Perhaps it's time for a career in telemarketing

This afternoon I sat in my office and listened until I heard the door the the men's restroom open. The facilities weren't completely occupied and I didn't need to go so desperately that I was hiding in my office in case an accident occurred. I was hunting my prey, and trying not to look desperate while doing so.

After I heard the door close I walked down the hall quickly and managed to get to the elevators just as the door opened and my advisor was about to escape from the building. A productive elevator ride later I have another empty promise from him that he will read my dissertation proposal as soon as he can. I know it's an empty promise -- he's been saying this for the past four months now -- but I feel better nonetheless. This is what my grad student existence has become.

It's not quite time to throw up my hands and just walk away. I'll have reached that point when I start following him into the restroom instead of waiting for him to come out.