I think that there is a little bit of confusion among most people as to when life after the dissertation starts to look “normal” again. I only say this because I have found my friends to be genuinely befuddled:
“What?! You’re still not done?!”
Well, I respond, it’s kind of a long process. Yes, you have to write your dissertation — and that can take forever and a day. When it is done, you submit it to your committee members as early as you can before your defense. Then you defend it in front of them. You take their suggestions during the defense and you revise your dissertation to address — as best as you can in the time that you have allotted yourself to revise — their feedback. Then you submit the whole thing again and wait to see if there is anything else that needs to be done (formatting, paperwork, etc.). If everything looks okay, then you can start breathing again.
For myself, as of Monday, all revisions are finished, the dissertation is uploaded and sent to Proquest, and all my library fines are paid. So I can finally officially say that I am done!
I am only now slowly beginning to ease back into life: tidying up my apartment after almost half a year of neglect, doing laundry, seeing friends again, dealing with the crush of emails and electronic whatnot that have been accumulating since June.
And after so many months of being out of the kitchen, what is the first thing I do?
I sign up to compete in the 4th Annual Bacon Takedown in Brooklyn and cook for 200 people.
That’s right. And what kind of baconbiscuit212 would I be if I didn’t?
For those of you who are in the NY Metro Area, please do come out and cheer me on at my first Takedown!
October 14 at 2:00pm at The Bell House.
I will have 15 pounds of bacon to play with.
15 pounds, people!
There are just a few tickets left. $15 nabs you the chance to taste the 20 competitors’ dishes, including my own. For tickets, click here.
It’s gonna’ be greasy 😉
coolcookstyle 
Sounds awesome! I so wish I could be there.
So instead, I will look forward to hearing what you end up cooking!
Thanks, Victoria! I wish you could be there too!
I might be sending you a list of ideas that I have for feedback. Hope you don’t mind!
Good luck BB212…. can’t wait to hear about it 🙂
Thank you, John! I am super curious about what other people will be cooking up . . . will report back!
Congrats and good luck! Now I really wish I was in NYC that day…all that bacon sounds amazing.
Thanks, Edna! I wish you were in NYC too! I bet you could get a press pass for the event. It’s now sold out! But I think it’s going to be crazy fun. Will take photos for everyone and report back.
Thanks again for the encouragement and for dropping by!
Sounds great! I wish I could be there!
All that bacon – yum…
Good luck!
I wish you could be there too! I will definitely be taking pictures and posting them. How can you not? 20 competitors, each with 15 pounds of bacon = 300 pounds of bacon!
Like the size of a Sumo wrestler!
Fifteen pounds of salty porky goodness???!!! Sounds like a job for Dr. Bacon Biscuit! Go for it! I know you’re going to win. 🙂
Hope so! It’s my first Takedown, so I’m a little intimidated! But it will be a fun learning experience. And you can’t go wrong with bacon!
Congratulations on being just steps from the finish line! I hope you can use 25% cotton content paper, like most universities do. Mine specified 50% cotton content paper, which was a nightmare to print on. With a name like Dr. Baconbiscuit you can’t help but be successful! Try using ALL of the bacon (rendered fat too) in your menu. I’d be glad to review, if you like.
I wish! Unfortunately, I don’t know how much control I have over that. Thankfully, I could upload it electronically, thus saving me from printing it out on more paper.
But did you see that article in the NYT recently? About how polluting data centers are compared to plain old paper? I was shocked!
In any case, thanks for all the support and encouragement along this journey 🙂 Will let you know how that Bacon-off goes. And heck yeah, I’m going to used all that rendered gold!
Go for it girl! Don’t let 200 servings intimidate you. Yes, the electronic world generates more pollution than people realize; and uses more energy too. In the dark ages we didn’t have the luxury of uploading. So if you can just write a check and let them do it, more power to ya!
Thank you, Scroungelady! Yes, I think it’s time that I let the university do some heavy-lifting for a change 🙂
Omg! What are you going to MAKE? I would come to cheer you on if I were a little closer. 🙂
Thanks, Emmy! I haven’t decided yet. I might be sending you some ideas for input!
It’s my first Takedown, but I my bacon ardor is strong 🙂
The only place I’ve seen 15 pounds of bacon is at the livestock show, and it was still running around snorting……..lol
Haha! Now that is funny! It’s like half a case of wine’s worth of bacon!
I’d say you’ll need more support dealing with all that bacon than the dissertation!?
15 pounds is going to be crazy! Degree is all done and have been clearing room in the kitchen to accommodate my bacon haul 🙂
Unfortunately, they are sold out of tickets now
Have fun!
Sadness indeed! They need to move it to a stadium!
I will post photos for everyone who couldn’t make it!
Oh boy! Bacon Cook Off! I wish I was there. So I will cheer you on from San Francisco…. bye now gotta go cook some bacon. Yumm!
Thank you!
Wow, you’re cooking bacon? Yummy 🙂 Great way to start the day!
Awesome! You take them down! I believe in you and if I were anywhere in that area, I would be there in a calorie laden heartbeat.
Thank you! I got an idea . . . it’s trashy and disgusting/awesome! Stay tuned!
Excite!
🙂
Mmmmmm, bacon!
I know! I’m a little scared about the amount I have to work with . . . But I think the biggest challenge will be not eating all the bacon before the Takedown!
I love that you’re doing this. LOVE IT. I want the full report!!!!!
I’m still deciding what to do! Isn’t that horrible? I should be knee-deep in R&D! But will give you a full update to be sure!