C. Dillon: Are we there yet?

Christopher D. : You already know when we'll get there... classes start next week.

C. Dillon: I know, but I'm worried that I won't be ready when we get there. I want to know what I have to do before next week.

Christopher D. : Do you really need more to do? Why don't you play with that website you're supposed to have uploaded?

C. Dillon: I just uploaded that website, or at least some of it. I dunno what else to add to it.

Christopher D. : Well, then you can read a book. I know you haven't caught up with your reading.

C. Dillon: I'm trying to get caught up on "Here Comes Everybody", and those Action Research books are still in the mail.

Christopher D. : Well, keep reading the book you have, and don't worry so much... I'm sure as long as you're putting in effort, you'll be fine once things are more clear.

C. Dillon: How do you know I'll be fine? I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing to get ready for next week, and what little I do know about tells me I'm behind. I've used up so much of my time this last week just getting everything connected... I have my personal calendar working now, and the contact list is coming along nicely, but Google Calendar won't talk to Sakai, I only have 15 working Skype contacts, syllabi on the course websites don't have important information, I don't know what sort of leadership role to assign myself in the group, and everyone else seems so much better prepared that I just know that come Monday I will be the only one who doesn't know about the assignment that's due on Tuesday, or something like that.

Christopher D. : *sighs* We both know you're pretty capable yourself, and that there are others having similar problems. If you haven't found a schedule that tells you something is due soon, then there probably isn't one. Take care of what you know you need to do now, and deal with the rest as it comes. You can keep checking for new information, but things on Sakai are obviously still being created and fine tuned, so there's no reason to panic when something doesn't work as intended. Most of all, remember that Margaret and Paul were very flexible about due dates and scheduling at Virt Camp... there's no reason to believe that they will be unreasonable about any issues that are still around when we get to next week.

C. Dillon: I guess, but I had this dream about Virt Camp the other night...

Christopher D. : Doesn't matter. Dreams don't have any inherent meaning outside of that which we assign to them after the fact. If you start reading too much into dreams and anxieties and falling apart on me, we'll never make it to next week in one piece. Take a few deep breaths, get as much work done as you can without tearing yourself apart, and see where things stand when we get to Monday.

Also, stop writing all that nonsense in your blog... nobody wants to be subjected to your silly literary devices. You're not that great of a writer, it's gimmicky, and adds little to the group's efforts. Instead, you should be pointing out or fixing all those problems you've found so that the entire Cadre can be more prepared when classes start. Or go write that forum post about the boundaries of cognitive systems, get a discussion going. Do something productive, rather than sitting there worrying through writing.

C. Dillon: Y'know, those are good ideas, but you're not really helping me feel better about this. I don't think I want to talk with me about it any more. Are we there yet?