Basketball and thesis writing

I had always planned to do a good bit of my thesis writing during Spring Break.  While others are off enjoying the sun on beaches or hitting the slopes, I have been at my apartment, pondering the chemical theories of Richard Kirwan.  While I’m obviously on the plus side of that fence, it hasn’t been as great as I expected.  I started off the week in a cold streak, constantly tired or suffering from allergies or both.  And then on Thursday the NCAA challenge started.

By this point in the week, I was so tired of not being productive, that I have developed a strong urge to get things done.  I avoided a good bit of the basketball yesterday by going to Cafe Plaid.  Today, I went to Winan’s for several hours and got a good bit of work done.  Still, anytime I sit down, the lure of basketball calls.  It’s omnipresent.  Earlier, I saw the minutes and overtime between Western Kentucky and Drake.  Just now, I watched the last minutes and overtime of Connecticut v. San Diego (in both games, the underdog won).  The basketball is great, but will my thesis ever be completed.

As long as I can get something like a rough draft of the 2nd chapter I’ll be happy.  This will be the primary chapter of the thesis, looking at the multiple facets of 18th century chemistry.  This morning I finished a section (about 5 pages) on affinity chemistry.  Throughout the 18th century, those interested in chemistry looked at the formation of salts and why elements were more attracted to some elements more than others.  Kirwan had developed a gravimetric, algebraic system for measuring attractions and understanding compound formations.

I’m going to work on understandings of heat, from Joseph Black through Irvine to Kirwan and Adair Crawford, for the rest of the day. English chemists had a different understanding of heat and fire than many of their continental counterparts.  Understanding these difference gives a more nuanced understanding of the chemical revolution than the narrow studies of phlogiston offer.

Right now I’ve got about 7 pages of my chapter done, and if I can have 12 or 13 by the end of the night, I’ll be very happy.  Still, when the week started I was hoping to do 4 pages a day, so even if I get to my 12-13 page goal, I’ll be 8 pages behind my initial goal.  Oh well.  If I weren’t behind on my work, things would be easy and boring.

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