No Fiction Writer Is This Creative

So.

You remember that whole PhD thing I've been working on for the last zillion years? Yeah. That one. This past week it has solidified its place in the annals of the worlds greatest farces.

To recap:
In 2008, I started with my idea. Got the idea paper done. Check. Wrote the proposal. Check. Sent everything to the IRB. Went round and round and round with them for A YEAR. Finally got approval. Check. Tried to do my study, couldn't get any participation. So, May 2010, I get a new top and hammer out an idea paper. Check. Then wait for zillions of years between revisions for my advisor and finally get a proposal hammered out and revised once. Resubmit for approval in mid-September. Hear back Monday with tons of revisions.

Get another email yesterday that the dean has decided I can't do the study because it's "internal".

Now my advisor wants to go back to the original study. He says he'll find me a population.

I'll be the one in the corner holding my breath.