Doctor Grandma

I am about to lose my mind working on this but will continue. One more day. It takes so much TIME to do research. Time time valuable time. No other idiot is in their office at the college working today. Only me……. What some academics do is continue this pace their entire career. They are highly published and totally nuts with work. I refuse to become that.

Finished today, finally, going through 51 news articles from a New Bank, all about private prisons.

I really have very little specific and interesting info. on grassroots organizing. Now I see what’s missing and try to somehow fill in the blanks. Totally out of time.

You know what always amazes me about research, is the amount of stuff you LEARN. I am learning so much, now about private prisons, something I didn’t realize is SOOO much an entire area of research on its own. People are out there rallying against private prisons, which has been only a corner of the market and will probably stay that way. The issue is being debated in every state & in other countries, Articles about Scotland, New Zealand, & many more are debating having prisons run like a business.

I am very tired & stressed, but just going forward to get through all the info. I have, & will then see what’s missing. Tomorrow I do a phone interview at 11am. I will have to take notes, as I don’t have time to record or transcribe, & can’t even locate my recorder at the moment. Tonight I am going through 2 yrs’ worth of articles that came out of a News Database from our library, with a search on “private prisons”. 67pp. I am learning so much from it, though it’s mostly background material. Occasionally I run across something really important for my chapter.

My 7pp. now written is from links and names sent to me on e-mail. Haven’t even finished that material, still need to go back to my online prison reform groups & check them. Even though I said to write me on email, some will just post a message to the online group, so I have to go back & check.

I will have to break at some point soon & grade my last midterm exams, as midterm grades are due tomorrow.

…Meanwhile, the 33 MINERS still underground after 2 mos. are about to be rescued, God willing, starting tonight. I am glued to CNN, tho’ I turn off the sound as it distracts me totally. CNN is running it 24/7 until they are all out. Please God let them all get out. What would you do if you were down there? Would you volunteer to be the last one out?

As of tonight I have 7 pp of a very boring chapter. I am starting to get down in writing some of the wealth of material I have been given via e-mail, I have accessed their websites and written down facts. I do not have personal stories that add depth and emotion. That is what will make it a good chapter. I feel good to get started writing it, feel like I will turn something in on Friday, but feel very tired and stressed over not having a polished piece of work. Makes me realize how much I learned in my dissertation research that I never would have gained from reading their webpages.

And tonight I feel very, very tired. Started today waking up at 6, got up at 7, proctored 3 tests for our adjunct who was at a friend’s wedding today, at 9, 11 & 12, taught my own class at 1, didn’t have a minute to eat anything until 2:30. The lunch room doesn’t serve lunch after 1:30 (because they’re stupid) so I had a glorified chicken nugget sandwich and some more of the same old predictable and boring salad bar. Mmm, yucky food. Oh well. Worked on the chapter the rest of the afternoon, gave a make up test, gave one early test, then gave the night class…….. a test. The last student took an hour & 1/2. Open book tests mean students take longer, and some still fail. Always amazes me.

I think I’ll write a post-a-day to document writing a chapter for a book in one weeks’ time. What other insane person in the world would attempt such a ridiculous thing? I’ve had this assignment since at least last April, but I’m writing it this week. After getting the assignment, I left for Raleigh & was there for a month for new baby. Entire summer was traveling or had grandkids here, and in fact, during that time I revised my book for publication. This is a chapter in another 3-vol. series.

Today, contacted main person who sent me so much info. Got consent form back from him via e-mail. Went thru his long e-mail, got familiar w/ & wrote down all organizations & names in it. Wrote first 2 1/2 pages (intro). And emailed consent form to 2 more people. Some I have to call tomorrow, only have phone #’s for. Worried about whether or not to tape record interview, don’t even know if I can manage to hook up recorder to office phone or home phone. Needs to be landline. Won’t have time to transcribe anyway.