Time: the only thing not freezing in Seattle.

I love this city. From the backdrop to the characters, most things about it make me feel lucky that we had the opportunity to settle here for a good six years. In the words of Kai: "there isn't as much to do in San Diego as there is in Seattle." But when asked where he wants to live, the kid comes back with: "San Diego!" Ask him why and he'll say, "San Diego always has sunny weather and it's warm." And there we have it; the Maleks are total sell-outs and will trade a beautifully creative and environmentally-friendly city for plain old simple sunshine. I say 'simple sunshine' in that way because sunny places are almost frowned upon for the dedicated Seattle-ite. I overheard a barista describe his recent winter trip to his home town Denver: "Ya, it was good to hang out with family, just eating and laughing but I wasn't sad to leave Denver. I forgot how boring the weather is. It's like always in the 70s, even in winter." Boo-hoo, barista, now stop your yaking and speed it up will you! Oh sorry, did I just expose the mean caffeine-crashed Tiff? Oopsy.

Yes, Seattle is cold. Freezing in fact. Literally freezing. Yesterday morning was beautiful and clear just like right now. No rain, no puddles, just clear and dry...until you get a little closer to the grass and you notice little green blades are actually ice spikes! I get in the car a little late for a Monday morning (but, hey it's a holiday, I deserve to sleep in!), so 9:30ish and once I am in the car, I notice ice crystals on the windshield. No problem, I'll just douse the windshield with window washer. Squirt, squirt, swish, swish. There, a nice clear windshield and I start driving. Seconds into my ride, I witness the formation of ice crystals from any wiper fluid that wasn't swished away. Ice crystals FORMING RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES. I have never seen that before. See? Literally freezing.

Time on the other hand is not. As the end of January draws closer and closer, I am reminded of the looming deadlines for graduation requirements: have committee meeting by this date, draft of thesis by this date, register for this by this date and on and on. When asked when I will be finishing, I have usually answered "sometime in June" with a carefree hand wave and head tilt. As of last week, when the reality of what 'sometime in June' really means--like in a matter of weeks I have to submit a manuscript that I feel is currently FAR from a completed rough draft and finish up mundane data analysis that makes me feel like I am running down a hall as fast as I can to get to the end but the hall keeps getting longer and longer--gasp! Stop. Breathe. Sorry, my nerves were acting up again. So, ya, now when someone asks me when I will be finishing, I think "Screw you! How dare you stress me out like that you mean, mean person!" but verbally respond with:

"Oh, hopefully sometime in June but worst-case scenario is that I defend in June but turn my dissertation in in August because I can do that, I can turn it in up to 60 days after defending, but my degree will say Summer 2008 instead of Spring 2008 but that's okay. I definitely have to be totally completed by the end of August because my post-doc position starts September 1st and I'll need proof of my degree before I start that. Um, ya, so probably sometime in June if all goes well." Followed by a deep, forced and shaky inhale and exhale.

At that point the poor soul who asked usually looks one of two things: uncomfortable and sorry they asked because they were really just trying to make small talk OR sympathetic in a way that you would look at a wet and shivering puppy. Neither reaction is good. Oh, I forgot the other and most comfortable reaction which comes from other graduate students in my same situation. The good old: "I'm right there with you. Sucks doesn't it?"

Time is melting. Temperatures are freezing. And I'll just keep plugging away wishing it were the opposite. At least we have sunshine at the finish line.