Aftermath

Back in the M.A.D. after four days of reflection and funeral attending back in Dakota. My brother, my cousins, my cousin's husband, and I bore up the pall at my aunt Arlys' funeral on Monday. It was a sad funeral, coupled with a sense of relief knowing that Arlys is no longer suffering after 20 years of struggling with Multiple Sclerosis.
It was a good thing for me to get out of the MAD for a few days to reflect on what I'm doing and where I'm going, in the wake of last Friday's train wreck of a thesis defense. My advisor will not likely give me a favorable letter of recommendation for PhD work should I turn in what was suggested to me by the committee. However, do I want to do a PhD? Do I want to study all of these pedantic theories that have at best abstract application to what really happens? I realize that my advisor is more of a theory lover than most, but would this all be worth it when all I really want to do is to teach? And even if I don't want to do these things at the moment, it would be nice to still have the option at least. So should my advisor's schedule be an excuse that keeps me from going to a PhD program in the future? I don't like that one bit. I know that they (my commitee) doing their best, but this just seems dangerous...
In better news, I received a digital camera (thanks ma and pa, Dan and Carol!) and some accessories as an early grad gift. This will substatially enhance this blog, as you can see already with the picture of the house.
God help us all...