If I ever want to graduate

as a doctor.... instead of the near-enough-to Doctor that has been ok for the last 9 months... I have to graduate. And in order to graduate I must submit the corrected version of my thesis. In order to submit it I must make the corrections, have my supervisor sign off on the corrections, print 7 copies, get them bound, have the head of school approve the corrections and then I can take it to the faculty office. they never make any part of the whole procedure easy...

I have made the corrections, Arthur has signed off on them, so that leaves me currently at printing. I have borrowed Joss' swipe card, keys, desk and network connection (thanks Joss). To save a few trees and decrease the physical size of my thesis, I am printing it double-sided. This causes a few problems because the printers I am using only print on one side. So to print on both sides I need to print the even pages, turn the printed pages over and print on the second side. The first side is easy to print, the second not so easy. I have to change the paper then run upstairs and press print before someone else gets in. Also I have to print one copy on archival paper - not that anyone is going to read it in 100 years, but thats the rules.... dont know why they don’t just get an electronic copy but anyway.... I spent 2 hours today finding the printers, they had moved servers since I was last here a year ago, but I am finally set to go. I printed a test page, and now only need to wait for the majority of people to have left the building.... so I’m waiting and blogging....

Well that was a few day ago...

Monday I couldn’t connect to the network. Tuesday - the printer ran out of toner, the other printer gave a lovely ink splatter look, I thought it was quite attractive but I dont think it goes so well on a thesis.... The toner changed on Thursday however the printer with the new toner gave me a few pages before telling me that the toner waste cartridge was full... I then tried the other printer and while it no longer gave the interesting splatter patterns but its toner was low and printed the colour pictures very badly....

Saturday - I found the toner waste hadnt been emptied, so I downloaded the manual. I couldnt find a new waste container so I disposed of some of the waste toner cartridge... sorry Jen... but the info sheet I printed off the web didn’t indicate it was harmful and I really needed to print it. So on Saturday I finally finished printing... I was so happy I could have yelled... but I think I would have scared all the other scientist in the building...they might have thought terrorists were attacking... maybe not but you never know....

I think it is done...

please

I would be so happy to be done with this wretched thing....