I forgot to mention

The girl with $95,000 in debt just interviewed for a job to shampoo dogs. Thank goodness I worked in the library in college so I have some job skills. Oh yeah, and working for a land surveyor. Keep this in mind, kids - your summer job DOES matter, so don't just goof off, or you, too will be washing dogs with your liberal arts degree.

Yikes

Ok so I completely underestimated the whole travel time thing when I thought about working and going to school. I spend 2 hours on the train going to and from school, but I also have to leave time to walk to and from the train station. Let's make it an even 2.5 hours. Add to that 3 hours in class (usually more - can't liberal arts majors tell time?), and you've got 5.5 hours. That doesn't include time in the library for reserve reading. I know LUC has e-reserves. Let's get on this, people.

As a result, I feel like I am drowning in work and a lack of time. Once Monday comes, any homework time is out the window until Thursday morning, although by this point, I'm ready for a break. Unfortunately then I have to take the aforementioned 5.5 hours for school.

On a positive note, my local history class is fascinating. Who knew that the Chicago river used to flow into Lake Michigan and now flows out of Lake Michigan? I didn't even know you could change the direction of a river. Ok, probably people who live here knew about the river thing, but still. Fascinating. I also convinced my professor to let me do my historiography paper about Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. Although I might have preferred someone a little more closely tied to dining rooms, those authors haven't written enough books. Fortunately, Ulrich has written just enough (3) to allow me to write about her writing. I definitely would have quit school right then and there if I had to write about some old man's theories of economic history. At least I've already read one of Ulrich's books, and I used part of another for my dining room project. 17th and 18th century New England, here I come!

By the way, don't expect much posting this semester. I might only have to go to school for one class next semester, so maybe I'll have more time...

What's going on?

Well, let me tell you. LOTS of things. I have successfully navigated the "El" by myself during rush hour to get to school. I have discovered that I will be reading a whole bunch of books that I have either already read or partially read in previous classes. I have met a girl with $95,000 in debt from undergrad who came to grad school to study Public History without a TA (she's looking for a job). [let's veer away from me for a second to talk about this girl - i just want to shake her - why not put off grad school until you can go for free, instead of adding on another $20,000? It's not like public history is some gold mine field where you'll make $70,000 a year when you're done. ok back to me] I have spent 2 weeks at my new job with really fun, nice people. Close your ears, I'll be singing in storytime in just 1 1/2 weeks. I have my own desk space. Mine and nobody else's. They gave me a basket of candy when I arrived. I have my own tape dispenser, scissors, post-its, drawers, could life be any better? I have discovered the joys of a huge library system: I can check out books from almost 100 libraries, which so far means that I have only had to buy 1 school book. Now I don't have to cherish "The Great Cat Massacre" for years to come (or try to convince someone to buy it from me).