Current location:	Physics Building
Current mood:	determined
Current music:	Delirious - All This Time

Frantic! (I really should use that word more often...)
Hey guys,

Worry thee not, I have not gone AWOL and left this to stew, I have just been really, really busy of late. Of course, the thesis is coming to a head now as it's about 4 weeks/30 days to the deadline, and since the research duration is 5 and a half months that means we're in the endzone,as it were! It's going well, though, and I'm about to write my conclusion and finalise my first draft tomorrow. That leaves me time to edit it a bit to cut out some unnecessary words and rethink some of the earlier stuff which I wrote a while ago, whilst making sure the stuff I've just written in the last few weeks scrubs up! Once that's done it's a case of putting the separate chapters together, adding page numbers and a contents list, an abstract, declaration and acknowledgements. Then I'll get it printed (twice), bound and handed in! Hurrah!

As well as that I am applying for a job at Leeds. The PhD at Durham fell through as I missed out on the studentship, but it clearly wasn't what God had in mind and I plough on, thanking him for guiding me. The job at Leeds would allow me to do a part time PhD over 4-6 years whilst also teaching 50% of the time. It's an ideal setup, and although it's not megabucks I'd still be a bit better off than this year which is good. Anyway, I have just about finished the application, written the covering letter and updated my CV ready to be checked my my lecturer here. I also have to submit a rough research proposal which I've developed with a guy at Leeds, which will be to do with outburst floods. I am excited at the opportunity and the topic, and am praying that everything is sent off in good time and that I get an interview, and then we'll see what happens!

So here goes. I'm a bit nervous but trusting God about this few weeks and the future.

Take care guys,

Chris