Research Study

I  was contacted by a researcher to help distribute two surveys that are being conducted on OCD and hoarding. Below is the information I was given:

"Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are conducting two online studies about the relationships of individuals with OCD or hoarding.  The goal is to learn more about how hoarding and OCD impact relationship so we can start to address this in therapy (which is currently not done in the majority of treatment for these disorders).  Each study involves completing questionnaires online about relationships, emotions and OCD.  You must be at least 18 to participate.  Those who participate may enter into a raffle for a Target gift card.  The information gathered from this study may help to improve therapies for OCD."

For more information:
Individuals with OCD and/or hoarding:   http://filer.case.edu/~axp335/ocd.htm
Relatives and significant others of those with OCD and/or hoarding: http://filer.case.edu/~axp335/famocd.htm


If either of these topics are relevant to your life, I encourage you to participate. As a researcher myself, I know how important it is to receive enough survey responses in order to successfully conduct a reliable study. Your responses have the potential to help a number of people and shape the future of hoarding and OCD therapies.

Thank you for considering and help spread the word!

A faint light at the end of the tunnel

If I can get through this semester alive and with diploma in hand, I know that I will be able to endure anything. 

Last night, I walked home from work, went straight to my bedroom, fell into bed, and sobbed. Heart wrenching, hyperventilating sobs.

The future of my thesis rests on two deans (whom I do not know and have no connections with) allowing me to distribute my survey (that involves controversial, polarizing topics) to their faculty members. If they say no, my thesis will be over. Months and months of work will be for naught. I do not know if anything can be scrapped together to actually finish it or not. I don't know and I can't think about it anymore. I have an 8 page paper to write, a digital library project to start, 50+ pages to read, and Excedrin to take. 

86 more days, 86 more days, 86 more days...

Books read in 2011

As mentioned previously, I like to keep track of the books I read every year. In 2011, I managed to read 20. My goal is to read 30 books every year, so I was pretty close, but grad school and thesis writing largely prevented me from meeting my goal. Here are the books I read in 2011:

The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern by Lilian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who Turned On and Off by Lilian Jackson Braun
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice by Kimiz Dalkir
Developing Library and Information Center Collections by G. Edward Evans
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Indexing & Abstracting in Theory & Practice by F.W. Lancaster
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
Introduction to Social Research by Keith Punch
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (reread)
Barrel Fever by David Sedaris
Introduction to Cataloging and Classification by Arlene Taylor
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

A fresh 1001 days

As promised, here is my new 101 goals in 1001 days list. Some of them are repeats from the last list because I want to continually improve upon those things. I've included many of the goals I did not accomplish last time.

The end of 1001 days

As I mentioned previously, I keep a list of 101 goals to accomplish in 1001 days. Today is the 1001 day of my last list, so I'm going to recap how I did. This is the second list I've made and I did a hell of a lot better this go around than the last. I accomplished 63 of my goals! Keep in mind that I started this list back in 2009, so a lot has happened since then. Some of my goals are no longer relevant or important to me. Also, some of the goals aren't earth shattering; they are just small things that I've wanted to do. Here are my accomplished goals:

Saturday morning inspiration

Happy Saturday, all. Watch this video, embrace your life, and go ride a bike! <3

Things that I love

I'm taking a two second break from the end of the semester madness to make a confession: I get a lot of satisfaction from earning badges on Foursquare. I don't know what it is, but my little heart goes pitter pat when I get a colorful new badge on my Foursquare profile. I know it's lame and I'm hanging my head in shame, but it's the little things, right?

Things that I love

via Shaw Girl on Flickr

Cranberry capsules and Cran-Aid tea.

I've been feeling the symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI) on and off for the past week (ladies, you know what I'm talking about), but I've been reluctant to go to the doctor because I wasn't 100% sure that I was sick and I didn't want to shell out the cash if I weren't certain. Plus, I've become more wary of antibiotics in general lately. Sometimes they can do more harm than good. Instead, I picked up some cranberry capsules and herbal tea yesterday and am feeling loads better today. I'm still on high alert and am promising myself that if I don't feel completely better by tomorrow, I'll go to the doctor, but for now, I am singing the praises of cranberries and wondering why I hadn't tried these capsules sooner.

Rough week

Vincent Yeh via Flickr

I've had a rough week. School is sucking my soul, work is either crazy busy or mind numbing-ly dull, I've been super tired, the boyfriend doesn't like my crabbiness.

Despite these downers, I'm okay. I just have to remember that most things in life are temporary and that all of these things will pass. School will be over soon and a better job will come my way. I'll catch up on sleep and stop being so short tempered. As long as I think in the long term and not in the short, these little things don't consume me.

Discouraged? Unsatisfied?

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything." -Anonymous

Attitude is everything.