I wish it had been obvious sooner

Just to summarize the latest unexpected turns of how-Thesis-work-swallowed-my-life:

I finally squared my heavy shoulders and went to my supervisor, on the advice of a company psychologist* (!) and told him I didn't think I could make my deadline for dissertation. I couldn't see anymore how it would be humanly possible for me to finish THREE journal articles and complete a PhD thesis before the end of December. He just looked at me kind of  funny and said "Wait, you've got something wrong. Let's count backwards." And so, after assuming my "D-day" would be in early May 2011, he counted backwards for me and the gist of it all was an awakening of sorts:

I have until the end of February to turn everything in. Not mid-December, as I originally thought.

At first I wanted to punch someone, and then I wanted to hug the whole world, and then I felt kind of deflated, and finally - calm.

So. I do have enough time to not rush this, and do it right.


Oh.


...d'Oh!




* While the talk with the psychologist was part of a routine check of my department's physical and mental health, I spent most of that hour apparently convincing both of us that I was under impossible workload. Her diagnosis, with a tinge of a German accent, was: "This is definitely not going to work. I suggest you talk to your supervisor". Sometimes it's a blessing to hear voices... External ones, I mean.