The oncoming train at the end of the tunnel

After some slick diplomacy, I have a thesis defense date. Conveniently it is the same day that I drive 550 miles to my new residence. Now, this leads to the obvious challenges to the stability my mental state and more than enough pieces of advice on how things could be otherwise arranged to avoid this situation.

So I present a detailed discussion of how I got myself into this mess and why I am not going to get myself out of it other than in the trivial way...

It started with my last post - the great TomTom adventure below. I got my job offer and, since I was in the relevant geographical location for the holidays, we went out looking at apartments. On Day 2, I found one. Thus began the usual ordeal of holding the place for an appropriate time, and choosing a start date and alerting the company of such.

Then came the decision on what was to move. Some things are going to my brothers (ie mini fridge, desk) and the rest will go with me. Ok, simple enough so far. Now we had to settle on the dates to move. I wanted to get to the apartment for the 1st of the month, so my parents and I decided the driving should occur on the 31st. The following reservations took place: 2 plane tickets, one truck rental, 2 hotel rooms. Good. Annoying date juggling done... I thought.

Then, just when the expensive parts were all set in stone - thesis. I was getting slightly neglected due to insane department schedules that were revolving around the job talks that all the professors are attending. I suddenly started freaking out that I was going to miss the 1/31 deadline for fall graduation and would, consequently, have to pay spring part-time tuition. Everyone agrees it is stupid to have someone pay for tuition - even part-time - for a minor infringement of a deadline for defense, especially since I was at the mercy of others' chaotic schedules.

Well I have to give a week notice to defend. Great. I explained I was leaving the state on the 31st, but if I wanted the conference room and both my committee members to be in the same general area together, the time had to be 9am on the 31st. And here we arrive at the present situation. Changing the move date means I lose a lot of reservation costs; changing the thesis means I pay spring ABD tuition costs. I have $3 in my wallet; I'm defending and moving in one week.