Fear not. I am certain that I will not post my entire dissertation countdown, but I really like this sign as Highway 99 runs through the city of my birth, Sacramento, California. In a small way, it signifies how far I have traveled on this journey. Whatever journey it may be, or become.

Ninety-nine could be the number of ways that I have found to avoid working on statistical analyses, reading articles, or writing chapter drafts. I loathe many (most) of these tasks but will frequently find them more appealing than working on my dissertation.

99. Clean kitchen junk drawer.

98. Clean craft closet.

97. Empty cat box.

96. Bake cookies. (No loathing.)

95. Clean computer screen.

94. Eat chips and dip. (No loathing, but not a healthy food choice.)

93. Fold laundry.

92. Sort ponytail elastics.

91. Pinterest.

90. Facebook.

89. Twitter.

88. Twitter.

87. Did I say Twitter?

86. Soccer practice shuttle driver.

85. Soccer tournament shuttle driver.

84. More soccer.

83. Parent-Teacher Conferences.

82. Shopping. (No loathing, just guilt.)

81. Shopping for soccer cleats. (Borderline loathing.)

80. Prepare a meal. (No loathing, but it’s a good thing we have cereal.)

More soon…