Oh, jet lag

So now I'm back in Bham, and I've decided that it's ok not to do anything productive today (besides being careful not to split infinitives). Because I'm jet-lagged. Although I'm actually better now than I was in the early afternoon. I think the nap and the tea helped. It's actually dark outside, and I feel awake! Oh, it's also 2:30 body time. Don't think about that too closely. It's 5:30, ok? It's 5:30. Then why is it all dark outside? In NC, it wasn't this dark till past 6. Blah.

But it's nice to be back in the UK, and I'm looking forward to hitting the library tomorrow (thwack!) and doing more research into my projects... upon which I will now briefly expand.

Maeve, a LONG while back, asked me what courtship marginalia was, and I was too freaked out about PhD aps to answer. Sorry. Basically, my Materials and Methods of Literary Research project will be on 18th-c marginalia. I'm hoping to find a book that was annotated as part of a courtship, probably from a man to his intended. I know at least one such book exists, and I might just play with that. Or I might write a paper about trying to find books with 18th-c marginalia. We'll see.

Second project: for Textual Editing: editing Donne. Probably a short poem... we'll see which. Have been trying to find Donne papers online through such sophisticated research methods as Google. And the Bod catalogue. And Archives Hub, whatever that is. Have decided best recourse is to look for a recent critical ed. of Donne and see what their sources are. Why reinvent the wheel.

Third project: dissertation. MA dissertation. They have funky terms for things over here. I need to run this by my advisor, but my current thinking is a project on the Brontes as readers. Finding out as much as I can about the reading habits of the family. I've already found some stuff from secondary sources in NC, thanks to my research assistant/mom. :) Sometimes I love being in an academic family.

Also, my applications are off! Aaaaand they're off! We'll see who wins the race. Hope it will be me.

Hmm, what to do? I think I am right in thinking I don't have enough thinkpower to think clearly today (and this sentence proves it), so I shan't do work that I might mess up... maybe I'll read the Scarlet Pimpernel. Just finished The Master by Colin Toibin, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I can never spell that word with ease.

Ooh, maybe I'll actually reread Gaskell's Life of Charlotte Bronte and make notes! That's not too taxing... right?