Must relay a funny (I use the term loosely) story...

So I was working on my finals, really just two since they were both research papers that I didn't have time to write amongst everything else going on in the busy life of Garnabus. Anyway, I looked at the syllabi, noting that one was an 8-10 page paper and the other was a minimum of 15 pages. I carefully planned out the 15 page essay, realizing that it would make a great chapter in my thesis next semester as it involved research that is highly important for my topic (it was the parallel history of homosexuality and Christianity in Africa). This was a difficult topic to research and after searching for a couple of weeks, I settled on three books that provided the meat for three of the five sections (the other two being an introduction to the current state of tension in the Anglican Communion, and the application of my research to the current attempts for reconciliation). I read the six-hundred pages worth of books over a three-day period and then settled down to write the essay, which turned out to be twenty pages long and a very satisfying piece of research after about a day and a half of writing.

Here's the part in the plot where our hero discovers something dramatic that causes a somewhat comedic but really more tragic turn of events.

I sat down later on the second day to start my second essay, which was supposed to be a cinch since the long one was already done. I should note at this point that this is the day that both essays are due, but since that's when I finally had the time to write them, I just sucked it up and went for it. I got out my syllabus to double check the requirements of the paper -- the faint of heart may want to stop reading at this point -- to find that the paper was to be "15 pages."

"What could this mean," I wondered to myself, quickly shuffling through my notebook to reread the requirements for the first paper, which I found (to my horror) was to be "8-10 pages."

So... since I wasn't going to butcher a fine piece of research needlessly, I took a few minutes to write my professor an email letting him know what had happened and proposed that my final reflection paper's page count be added to my Final Paper, which would mean that I was only over by as many as five pages. I explained that if he wanted me to cut down my paper to ten pages I would need to file for an incomplete and request an extension, but added the concession that if he would accept the 20-page paper but still wanted the last reflection in addition, I could probably get that done this week (in time for grading which is supposed to be turned in next Monday). As I haven't heard back yet, I'll have to leave you hanging on that part of the story.

Wrapping up the other piece of the story, I received an email from my other professor asking me if I needed an extension on the final since he knew what had been going on in my life (very generous and thoughtful of him, I thought!). I wrote back letting him know that I would be able to get my final in later that evening, and proceeded to reread and take notes on the relevant sections of the Buddhist sutras involved. As it turned out, it took me exactly 15 pages to say what I had to say about the subject I had proposed as my final project (a philosophic/meditative exploration of the different descriptions of the Pure Land between the "Smaller Sutra" and the "Larger Sutra" in the Pure Land tradition of Mahayana Buddhism -- okay, yes, this is kind of esoteric, but it's also awesome). I sent the paper off at 2:00 am on Friday night/Saturday morning with a note asking if it would reflect poorly on my grade if I failed to turn in my last two one-page reflections. Happily, my professor received my paper and let me know that if I would be able to submit at least on of these reflections, it would mean that my grade would not be effected.

The end...Sort of... now I finally get to prepare for Christmas and keep my fingers crossed that my other professor will be as generous ;o)

That's me for now... I'll update you when I know more.