Thursday, May 24, 2007

Summer Pro

Man, I could do this for a living. I mean, time to do dishes, catch up on laundry, wash my hair, check the email, and even start fun new craft projects! Where do I sign up? I could totally be a housewife if it weren't for the seclusion, lack of mental stimulation and daily housework. Cuz really, doing housework when you never have time is a novelty, but I know that novelty wears off quick. And as a housewife, you are expected to have a spotless house. Because what else do you do all day? So I will just enjoy what may be my last free summer ever and savor this fleeting moment where doing dishes is a delight.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Digitization.... complete.

It used to be if you wanted information, you had to hunt for it. Check the manual to learn how to use your new camera, look at the liner notes for the indecipherable lyrics, look up a definition in a dictionary. Answer not there? Better hope you have a friend who knows all. Or at least who will enter into a spirited debate with you.

Now, if you are of a certain generation or young enough to have a certain mindset, printed materials will never be your first answer. Google is your best friend, MapQuest a lifesaver and dictionary.com quite helpful. If I'm ever lost or want to know how to get to a new restaurant we decided to go to on a whim after a long trip, do I pull out a map? No! I try to call a friend who I think might have access to the Interwebs (we don't do this often enough to warrant paying more to use the internet on our phone, but that is definitely another option). Of course, this usually doesn't work anyway, since the friend might not be home or might not answer their phone. But it's still my first instinct.

At my job at the Writing Center, though, the stack of dictionaries, thesauruses and reference books are always my first reach. Why? Simply because they are more convenient at that location, but I've noticed an added benefit. There is something timeless about it, feeling like part of a long tradition of scholars throughout history who worked as hard (or harder) as us, using very similar tools, all working together to build the foundations we rest our current research on. Even if most of the young scholars I work with will not devote their lives to study, or even continue beyond undergraduate work, while they are here, they are following the steps of millions before them and continuing in the same tradition. I like books.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Familiar and Unknown

When I flew into Reno, the pilot took a different route than I was used to, so I sat peering into the dark, trying to identify landmarks and coming up completely lost. I suddenly felt that maybe this wasn't "home" anymore, that everything that was so familiar to me might have changed to the point of unrecognizability and I would be a stranger in my own hometown.

As it turned out, they are doing construction on the main runway, so that's what caused my disorientation. Reno has changed, but I still recognized people everywhere I went, and as usual, my reaction to these encounters depended on who I happened to see. Most of them I didn't greet, either because I thought they might not remember me or because I had no desire to speak to them. Mostly the latter. Even though we've lived in Boulder two years, I'm certainly not to the point where I know people anywhere I go, and I'm thankful for this. I'm also thankful for not having drama and a past in Boulder. I lived a very boring, drama-free life compared to most of my friends, and yet even I have ghosts I'd rather not run into while shopping.

This is why people from small towns leave.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Productivity and Sloth

Wow, it's amazing how quickly I can downshift from uber-productive mode to where-did-the-day-go mode. Yesterday, I turned in my final paper, I finished a large chunk of work for one of my jobs and basically finished what I needed to do before I leave tonight. I got a lot done, and not just homework. This morning, I still had that energy, so I sewed a missing button back on a pair of shorts, mended a hole in a favorite t-shirt (both thanks to my mom, who brought her sewing machine with her from Reno and outfitted me with necessary sewing supplies and skills over the weekend), and did some laundry and dishes. Sometime between the dishes and the email checking, I shifted into Summer Mode. Before I knew it, hours had passed and I was still in my pajamas, watching YouTube videos and playing solitaire. Eek! So I went and cleaned the bathroom, did another load of laundry and tidied up a bit.

Last summer, I had tons of plans for my time, but it turned out that much of that time was spent watching The Most Adorable Baby in the World, so while it was great, I slacked on a lot of projects. This summer, Peter and I have more free time than we may have ever had before. Thanks to school shortening our summer (Maymester for him, August-mester for me) and a few longish trips smack in the middle of that, we don't have enough time to get summer jobs and the jobs we do have are quite flexible in time. The end result: a lot of free time to go camping, traveling, sewing, woodworking, photo-taking, blogging, cleaning, organizing, catching up on housework, and anything else we want to do. So exciting! Now, the trick will be to not slip completely into Summer Mode and spend my summer playing solitaire!

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Grad-yu-a-shun


The Flatirons
Originally uploaded by shanbrite2.
I've officially completed the graduation ceremony! Yay! I still have several papers to write, then I will *actually* graduate in August! It was a great time; my parents came in from Reno, we went to multiple parties with our friends and the weather was absoultely perfect. The best part? I didn't get sunburned at all!

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

So... close... to... the... end!

Just a few more days, and my semester will be over! Hopefully by that time, I will have passed all my finals (2 to go), finished any and all course requirements (possibly another paper to go), and then I will be done! My parents come in Thursday night and I want to be done with everything by then. I can't wait!!!