appears that she had a way with words as well.

It's probably been around already and you've already seen it, but Lisa just showed it to me and I thought it was a hilarious spoof on social media: College Humor's Web Site Story.

It is funny that as I am studying for my defense, I am finding that I like Herman Melville more and more. Lately, "Bartleby, the Scrivner" has become my life's theme (being on the other end of the "I would prefer not to" and trying not to act badly in response). In my reading, I ran across this statement Melville made about Hawthorne's work being "the rich and rare distilment of a spicy and slowly-oozing heart." That is such awesome diction! I am going to have to read the unabridged version of Moby Dick after my defense.

I took a break from reading a Hawthorne biography to watch a few videos:) The Corrs and Bono do a couple of covers and I, of course, like them.

Here is the first one: Summer Wine (with Bono apparently channeling Johnny Cash)



And my favorite: When the stars go blue



And for kicks, I really like a couple Fleetwood Mac songs and the Corrs cover Dreams and it is a dance version, pretty cool cover.

Last night I went to my sisters and we carved pumpkins and I went trick or treating with the kids.

Here is my pumpkin.



Here is the yummy recipe I use on the pumpkin seeds. So tasty.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Lawry's SALT
1 tsp. onion SALT
1 tsp. garlic SALT
pumpkin seeds

I never measured how many seeds I used but it was at least 6 cups, and probably more. Clean the pulp off the seeds and rinse really well in a colander. Spread out on paper towels and dry, then transfer to a baking sheet and spread out in a single layer and let dry for several hours (I usually left them overnight). Melt the butter and add the Worcestershire sauce and the seasoned salts. Mix well. Pour over pumpkin seeds in a roasting pan and stir to coat evenly (I used my large blue enamel roasting pan because you want the seeds spread out as thinly as possible). Roast in a preheated 275� oven (300� if your oven is slow) for 2 hours or until the seeds are lightly browned and dry, stirring every 15 minutes. Turn oven off and leave them in until the oven is cold. They should be bone dry when you put them in a container.

P.S. I did not stir every 15 minutes. Just once.