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(We interrupt Tuesday’s Tribute To P!nk for a special announcement. But first, a humorous story.)

A priest and a pastor from a local church are standing by the side of the road.

The pastor is pounding a sign into the ground. It reads: “The End Is Near! Turn Yourself Around Now–Before It’s Too Late!”

As a car speeds past them, the driver yells, “Leave us alone, you religious nuts!”

The car goes around a curve and then they hear screeching tires and a big splash.

The priest turns to the pastor and asks, “Do you think we should change the sign to just say ‘Bridge Out’?”

So…

I emailed the 3rd chapter of my thesis to my readers yesterday.

I didn’t think it was done, I just felt like if I didn’t send it I was never going to finish it. Rather than tear it apart myself, I figured I would let them do it for me.

After all, they are the professionals. Why not let them tell me what I needed to fix?

Last night was glorious.

Because I literally could not work on my thesis until I heard back from them, I just enjoyed the evening. For the first time in… what? Months? I mean, even when I haven’t been working on it, I’ve thought about the fact that I should be working on it.

Last night not only did I not have to work on it, I couldn’t.

Today I heard back from them.

“What?! Already!?! NOOOOOOOOO!” I thought. I wanted more time to not have to think about it.

My advisor wrote:

I’ve talked with [second reader] and we agree that, a few minor typos aside, you should go on to Chapter 4.

Now you have to understand… there are 4 chapters:

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Chapter 2 - Biblical foundations

Chapter 3 - Project implementation

Chapter 4 - Evaluation and Conclusion

They recommend that you start by writing Chapter 2. That was the one that totally kicked my posterior. Once I managed to get through Chapter 2 I was so burnt-out on the whole thing that I just had to walk away from it for awhile.

Chapter 3 is the longest of the chapters, and involves all of the little details that went into the planning and implementation. If “the devil is in the details” then Chapter 3 is Satan’s dominion.

But Chapter 4 and Chapter 1 are, by comparison, a lot “easier”. And that’s what I have left.

In fact I have to admit that for the first time in – well, ever if I’m being truthful – I think I might actually finish this thing. Not just give up, but actually finish it.

It could conceivably be done in a few weeks. Almost certainly before CHSH.

So, of course, I’ve spent the last hour (ok, two) trying not to hyperventilate. I went to lunch, came back, and immediately had… well, let’s just say it involved an unpleasant experience in the bathroom that was not throwing up or sitting on a damp seat or… look, I’m not going to list them all, it’s the one you think it is.

Why? Because BAFS.

But, guys, really… I might actually be able to finish this.

I took my first D.Min. class in October of 2007, and took my last class in January of 2010 right after SFTU. That was the same week that the iPad was announced.

That’s how long I have been working on this. Well… “Working on it” might be overstating it… at least “had it hanging over my head.”

I’m not sure I can even imagine what being done will be like. I’ve honestly never let myself think about it.

Holy crap.

(No pun intended.)