Weekend Review

Friday: Went to my internship, visited Grandpa at the hospital, then came home and...I'm not really sure. Maybe I just watched tv? This weekend has been a little off since the Wednesday holiday messed with the week and I don't usually work on Fridays.

Saturday: Ran, then went out for a Thai lunch. Helped an aunt create a PowerPoint presentation, came home for a little bit, then went to a coffee shop to do research for my thesis. Came home and got in bed to read.

Sunday: Ran, ate lunch with Grandma, then went to another coffee shop for more research before 4:00 church. Took Grandpa some cooked spinach, then came home. Now I will work on a crossword puzzle and then go to bed.

Tomorrow morning Grandma has surgery, so both of my grandparents will be in different hospitals and I will be here, holding down the fort with Danny.

a few little updates

Danny-the-cutest-dog-ever is sick with a not-so-cute hacking cough. Luckily he sleeps in Grandma's room and not mine.

I played my cello today. I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't very good.

Grandpa did not go to rehab today as planned. Turns out he's doing too well for it, and yet they said he's not well enough to leave critical care and come home. Riddle me that.

Today in my internship collection I found the signature of a president before his presidential days. That was pretty exciting. I also found a newspaper ad from 1975 that read "Enter the Miss Virginia Beauty Pageant. No Talent Required."

"I don't know much about the Civil War, but I can tell you about the Alamo."

Those were my words to the news camera in the fourth grade when my dad took me to the ceremonial (re)burial of some Confederate soldiers in Glorieta, New Mexico. Luckily they didn't air my little interview that night on TV.

Tonight I stayed more on topic when I was interviewed. If you happened to be watching the channel 8 six o'clock news in Richmond this evening you saw me say a few words from the corner of Stuart and Mulberry in the Fan. I was walking and eating a sandwich during my lunch break when I saw a news camera up ahead, so I made sure to cross the street and get out of their way. Apparently I was the lone young woman they'd been waiting for at that corner though, so they jogged across the street to meet me and ask if they could ask me a few questions on camera about the two sexual assaults that took place last night in that area. I said sure, but then realized I didn't really have anything to say- that's a horrible thing to happen, but why did they want to talk to me about it? I wasn't there, I don't know anyone involved, I don't live there, and I don't walk around there alone at night. Anyway, it was awkward but I got through it and the few seconds they aired weren't too bad. Thankfully there was also an intern present to tell me I had crumbs on my face before the camera rolled.

Weekend Review

Friday: Visited Grandpa at the hospital, ran some errands, ate lunch with Mom, took Mom to the museum at the VHS, watched a movie.

Saturday: Visited Grandpa, ran more errands, ate lunch, took Mom to airport, hung out around the house with cousins, went to aunt's house for Chinese and to hang out on the porch.

Sunday: Ran, visited Grandpa (he looked great today!), went to Mass with Grandma, ate lunch with her at the Hill Cafe, read for an hour, went to church, went to other aunt's house for pho party.

This is true when you live with my Grandma:

toothpastefordinner.com

So good.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Tarrant's is delicious. Today for lunch I ordered chilled strawberry soup and a Reuben, and my mom ordered gazpacho and a Monte Cristo. I ate some of everything, and it was all amazing. Even the potato salad and pasta salad were good. The service is great, and the atmosphere is fun, too. If you're in Richmond you should go there. And take me with you.

He'll always be Superman.

Yesterday I went to see Grandpa after work. He asked someone if they wanted a fat lip and referred to his surgeon as "The Chopper," so I cried with relief to have my Grandpa back. He's in a ton of pain, as anyone who has had their chest cracked open and their heart stopped and messed with would be (not to mention a vein taken out of his leg and lots of tubes sticking out of various places). Today when I went the nurse came in to walk him to his chair so he could eat his liquid dinner. He didn't want me to stay and see him walk, and told the nurse he was supposed to be Superman and couldn't have his granddaughter seeing him otherwise. Of course that only made me want to cry again because seriously, I could never think of him being anything less than a super man.

So far so good.

Grandpa has come through the quadruple bypass and things are going smoothly so far. He's still on the ventilator, which they will try to take out tonight or in the morning. All four artery grafts (I think that's what you would call them) went well. Grandma and Mom and I got to the hospital around 9:15 this morning. Eventually Judy, Sunni, and Caryn joined us. We finally got to see him around 4:30. He was still asleep and had tons of tubes sticking out of him, but he's alive and we got to touch him and tell him we love him.

During the many hours of waiting I did a few crosswords and sudokus, read about four pages of a book, played Boggle and Old Maid, ate lunch, a green milkshake, and some hot fries, talked with family, and went outside for a break from the worrisome waiting.

Grandma will get to visit him in the morning around 10, and I can't wait to see him tomorrow after work.

a different sort of weekend

Friday: Ran, grabbed lunch at McDonald's, and spent the afternoon at the hospital both hanging out with Grandpa and then waiting to hear the results of the cath. Ate dinner with Sam at Mom's Siam, then got a beer at the New York Deli in Carytown.

Saturday: Ran with Monica on Monument Avenue, ate lunch with Grandma, and spent the afternoon with her watching tv and napping. Picked up my mom at the airport, then went with her and Grandma to see Grandpa at the hospital. Ate and hung out with Mom into the evening.

Sunday: Went to mass with Grandma and Mom, then to visit Grandpa again. Ate lunch at Aunt Judy's house, then came home for a nap. Went to FSC for church, then back to the hospital for a brief visit. Home to eat with Grandma and Mom, and now going to watch tv and do a crossword puzzle before bed.

Grandpa's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow (Monday) morning at 8 am, so we'll all be hanging out at the hospital tomorrow. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers, and please keep them up!

Thoughts and Prayers Please

Grandpa is in the hospital, expecting a quadruple bypass any day now. He had a cath scheduled for last Monday, which was pushed back because of something with his kidneys, and then it got pushed back again and finally happened yesterday afternoon. That went fine, but showed that things are pretty serious. He's in CCU now, and apparently he's not feeling too great today. So please keep him and grandma in your thoughts and prayers, as well as the rest of the family.

still a nerd

Today at my internship I got to visit the preservation lab and use the encapsulating machine. It was pretty exciting.

nature seems to be moving in

Our garage has become a zoo.

A little bird built a nest in a cubby holding paintbrushes, and birds hatched, and one of them has already flown away. I mean, I guess this is kind of neat and cute and all, but the momma bird is always making a fuss at anyone who goes in the garage, and I'm always afraid she's going to swoop down and poke my eyes out.

In addition to the bird, the other day we were in the garage to check out the birds and the grandparents noticed a squirrel over by the other wall. A squirrel who was headed straight for the door, where I happened to be standing. I freaked out and jumped a mile out of the way, then ran across the yard, afraid the thing was going to bite my ankle and give me rabies.

The next day Grandpa reported he saw a chipmunk in the garage. Now seriously, this is getting to be too much. All those animals are, as animals tend to do, leaving grossness everywhere, and now I'm afraid I'm going to get hantavirus.

My Weekend in Review

Friday: Covered my grandparent's bathroom window, then ate lunch with them. Went over to an aunt's house to let her dog Ginger (a 13-year-old chihuahua) out. Back to grandparent's house for a super long run (over six miles), then sat around with family drinking wine and chatting. Ate a little dinner, then headed back over to aunt's house, where I spent the next two nights. Played Guitar Hero a lot and became a Guitar Legend.

Saturday: Up to make a pot of coffee and read, then out for Mexican lunch with grandparents. Let the dog out again, then went to a coffee shop for more reading. Went to dinner with family, then to see the musical Into the Woods.

Sunday: Played Guitar Hero all morning and then only had time for a twenty-minute run. Over to the grandparent's house for lunch, then made two kinds of delicious scones (cran-orange and gingerbread). Let the dog out again, then raced across town for church. Over to different aunt's house for "high tea" with sandwiches and my scones for Father's Day, or in my case, Grandpa's Day. Back over to other aunt's house to feed dog and play more Guitar Hero. Home at grandparent's house for bed.

Happy Father's Day

On Father's Day, I just thought you all should know that my dad is a pretty awesome dad.*

My dad taught me to love history. He took me to historic sites and events and reenactments and he introduced me to 1776 the Musical, which also played a big role in helping me like history. He also sounds slightly interested when I go on and on telling him about what I'm currently learning about or writing in school, which is nice.

My dad taught me to be honest. In the fifth grade I liked this boy, and for Valentine's Day he gave me a card and asked me to a movie. I was super excited and said yes, but then I flipped out and changed my mind and didn't know how to get myself out of the awkward "actually, I don't think I want to go to a movie with you anymore" situation, and even though my mom agreed to make up the story that at age 11 I was too young to go to a movie with a boy, my dad did not like the idea and said he would not support it. He also gives back the extra money every time a cashier gives him too much change.

My dad taught me the value of money and looking for things on sale. Also, I am a very picky shopper when it comes to buying clothes, and my dad is, too. Luckily, this means he is one of the few people in the world who will put up with shopping with me. For example, he is the one who took me prom dress shopping my senior year of high shool, and after many many hours at many many stores, we agreed on a decent dress that did not have flowers (he kept picking out dresses with flowers that looked like something a ten-year-old would wear on Easter), was not too tight, and did not cost an arm and a leg.

My dad taught me to leave a safe distance between my car and cars in front of me on the highway. He might not always think I actually do this, but I sure do it more than lots of people. He and I have spent many many hours driving on highways, because he drove with me between Santa Fe and Tacoma four times. One of those times he made us stop at The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Oregon City, which I did not want to do at all, but I ended up really liking it and that is when I first became interested in the Oregon Trail.

My dad taught me about how great long walks can be. He likes to walk, and now I like to walk. When dad came to Tacoma for my college graduation we went on this long walk from my apartment over past school, down to the water, back up the hill through the rain, and finally to my favorite pub. So far that is our favorite walk together.

My dad taught me the fun of having family songs. He and I have a special song by Roger Miller. He also has a special song with my brother Ryan. And whenever my mom says "Shoot!" the rest of us sing "Bang bang, she shot me down..."

My dad taught me some other stuff, too, but we don't want to be here all day. Instead, I will leave you with this picture of my dad and his two kids on Christmas of 2006. (Please notice that our angel on top of the tree was wearing a fishing vest ornament, a waiters ornament, and has a fish ornament hanging from her arm.)



*My mom is really awesome, too. Just so we clear that up.

Total History Nerd

Today at my internship I was sitting at my big table working away when I learned there was a public lecture about to take place downstairs, and the lady who's supervising my work and answering my billions of questions asked if I would like to go.

"Okay, yeah, I'd like to go," I said out loud, (when on the inside I yelled "heck yes I want to go hear a history lecture!"), "when is it?"

"Um, in about two minutes," she replied.

So I dropped my work and quickly headed downstairs, making sure to memorize my path so I could find my way back afterwards.

I was taken aback when I entered the auditorium and saw a sea of senior citizens, but the speaker was good and it was interesting. Sometimes I got sidetracked though and stopped paying attention, but only because I was thinking "This is so great. I'm getting paid to learn history!"

You want to know the worst thing ever?

Being kept awake at night by itchy mosquito bites all over your legs and feet and elbow. And you know what's even worse? Having bug bites that make you not want to shave your legs because you always cut them open when you shave and they scab over or get infected, but then when you don't shave the tiny growing hairs catch ever so slightly on your already irritating pajamas or sheets or pants or towel, making them itch even more. Like I said, worst thing ever.

Weekend o' Fun Review

Friday: Went for a run, then ate lunch with the grandparents. Ran some errands and read for a few hours at Crossroads Coffee and Ice Cream, which I liked and will visit again. In the evening I went over to play Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution with my cousins.

Saturday: Went for a run, then headed over to Sunni's 10th birthday party, complete with a pool, moon bounce, slip 'n slide, video games, and a pinata. Was attacked in the moon bounce by wet ten-year-old boys and ended up fully clothed but completely drenched. After the cake I drove home, put coolant in my car, showered (again), and drove to Raleigh. Went to a cook-out at Ryan and Erin's house, where I partied all night and won a hoola hoop contest. I even got a trophy, but I forgot to bring it home.

Sunday: Slept in, then drove back to Richmond in time to pour wine for church at 4. Came home and had tea with the grandparents, then ate dinner and watched the beginning of the Tony Awards. Now very tired and off to bed.

Bigfoot

Way back when, like junior high days, I had pretty big feet. I normally wore sizes 9.5 or 10. My Aunt Caryn would give me her old shoes, which were huge, and they would fit. Then I guess my feet shrank. (Or shrunk? Er, got smaller.) I wore 8.5 for several years. 8.5 is a good size. It's Celia's size, and when she makes me get dressed up to go out I can borrow her heels.

But my feet just got big again. My parents bought me a pair of cute black flats in Santa Fe, and they are size 9. Not only are they size 9, but I realized after wearing them all day last Sunday they are still a little snug. Blame it on that particular brand, you say? What about when I got running shoes last weekend and I ended up bringing home SIZE 10?! How do you explain that? And then I got some fancy flip flops(by fancy I mean not from Old Navy), and they are also size 10. This is crazy, I say. Crazy.

internship update

Even though I've been out of school for four weeks and gone on two vacations already, I feel like this week was the real beginning of my summer since I finally started my internship. Monday I came home exhausted and was in bed by nine because it's been almost a year since I've had to get up early to sit and work for eight hours (even if I was working for eight hours, perhaps writing a paper, I had plenty of coffee; but when working with archives you can't have coffee with you, and that's rough). It's going well so far. Today, on my third day, I finally found my way to and from the archives and manuscripts office from the staff entrance all by myself! This morning I also got to go with the staff to hear three visiting scholars talk about the research they're doing at VHS, and that was exciting. Oh, and there was a story in the paper, and then I got pointed out on the internet.

Tuesday I amazed myself by getting up at six in the morning to go for a run before work, and I even got to work a few minutes early! It was great. I might try it again tomorrow. Also, Sunday I bought my first pair of real running shoes (I've been using my old tennis shoes all this time. And by "tennis" I mean plain athletic shoes- don't get confused and think I play tennis, because I don't.) I had no idea what a difference they would make! Why did no one tell me sooner?

And finally, I know you readers were probably worrying about this, but Myrtle the Turtle has appeared once again in the back yard. (I *may* have been a minute late on my first day because I had to run back inside to tell Grandma the turtle was out for the first time.) So fret not, Grandma has her little friend back and can once again yell at poor Danny every day for eating the turtle's food.

Weekend Review

Friday: Slept in, then went for a run around the lake. Puttered around telling myself not to freak out about my back. Went to the library at school to return and check out books. Also went to Target and the grocery store (needed milk for Saturday's chocolate milk breakfast). Did some packing, and watched the last episode in Grandma's As Time Goes By boxed series.

Saturday: Up early to pack the car and drive to Richmond. Went to lunch with Grandpa, then worked on the crossword puzzle and tried to take a nap. Unpacked and moved back into my Richmond room for the summer. Had dinner with Allison, Sam, Jennifer, and James at Allison's place. Beat the boys at Taboo.

Sunday: Up sort of early to run, but it was raining so I did the crossword puzzle instead. Went to Stony Point for church, then home for lunch with the grandparents. Went to the mall to spend my free $15 at The Limited, and ended up spending lots more money of my own that wasn't free. Went to church at FSC and mingled afterwards with friends. Had soup and beer at Ipanema with Allison and Sam. Visited with cousins Leslie and Sunni, then went to Dick's Sporting Goods to spend more money with Leslie's friends and family discount. Off to bed with first-day-of-summer-internship nervousness.

My back hurts.

While in Santa Fe my lower back started to feel a little funny, and I thought I must be sleeping on it wrong. One day was especially bad, and I blamed it on my old mattress with worn out springs, so Ryan switched the mattress with the trundle bed mattress under my day bed (day beds are hot, I know). That helped a little. But right as I was starting to feel better, I had to sit for many uncomfortable hours on an airplane and carry my heavy bag on my back, and that didn't help anything. Today my back is bad again. But let me clarify- when I say "bad" it is definitely relative. I have been blessed so far in my life with little pain, so when something is different or uncomfortable I say it hurts. I still managed to go for a run, and that didn't hurt, but I can't bend down very easily, and I couldn't do my usual stretches, and I decided against crunches.

I'm really hoping that sleeping on good beds and not sitting in airplanes will fix it, and that this will just go away. Especially since I have to start sitting at a desk all day every day on Monday.

Some lists from my trip

Movies Watched:

Catch and Release (on the flight west)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (rented, and the only one I'd already seen)
Shrek the Third (in the theater)
Night at the Museum (rented)
School of Rock (Ryan's)
Music and Lyrics (rented)
The Breakup (rented)
Hot Fuzz (in the theater)
For Your Consideration (rented, and a mistake)
The Queen (rented)
Click (Ryan's)
Code Name: The Cleaner (on the flight east)

Museums Visited:

Palace of the Governors, Museum of New Mexico (alone)
Institute of American Indian Arts Museum (alone)
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (with Mom)
Museum of Fine Arts (with grandparents)
also, the Rio Grande Zoo (with parents)

Books Read (not enough):

Star of the Sea, by Joseph O'Connor (for fun)
Lewis and Clark Among the Indians, by James P. Ronda (for ideas)
Narrative of a Journey Across the Rocky Mountains to the Columbia River, journal of John Kirk Townsend (for research)

Mexican Food Consumed (also not enough):

Enchiladas at Tomasita's
Fajitas on the plaza
Mom's burritos at home
El Plato Grande (chile relleno, enchilada, tamale) at Castro's
Burrito at Blue Corn Cafe

Visits to Ecco Espresso and Gelato:

Three times to read with a latte
Once for gelato
Once for lunch

Are you sure we're related?

This afternoon Ryan was supposed to hang out with me, but first he had to run to Espanola to buy shot gun shells for his upcoming shoot in California next weekend. So I rode along, but my eyeballs were very tired so I mostly just slept. Then when I finally woke up I discovered that Ryan had driven me off to the middle of nowhere, where he proceeded to scare the you-know-what out of me.

You see, while my idea of a good time on a Sunday afternoon might be to go downtown and get coffee and visit art galleries, Ryan's idea of a good time is to drive his truck through lakes of mud.

He also enjoys terrorizing me, his big sister, by driving up steep and rocky hills. Ryan had a great time and was very proud of his muddy truck, and I will go ahead and admit there were good views from the top.

But seriously, look at how steep and scary this hill is- you can't even see where it's going!

The whole time I pretty much looked like this:

Oh Simon and Nick, how I love you.

One of my two favorite movies ever is Shaun of the Dead. (The other one is sometimes embarrassing to say, because it's a chick flick and I usually try to avoid admitting that, on occasion, I like those sorts of movies, but You've Got Mail is really great, okay there, I said it.) I've seen Shaun of the Dead many times and every time I watch it I crack up and squirm and swoon and do all of the things you should do with a good British romantic comedy with zombies.

Well the makers of Shaun of the Dead made what is in my book another hit with Hot Fuzz.

It's very much like Shaun of the Dead in all the right ways, but it's still fresh and funny and not at all a disappointing sequel in any way. At least that's my opinion, for what it's worth. So you should probably go see it, and if you invite me along I will probably be happy to join you.

Thanks Yo-Yo Ma!

So here's how it went down. Terry (not Rocky, I was wrong) was talking with Yo-Yo Ma at the hotel, and told him about this girl (me) who plays the cello and wrote a haiku about him and waited outside for a long time to meet him and get his autograph. At this Mr. Ma started laughing very hard, because apparently he doesn't get asked for his autograph very often and was surprised that someone (me) would wait around for him. Right away he said something like, "here, I'll make her day," (probably while still laughing) and proceeded to write me the above note!

what an exciting day

Today was pretty good I'd say. First, I got up early to hitch a ride with my dad downtown on his way to work. I went to this coffee shop I like and got a latte and scone (I love scones) and read/researched all morning. (You may think summer equals no work for me, but it's not true. This girl has a thesis to work on.) I then met Dad for lunch, and afterwards we walked over to the state capitol to look at some of the art on display. Next I went by Ryan's hotel to say hi again (for the third time, since I passed it both going and coming to the coffee shop). I had to say hi again, because he had called earlier in the morning to inform me that a particular famous guest was expected to check in some time today. But so far no word. Then I went around the corner to the Palace of the Governor's, which houses the Museum of New Mexico and is also the oldest continuously occupied government building in the United States, built in 1610. As soon as I'd bought my ticket for the museum and entered the first exhibit room my phone rang and it was Ryan.

Now I'm going to break up my narrative to show you a poem I wrote today (which I don't pretend is actually good). It's a haiku that was inspired by Jack Kerouac, but we'll get to that later.

Ahem:

Ryan called- "He's here"
I ran around the corner
It was Yo-Yo Ma

So sure enough, I booked it out of that museum and actually ran down the street and around the corner, in time to see Ryan carrying luggage and chatting it up with Mr. Ma (sans cello). He had to check in at the desk, and Ryan left to help this other guy get to his room, so I made myself comfortable in the little lobby staring right at Yo-Yo Ma, but pretending to be totally unaware and disinterested. After a few minutes he left, and Ryan came back, and I went back to the museum to learn more about New Mexico.

Now, back to Kerouac. The museum currently has a temporary exhibit with the original On the Road manuscript, typed out on a super long scroll that is displayed in this long and skinny case. Included in the exhibit is a room about his haikus (which weren't always in the 5-7-5 format, and I guess became known as the "American style"), and they have some old typewriters and paper for visitors to write their own. We already know where this goes.

At 3pm Ryan was supposed to get off of work, and he was going to give me a ride back home, so I went back the to hotel (I walked this time), and once again saw Yo-Yo Ma. This time he was talking to some old people in the doorway. I had just shown Ryan my haiku, and he said "are you going to have him sign it?" Getting an autograph hadn't even crossed my mind, because I hate to be one of those annoying fans around famous people (not, mind you, that I'm ever actually around famous people), but I did have the perfect piece of paper in my hand...

Unfortunately Yo-Yo Ma didn't come out of the hotel with the people he was talking to, and instead went back to his room. I even stuck around in hopes he'd come back out (I mean, he had a sweater tied around his shoulders as if he were headed outside)while Ryan walked several blocks to get his truck, but that new autograph plan was foiled. He never came back out.

So that was the end of that. We came home, and I watched a movie with Mom (the sixth day in a row we've watched a movie). Then I went on a Taco Bell run with Dad, and when we got back home Ryan was in the driveway and said:

"Hey Andi, guess what. Rocky [another valet at the hotel] called me and said he was talking to Yo-Yo Ma and he told him about how you like him and wanted an autograph, so apparently he wrote you a little something on a sticky note and it's waiting in the office for me when I go to work tomorrow."

!!!!! I mean, it's not quite as exciting as if I'd talked to him myself and had him sign my haiku, but still. It's exciting. And I can always stick the note to my poem.

Weekend Review

Friday: Went for a run, stayed home all day doing a whole lotta nothing while the rest of my family went to work, then went to Tomasita's for dinner with my parents (I had Christmas enchiladas), and back home to watch the second Pirates of the Caribbean.

Saturday: Went shopping with my parents at the mall in Albuquerque, saw the third Shrek movie, and went out to dinner.

Sunday: Got up early and went with Ryan to his clay pigeon shoot in Espanola. I went with him to a shoot in North Carolina, but this was my first shoot in New Mexico. My Uncle Tommy was there, too. I was the score keeper. I spent the whole time marking Xs and Os and saying things like "dead pair" or "lost pair" and "final pair coming."
Ryan won a belt buckle for being number one in the junior class.



I also took a few other photos, like this


and this, but mostly because I was excited about how different and beautiful New Mexico is.
After the shoot we went home and I took a nap, then I helped my mom make pizza for dinner, which she and dad and I ate while watching Night at the Museum.

A run in the high mountain desert.

I went for a run today on the trail near our house. Let me tell you, I'm a long way away from my lake in Raleigh. First of all, Santa Fe is at 7,000 feet. Normally I don't notice the altitude at all, but I haven't gone for a run here in ten years, and today I noticed. I spent the whole time concentrating on breathing. Next, there are no trees along the trail for shade. And finally, instead of seeing turtles and ducks and squirrels, I saw lots of grasshoppers, some stink bugs, and a lizard.

News from home.

This past week I've been on the move. Now I'm in Santa Fe, and let me give you the updates.

First of all, my dad has a beard. I knew that already, but I hadn't seen it yet. I'm not gonna lie, he looks a little like Santa Claus. My dad has always had a mustache, and hasn't had a beard since before I could walk. So this is big.

Next, the mini van is gone. We've always had a mini van, but not any more. Instead my dad has a Hyundai Santa Fe (how appropriate!). It's okay I guess.

In related news, Ryan has a big white Toyota Tacoma. He's pretty much becoming a hick. But I still love him.

Today I played my cello for the first time in a couple years. It took a while to get the thing tuned, and then I was surprised at how much I could still play. I'm going to practice more over the summer.

Finally, this morning while drinking coffee and chatting with my mom I looked outside and saw a bird (I'm bad with identifying birds, but maybe it was a robin?) in a nest feeding little baby birds. So that was kind of exciting. Then this afternoon Ryan went outside to deal with Jackson, his yellow lab, and found the nest on the ground, with all the birds (momma included) killed. So that was sad.

The end (for now).

End of the year beach fun.

To celebrate the end of school three friends and I went to the beach in South Carolina for three days. It was pretty great. It only took seven and a half hours to get there, what with the crazy rain that made us pull over on the side of the interstate twice, and the scary lighting right above our heads that spurred us to stop at the Cracker Barrel for dinner. We also sat in the rain on the interstate for forty-five minutes without moving due to an accident up ahead. Finally we reached our condo on Isle of Palms around midnight, and the minute I got out of the car to start unpacking I was attacked by mosquitoes and got four bites around my ankles. I never scratched them once but they were huge and red and forced me to make crazy faces while dancing around in agony.

Sunday Elizabeth and I made a trip to Piggly Wiggly for breakfast food and snacks, and then around noon we headed over to Charleston. We walked around and did some shopping, and then on our way to the park what seemed like a hurricane sprung up, so we ran to the Noisy Oyster to seek shelter from the rain and eat delicious seafood. I had shrimp, fried clams, and grits. After a little more shopping we headed back to the condo and took naps. Let me tell you about this little condo- it had only one bedroom, and two teeny-tiny bunk beds built into the hall! But it was nice for us- it had a kitchen and was right on the beach with full ocean views. Anyway, after the naps we went out for a walk on the beach at night. I'm a big scaredy-cat when it comes to beaches at night, only because any little thing I see I immediately believe to be a crab or giant squid, all preparing to attack me, of course. The girls couldn't believe I was so jittery, especially since the walk was my own idea! After we got back we played Scattegories and drank ChiChi's cosmopolitans.

Monday was devoted to the beach. It was a sunny day (finally), but the wind was relentless. We lay on the beach for a long time but were covered in sand the whole time. There was sand in my ears, sand creased into the pages of my book, sand in my hair, sand in my bag and wallet... Tess and I went for a quick dip and then walked to the end of the island. Then we all went to the hot dog stand nearby for lunch. More reading on the beach (but we had to move up to do the dunes because the tide was coming in), another quick dip, and then finally back to the condo and into the shower, because I was sick of sand. After showers and lounging (and a short nap for me) we got dressed and headed back to Charleston for dinner. Then we were exhausted and went to bed.

Tuesday I woke up early and went for a walk on the beach by myself. Finally there was no wind. Then we had to pack up and be out by ten. We loaded the car and drove to the aquarium in Charleston to check out the sea turtles, sea otters, sharks, alligators, and sea horses. We then grabbed some lunch and went for a walk along Rainbow Row and the Battery. One last stop near the market for ice cream, and then it was time to hit the road. This time the drive only took about four hours and wasn't scary.

So the trip was fun. We were all still a little tense when we got there because we weren't used to schoolwork being over, but the beach and Charleston were relaxing and we had a great time.

Lifesaver

Today I went for a run in the neighborhood next to ours ("ours" here means next to my grandparent's house in Richmond) and on my way home I found a turtle right in the middle of the street. I decided there was a chance it would be a dead turtle soon if I didn't help it get across the pavement faster, so I picked it up and set it in the grass it was headed for. Sure enough before I even got out of the street a car came driving by, so I'm gonna say I pretty much saved the turtle's life. I was also a little conflicted about the turtle-finding situation, because I knew Grandma would want me to bring it home to be her new pet, since her two turtles from last fall haven't come up yet in the backyard, which suggests they might be gone forever. You see, Grandma loves turtles, and when she finds one she keeps it. But I didn't really feel comfortable saying "listen here turtle in the street, I'm going to kidnap you and take you far away and lock you in a backyard, even though it's a very nice backyard and you will be well-fed." Instead I thought about how it would be awkward to walk several blocks carrying a live turtle, and I wasn't really done running. So not only did I save the turtle's life, but I saved its freedom, too.

school's....out for summer!

Well this is it. My first year of grad school is over. I'm a year of grad school smarter now.

And yes, I finished the paper and turned it in only a couple minutes after five. It was only fifteen pages, but she said "it's cool, it's cool." No, she didn't say that, but you get the idea. The thing about this paper is that it helped me get back to my roots. Sure, I took a New Mexico history class in the seventh grade, but other than that 1) by dad taught me everything else I know about New Mexico and 2) I didn't really care that much about New Mexico history anyway. And yet this semester, when I'm over here on the east coast and can write about anything in the whole world of colonial history, I randomly decide to write about a Native American uprising in colonial New Mexico. It was fun though. All those names I've heard my whole life (streets, my junior high, etc.) all the sudden have familiar historical figures behind them. Anyway, enough about that.

So school is over, but I've got a busy four weeks ahead of me before my internship starts. Fun busy, not stressful busy. Summer fun busy, in fact. I'm sure I'll keep you updated. Speaking of which, as you can see the blog got a slightly new "do." I didn't really mean for that to happen, it was an accident. Oops.

the weekend is over

Friday: Worked on my paper and went for a run. I don't really remember anything else that happened.

Saturday: Worked on the paper some more. Went to the Handmade Market, then to a coffee shop for more work on the paper. Talked to my dad for a long time on the phone while watching coverage of the delayed Nascar race in Richmond on tv with him, remembering our own experience at the same race last year. That's right, I've been to Nascar races.

Sunday: Went for a run, then to church. Back home to work on the paper more. All this paper work and I only have nine pages. It'll get finished tomorrow though, it has to. Also went to Douglas and Meg's house for a cookout, even though it got too cold and we ate in. We still had good times.

only onto page seven...

This paper is taking a while. I know what I need to say. I have it planned out. But it's slow. And I don't think I will make it to twenty pages. I can't wait until five o'clock on Monday, because it will be OVER.

Here, let me give you some updates.

It's the end of the semester, and I'm almost done!

Archives project and "test" - check.
Historical Writing paper - check.
"How Revolutionary was the Revolution?" paper - check (and not very revolutionary, I argued).
TA essays read and grades submitted - check.
Twenty page paper on the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 - still need to write that (due Monday).

So that's pretty much it. For now. I might have more updates later.

I'm speedy

I was waaay off on my 10 hour prediction yesterday. I finished the first set of essays (the shorter ones) in less than four hours. Grading goes so much faster when you don't have to correct grammar and come up with nice things to say!

Favorite part so far: One student cited his seventh grade research paper.

TA stuff

I graded my 32 students' exams tonight (well, the objective part), and my favorite incorrect answer was this:

Gerald Ford used time studies and differential piece-rate quotas to eliminate the informal worker practice he called unskilled labor and to make work on factory floors more efficient.

The correct answers? Frederick Winslow Taylor and soldiering (or stints).

I also had a student include this in their short extra credit essay:

"Then again, the pill is cheaper than a baby."

Also, I have about 60 essays to grade in the next two days. I'm figuring 20 minutes per essay, which I think equals 20 hours. Right? That means 10 hours per day. And knowing me I will take even longer than that. Except I never work 10 hours a day. And I already plan on going out for drinks with the public history students Tuesday night around 8, and Wednesday at 6 I have to take a short archives exam. So we'll see how all this works out...

In related news, next semester I'm not TA-ing for the History of Technology anymore. I'm moving on to Early American (Colonial and Revolutionary) with my current professor (the one who took us to Williamsburg), and Elizabeth is my co-TA!

Weekend Review

Friday: Went for a run, edited my big paper on and off throughout the day with procrastination in between, went to the grocery store and video store, watched The Holiday with a bag of popcorn and a glass of red wine, because I'm classy like that.

Saturday: Worked on the paper some more, went to Target and McDonalds, worked on the paper again, then went for a run. Went to a wine and cheese party with the other history graduate students. We students are poor, so the wine had to be under six bucks, and the cheese was creative- I took sliced cheddar shaped like Mickey Mouse, and I ate lots of cheese puffs.

Sunday: Church, back home for lunch and a nap, then planned (well, still planning) a different history paper. Plus procrastination on the internet and America's Next Top Model (which was one of those "new" episodes when they just rerun "never before seen" footage- cheaters).

In honor of National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month, and while I do not especially care for poetry, or pretend to be a poet myself, I thought I'd share this poem I wrote in 2001 (I think), which is based on a true story.

*****

The other day at work, I had to clean the loo.
I'm happy to admit it's not my favorite thing to do.
I started with the women's, "the first door on your right,"
When something in the second stall greeted me with a fright.

For on the floor, next to the bowl, a small brown object lay.
Various thoughts ran through my mind and I did not know what to say.
I kicked it just a little, so see if it was true,
And judging by the smear it left I knew the thing was poo.

"Oh gross, oh yuck, oh foul!" I cried, "whatever shall I do?"
"Must I clean up this object that is someone else's poo?"

I ran outside to grab fresh air, I thought that I would puke.
"Why must I be the one to clean this dump that someone took?"
I regained my composure, and prepared myself for the job,
Then went back in and once again faced the smelly log.

I gathered toilet paper, a half a roll at least,
And bent down really quickly to pick up the messy piece.
Quick as a flash the poo was gone, swirling down the toilet.
I wiped my brow and sighed aloud, glad the challenge had been met.

Later that day I told my boss the story of my torture.
He squirmed and cringed and filled the air with lots and lots of laughter.
He gave me a quarter and promised a raise for cleaning up the mess.
"Of all the girls I think you, Andi, seem to amuse me the best!"

Officer Andi

Say hello to the new List Serve Moderator for the NCSU History Graduate Student Association. This is a pretty important position, let me tell you. It reminds me of that year I was secretary for the National Honor Society in high school.

Whoop-de-do.

it's not the heat...

Today was the first of what will surely be an endless summer of me thinking, "Why do I live in North Carolina again? Or Virginia? Or anywhere with humidity???"

my lake

I love my little lake. It looks like this.


Or, from a different position, it looks like this.


There are many turtles at the lake.


And geese.


There are also ducks, and they can pose obstacles for runners and bicyclists on the path.


On an average outing to the lake one can see old people and young people of all sorts. Sometimes they wear hats.


Or they might be fishing.


The lake is especially nice on a sunny day. The turtles think so, too.

Weekend

After Williamsburg, Easter, and my Birthday, this weekend was mucho mellow and relaxing. Friday I went for a run and worked on a paper. I watched As Time Goes By Friday night. Saturday I read and graded papers, went for a run, graded more papers, made drop scones and watched Love Actually, and read a little more. Sunday I went to church, ate Greek food for lunch and graded, went to a lecture at the art museum for some culture, then graded and read at a coffee shop. I also spent time this weekend being sad for VT, enjoying the sun, sitting in my parked car for thirty minutes to hear more of A Prairie Home Companion, and being thankful the flies are gone, at least for now.

Shoo fly.

This morning I was awakened by the bug man at my door. I (finally) called the office yesterday and told them about my fly problem. In the last week I've killed so. many. flies. and it's so. gross. The guy said they're probably the kind of flies that grow up on dead animals, so maybe there was something dead outside my window. I mean, seriously, that's the kind of information he could have kept to himself. He sprayed outside, and told me to get myself some bug-killing spray. "Especially for the summer," he said. Oh dear. The minute I thought about having my own apartment in North Carolina last year I started worrying about bugs. And I won't even be here most of the summer, so every time I come in I fear I'm going to greeted by one big bug nightmare. I'll just have to make sure I have a flip flop handy.

Birthday Weekend o' Fun

Birthday: Grandparents woke me up with a 7:30 phone call, but I went back to sleep. Post office woke me up with a phone call next, at 8, but I again went back to sleep. Parents woke me around 9:30 with another call, but I went back to sleep again. Finally woke up around 10:15 and did some homework. Drove to Fosters Market in Chapel Hill to do homework with a delicious chai and scone, and Allison joined me. Drove back home while talking to my other grandparents, then got showered and ready for birthday fun. Tess (the other birthday girl) and Elizabeth came over, and we went to Humble Pie for a tapas dinner, which was delicious and fun. Next we went to the area on Glenwood with tons of fun bars, where another friend and her boyfriend joined us, and hopped around.

(This is Tess and me. However, you will notice by the absence of a birthday aura that this picture was taken on Saturday night, instead of the actual day of our 24th birthdays. That's because I couldn't figure my camera out in time on Friday.)

Saturday: Slept in, and read a tiny bit in bed. Went to the Nippon Club picnic with Allison and Sam, where we ate noodles, watched guys in funny shoes drumming, and saw guys who looked like this get hit on the head:

Went to a coffee shop to eat soup and read. Stopped by Target to look at clothes, but ended up with two new CDs instead. Picked Tess up and drove to her boyfriend's bar in Chapel Hill, where we saw The Back Beat, a Beatles cover band (complete with older guys with shaggy hair).

Sunday: Up (relatively) early to meet Douglas (one of my friends from the Williamsburg trip) and his wife Meg for coffee and church. After attending this church since August, this was the first time I actually sat with people I knew. It was exciting. Afterwards we (plus another guy) went out for lunch. Got home but had to take a nap. Started organizing my research and writing my big paper, which looked like this:

You can see the black container, which holds tons more notecards. No fear losing all my work with a crashing computer!

Took a break to watch America's Next Top Model, eat, and talk to dad about tax stuff. Back to paper-writing until after 1am.

The Birthday Lineup for April 13:

Guy Fawkes
Thomas Jefferson (!)
F.W. Woolworth
Butch Cassidy
Eudora Welty
Al Green
my friend Tess
and ME!!!

I just killed eight more flies.

And I know of one still at large. Grroooossssss.

student email

The students I TA for are currently writing group research papers, and I have the job of reading their drafts (not to mention reading and grading the actual papers once they're turned in next week). One student emailed me his paper, so I edited it with comments and sent it back. This morning he emailed back with this reply:

"Thank you for your comments. I don't envy your task."

I've killed at least a horde.

Flies keep appearing around the windows of my apartment. The closed windows of my apartment. They're driving me insane. I can't figure out where they're coming from. Unless they were bred right here in my apartment, which is gross. But why would they go from invisible to huge and slow? When I see one, I grab my flip flop and kill it. It's such an awful and disgusting process, however, that I never try to seek out more. But this morning I said, "enough is enough!" So I drew up all the blinds and killed about seven. It worked for a few hours. Early this evening, however, I killed another five. Seriously, where are they coming from?! Are they sneaking in through a crevice in the window? Or the side door, maybe that's it. But they're so huge, how do they do that? And it's not like they're hanging out around the kitchen or trash, so I don't feel like my apartment is this sty that attracts them. Anyway, they're gross and I'm about to go nuts.

Weekend Review

Friday: Read and wrote a paper. Around 6pm after working in bed all day I decided I had to get out of the apartment, so I went for a short run around the lake. I came back extremely allergy-faced. Made dinner and did some more work.

Saturday: Finished up the paper, then went out to buy allergy medicine and a birthday card for a friend. Couldn't stay at Borders to study because there weren't any more tables, so brought my free latte home to try and research here. Later my friend Elizabeth came over and we drove to Richmond. Visited with my grandparents a little and ate dinner. Went over to aunt's house to see her and cousins. Took Elizabeth downtown to Capital Ale House.

Sunday: Went to mass with grandparents and Elizabeth. Even though it was Catholic mass and I never know what to do or say, it was still nice to be with all three of them at church. Gave Elizabeth an hour-long driving tour of Richmond. Went back to the house and all the family came over for a big Easter dinner, complete with the annual lamb cake. Hunted for Easter eggs. (That's right, I refused to be a "big kid" and hide the eggs because I wanted to look for them, too.) Visited with everyone some more, and finished up my laundry, then hit the road again. Got back to Raleigh, ate some squash for dinner, and watched America's Next Top Model. I've decided to take an Easter break from homework, so I'm going to go to bed now and try to get to work earlier in the morning.

Also, I'm going blind. My sight is getting worse. Maybe these allergies are making it really bad right now, or being tired, or driving a lot, or reading too much, but whatever it is it's no fun. Fuzzy eyes make tired eyes that want to close and sleep instead of doing homework.

The gray clouds are coming....

If I stop for more than about two seconds and think about the fact that I have a 25 page draft of my history paper due in just over a week, I pretty much want to crumple up on the floor and die. So I'm off for a free coffee drink at Borders and to do more research.

a random assortment of things I'd like to tell you

I think I'm getting sick. My dad thought maybe it was because of my "wild living," but it's probably just allergies. The entire city of Raleigh is yellow right now, covered in pollen.

I'm dealing with my first plagiarism case(s) as a TA. It's no fun. I had one student walk away from our private little talk close to tears. Ugh.

I just ate beans on toast for a late dinner. And orange juice.

Duke University is like a different world, totally different than NCSU. My archives class went there tonight to see old photographs in their special collections. First of all, I'm surprised I even found my way to the campus because the directions I had weren't working out. Secondly, they're too busy looking fancy and Gothic to put up signs and maps, so it took some extra wandering to find the library. Thirdly, everyone there is skinny and tanned and beautiful. Anyway, the collection was really great, and I tried to be excited, but my nose was sniffly and my body started to ache and I mostly just wanted to go home.

Luckily my drive to and from Duke was fun, thanks to the mix cd my new friend gave me.

Warm weather is making bugs pop up all over my apartment. A spider here, a fly there. I keep a flip flop handy to smash them.

History Field Trip Weekend

The obligatory Colonial Williamsburg picture. Uncropped.

Friday: Up early to meet at professor's house by 8:30. Rode with two fun guys to Jamestown. Ate lunch at the fake Jamestown, then had group tour with an archaeologist at the real Jamestown. Got sunburned. Checked into hotel, then went to The King's Arm for large group dinner. Didn't eat much peanut soup. Somehow ended up in the tiny group with late tickets for the Legends Tour, so went with three other students to a tavern for drinks. Played fun dice games. Went on Legends Tour, but we all had to pee the whole time. After tour met back with the larger group at the same tavern for more drinks and more dice games. Got slightly rowdy, but definitely had a good time. After the tavern closed at 10:30 we walked back to the hotel and the cool kids ("kids" is relative- I was definitely one of the youngest ones there) hung out until after 2, with more drinks and pizza.

My awesome car mates in their awesome hats.

Saturday: Woke up early for hotel breakfast. Stood with the group in the sun on the loud crunchy walkway by the buses and listened (or tried to listen) to a lecture for way too long. Off to explore Colonial Williamsburg. Toured the Capitol and Governor's Palace, plus lots of artisan shops. Finally got to sit down and eat lunch, then back on the streets for more exploring and note taking. Starting asking around about the Native Americans, or the lack of Native Americans. Learned female blacksmiths didn't wear shirts to work. Was super tired and hot and dehydrated, but stayed strong until 5. Went back to hotel for short nap, with tired feet and exhausted body. Up again to walk back to our same favorite tavern for dinner and more dice games. Off to learn about 18th-century dance at the Capitol. Back to the same tavern for more dice games with our favorite waiter. After tavern closed walked back to hotel to hang out in same hotel room again, but not as late this time.

(I would show the picture of me with the apron on, but I'm hunched over so it will stay up. Since that doesn't look very flattering you get to look at my back instead.)

Sunday: Up early again for hotel breakfast. Back to Colonial Williamsburg to finish exploring. Sat in the chapel at the Wren building at William and Mary for thirty minutes chatting with my new friend. Met back with professor and group one last time for roll call, then headed back to the car and on the road. Stopped at hugest Arby's ever for lunch. Had great fun talking with my car mates, and decided to start a band. We're gonna be rock stars. Rock stars who just had a great weekend in Williamsburg.

The mug doesn't do it justice.

You know those big mugs from Starbucks for every different state? Well my parents gave me the one for New Mexico, because they're cool like that. But let me say, as awesome as a New Mexico mug is, Starbucks doesn't do the Land of Enchantment justice.

Here's what you can learn from the mug: "Red or Green?" is a question. But it doesn't explain that it is our very important Official Question, and that it refers to chile. Seriously, go to any Mexican restaurant in New Mexico and they'll ask "red or green?" I like to order "Christmas," which means both. Actually, I'm usually too embarrassed to say "Christmas," even though that's really what they call it, so I just say "both, please." Next, you learn that New Mexico entered the Union in 1912 (we're not even 100 yet!), our land area is 121,356 sq. mi. (let me add that it's the fifth largest state in the country), our average low/high temperatures are 39.7F and 785F (no joke, they missed the period), and that our lowest elevation is 2,842' and the highest is 13,161' (again, let me add that 13,000 feet is really high, and that Santa Fe, at about 7000', is the highest capital city in the whole country, even higher than Denver).

Finally, you learn: "The state of New Mexico has been a leader in energy research and development since 1945 in the nuclear, solar, and geothermal areas." Sweet- they think the most important thing is that New Mexico helped create the bombs that killed tons of people.

What you don't learn is that even though it didn't become a state until 1912, it's super old. Santa Fe ranks right up there with Jamestown and St. Augustine. You don't learn about the multiculturalism in the state, except through the picture of an Indian pueblo on the front. You don't learn about the world's largest hot air balloon event that happens annually (we call it the Balloon Fiesta!) or about the fifty foot puppet Santa Fe has burned every year since 1924.

Pretty much you don't learn about the awesomeness that is New Mexico. Thank goodness you have me here to teach you.

The grass is pretty green on this side, too.

Like most everyone else in this world, I often wish a few things in my life were different. If only I had an amazingly cute apartment in an amazingly cute neighborhood. If only I looked like a super model. If only I had a wealthy husband and could travel more often. Heck, if only I had a guy to go out to dinner with every once in a while. I don't really think of myself as a terribly jealous person. I don't covet fancy cars or huge houses or designer clothing. And yet, as the pastor pointed out at church on Sunday, wishing I had someone else's life is envy, and envy means trouble. Not that there is any particular person whose life I wish I led. It's just the little things that start to add up. I wish I had her hair, I wish I lived where they do, I wish I had her style, I wish I wish I wish.

The other night I was hanging out with two friends, and I told them I had just realized I'll be twenty-seven by the time I'm done with my two degrees here in North Carolina. "I'll almost be thirty, and my life will barely be starting!" Did you catch that? Barely be starting. That's always been my problem. Life will be exciting as soon as I get to college. I can't wait until I graduate. Things will be great once I get into grad school. Real life will start when I'm through with school, or when I have a good career, or when I'm married, or when I have kids... Before you know it I'm going to be old and dead. One of my friends said something that is always said or realized when I get in this situation, and which always helps (until I forget it and get back in the same bad cycle). It doesn't matter that I'll be twenty-seven, she reminded me. "Because you're still having a good time now, while you're in school. Look at the fun stuff you did this weekend, for example."

And she's right. I may not think I have the fabulous life I dream about, but it's still pretty good. I like school a lot, definitely more than working. I get to sleep in and read books and study for hours at coffee shops. In a way, I even get paid to do it. I've also made some good friends here, and I keep making more. At the same time I occasionally have the chance to visit old friends. I have a loving and supportive family, both immediate and extended. I have the time, desire, and good health that enable me to run around my lovely little lake. There are smaller things that make life fun, too. I enjoy talking to friends about history and theses and evidence and arguments, and being super excited about a field trip to Williamsburg, yet I still don't feel like too much of a nerd. I also enjoy eating simple dinners that include lima beans with friends. I like hanging out with the two guys in my homegroup and talking about theology, or about how much we like beer. I don't like grading papers, but since it has to happen I like making a hot cup of tea and wearing sweats to grade on my comfy couch.

So life is good. The problem is, not only do I need to remember that, I also need to really believe it. I need to stop constantly looking at how it could be better, and I need to enjoy and be thankful for all that I've been blessed with already. Because I really have been blessed.

My Weekend

Friday: Woke up sort of early and wrote a short paper; drove to Richmond for internship meeting; went to grandparent's house (they weren't home though, they're in Greece) and did laundry; aunts came over and we had dinner; finished laundry and drove back to Raleigh.

Saturday: Woke up early and went to the conference; after I got home I spent an hour and a half ordering books through inter-library loan; went to dinner at a friend's house and hung out with the girls.

Sunday: Slept in, then read John Bidwell's trail diary from 1841; went for a run; went to the evening church service; went to the store; came home and made my butternut squash/apple soup (I also added a few carrots, and ate it served over rotini pasta); watched a little tv; read some more; finally off to bed now.

a day with the Superstars of Early American History

This morning I woke up before the sun to get dressed, pick up a friend, and get to Chapel Hill for a history conference at UNC. My professor had told us about it last week in class, and I decided it would be a good thing to go to. It was in honor of the retirement of Don Higginbotham, and many of the speakers and attendees were his former students. The first speaker was Pulitzer Prize winning Gordon Wood, on George Washington. Next was Jack Greene on the need for historians to stop viewing the colonies merely as precursors to the United States. I was in the elevator with him and his wife before I knew who he was. After lunch Joseph Ellis spoke. He wrote Founding Brothers (which also received the Pulitzer Prize) and American Sphinx, and he's one of those historians who has made it over to the popular side, like McCullough, only Ellis actually has a Ph.D. Also at the conference was Fred Anderson, but I missed his talk yesterday.

Anyway, these guys are all big deals in the academic world of Colonial, Revolutionary, and Early Republic history. Other historians came from all over to attend and wish Higginbotham a merry retirement. There weren't very many young students there, which was too bad. I think it was a great opportunity and I'm glad I went!

another RVA summer

The Richmond internship is a go! I start Monday, June 4. I think it will be good, and it pays, which is definitely an internship bonus. I went today and met with the people I'll be working with and saw the collection I'll be assigned to. They seem very nice, and this will be good experience. Plus, this means more hanging out with the grandparents and cool peeps in Richmond.

update

Never fear friends, I fixed the problem and Ira Glass and I are still on for this afternoon. I'm pretty much on my way to becoming a technological genius.

Uugghhhh

I installed iTunes 7, because it kept asking me to and I thought, what the heck? But it doesn't work. When I try to open iTunes one of those evil little boxes with the startling noise pops up and says:

"iTunes cannot run because it has detected a problem with your audio configuration."

I don't even know what that means. And I don't know what to do about it. And I'm annoyed because I was about to download the newest "This American Life" program for my run this afternoon. Buggers.

If anyone knows what to do, and surely some of you computer-types do know, please tell me! Thanks!

Food

I've been thinking about it a lot lately, for several reasons.

First of all, I went grocery shopping today, and groceries, it turns out, are expensive. I feel like I keep spending more and more money on food. But I always buy lots of fruits and vegetables, so maybe that helps make it expensive, instead of living off of Ramen. Or maybe I'm just not accustomed to the (expensive) real world.

Also, I just wrote my historiography paper on food and the 19th-century westward migration.

Thirdly, I'm craving my mother's burritos and guacamole.

Finally, here is a list of some foods that I love:
pistachios
(New) Mexican food
juicy black plums
edamame
macaroni and cheese
Thai curry
Indian cuisine
warm flour tortillas
scones (bet you didn't see that coming)
thin French fries
good beer (that counts, right?)
bran muffins
shrimp cocktail
and of course, my chocolate milk.

homework shmomework

I did homework all weekend. My breaks usually revolved around eating. I cooked the cauliflower soup (which I just finished off), the next day I made a grilled chicken salad (and set the smoke alarm off when I burned my croutons), and on Sunday I made that macaroni and cheese with squash and corn dish (adding thyme was a mistake, even though the recipe calls for it).

This morning I read more secondary sources, then sorted electronic files at the records center, then went to my TA class and led discussion. Only there wasn't much discussion. Nobody read the material, so I mostly just talked, and my voice started to get horse. And a guy fell asleep.

Tomorrow I have to spend the whole day writing a historiography paper. I'm a little nervous I won't be able to write "at least eight pages," since it's sort of a limited topic. Well, maybe I'm more nervous about how I haven't planned out the paper well enough yet (or at all) and how I know I will end up spending hours doing that tomorrow, leaving less time to actually write. Which means I'll have to be up really late, and I will be sad.

As soon as the paper is done and turned in I have to start researching the Pueblo Revolt, and I have to start (finally) reading primary sources for my big research paper (which will turn into my thesis). Plus next week I will have tons more papers to grade, and the weekend after that I'm in Williamsburg the whole time, and then after that drafts start coming due, and shortly after that the whole semester is over. Thinking about that stresses me out because I have tons and tons of work to do before the semester can be over. Ugh.

when the lights go out

It rained rained rained all day long. Then around 7:30 the power went out, and it got very dark. I found my one and only combined flashlight-and-radio and started looking for candles, in case the lights were going to be off forever. I managed to find two tea lights (from jack-o-lanterns sophomore year) and a little box full of tiny incense candles (a hand-me-down Christmas gift from my mother that will most likely never be used). You see, I don't really like candles. But when the lights go out, you wish you had them.

Also during this very dark period my cauliflower soup was not done cooking on the stove. Yes, I voluntarily bought cauliflower at the store and made soup with it. Luckily cauliflower soup isn't the sort of thing that will be disastrously affected by no power.

Oh, I also found a little book-reading light. Because the one thing every girl wants to do when the lights go out is homework.

This episode reminded me of that time during high school when the power went off and I was home alone. I left and went to my friend Megan's house around the block. They were making hamburgers in the dark and her dad wore a head lamp. Now that I think of it, how were they cooking hamburgers? Anyway, they let me have one. It was like a fun indoor camp out.

Back to tonight, the power came back on, my soup finished cooking, and I didn't have to read with an itty-bitty book light. Whew.

today's miscellany

Today in the car I realized I can get the NPR station from Richmond (as well as the country station in Richmond I listen to) down here in Raleigh. Not that I would want to though- it's better here. We have a separate classical music station, so the WUNC/NPR station has room for extra goodness.
*I am an idiot and this is a lie. I was fooled by static-y coincidences.

I met with the director of the history program today, and after I send an email requesting to transfer, I'm officially a Public History student. And I will write a thesis. Scary.

My Doritos got stuck in the machine when I tried to buy them during a break in class. But a classmate came by and tilted the machine for me. I don't believe I've ever bought Doritos from a machine, or pretty much ever. I wanted to get Peanut M&Ms, but they only had king sized, which cost 25 cents more than I had to spend.

Things are looking up for a Richmond summer internship. I'm going to talk to the guy tomorrow I think.

When I came out of class tonight at 7pm it was still light out! And warm! Hurray!

My Weekend

Friday: Didn't go to The Center (the gym) with Grandma when she woke me up at 6:45, but eventually went by myself around 10; ate lunch with grandparents; read, then tried to keep reading but was distracted by cartoons; went to dinner at Starlite with Allison, Sam, and Sam's amazingly ridiculous friend, then out for wine at Can Can.

Saturday: Read in bed, went out for Mexican Saturday with grandparents, read some more, aunt came over for tea, read again, went to Commercial Taphouse for a beer with Jennifer.

Sunday: Went for a run around the neighborhood next to ours (my first run not around my lake), ate Sunday dinner with the family, hung out with Sunni and endured her trying to make me touch my toes (which I still can't do), went to church at FSC, went to aunt's house for dinner, watched Memoirs of a Geisha, got home after 11 and put laundry on (why do I always wait until the last minute?), quickly researched Chinese printing for the discussion I have to lead tomorrow, soon off to bed after I move the laundry around.

lists

I like to make lists. Lists of groceries, lists of readings for class, lists of things to get at Target, lists of music I want, etc.

Mostly lists help me remember things. But sometimes lists are nice just so I can enjoy a brief moment of accomplishment as I cross items off. Lists are also helpful in pros and cons situations.

Last week the world was rosy, and this week it's still mostly rosy but I'm starting to get that mid-semester nervous-ness that comes with lots of extra research and reading to do, plus important plans to make for the future. I realized today that I need to register for class next week, so this switch from public history to regular/traditional/academic/whatever-else-you-want-to-call-it history is real and immediate. I thought I could hold off for another semester on making the decision final, but I think I need to register for both thesis research and Spanish. Also, I need a summer internship. I'm working on trying to get one in particular in Richmond, but I also think it might be fun to do one in Tacoma, so maybe I'll even do two. Then again, maybe both of my leads will fall through and I will have nothing. Nervousness.

Then there is the question of where to live next year. This is not an immediate concern (at least I don't think it is, but I need to go read the fine print on my lease), but it's still something more to feel nervousness about. The "to move or not to move" question is a good occasion to make a list. Pros to moving include: live closer to school (which means walking more, saving on gas, and maybe not paying $270 to park on campus); save on rent during the summer when I'm not in Raleigh; maybe live in a fun neighborhood with stores and coffee shops in walking distance, which is a lifestyle I love. But cons include: moving is a pain (change of address for everything important, new start-up fees, general frustration); I would need to pay to store my stuff over the summer; I would miss my lake; I will most likely move again the next year, meaning I will have moved every year from 2001-2008, and moving is a pain. Also, there's a good chance I can't actually afford a decent apartment where I want it.

But let's end with a happy list:

• Spring is coming.
• I'm going to start recycling again.
• Between Raleigh, Tacoma, and Richmond, I will have seen many of the people I love within two weeks time.
• I'm excited about history.

Weekend Review: good times in the City of Destiny

This is Tacoma, Washington. I love Tacoma.


Friday I woke up at 3:15 in the morning to fly out of Raleigh at 6:30. I arrived at Sea-Tac airport at 11:15am and Andrew picked me up and drove me to Tacoma. We picked up Katie (Andrew's wife, and one of my best friends from college) and went out for fish and chips. After that I was very sleepy, so I took a nap. When I woke up we had tea and played Scrabble (I lost), and then another couple came over and we played Settlers of Catan.


This is Andrew and Katie. They are cute and married. I love them.


Saturday we slept in, then made a nice big breakfast. We drove up to Seattle and after a stop at Crate and Barrel we went to a fun neighborhood called Fremont. We ate lunch at a nice Thai place, then walked around visiting little shops. We also stopped by the organic chocolate factory for free samples. Then we drove over to Capitol Hill (another neighborhood), picked up Katie's sister and her boyfriend, and went to get coffee. Afterwards we dropped those two back off and drove back to Tacoma. Katie made dinner (she cooked a lot, and it was always good), then she and I walked to a fun little bar, where I got a fancy champagne and honey drink.

Sunday we went to church, and it was nice to see a few old friends. We ate lunch at home, then went for a walk down along the waterfront (that picture at the top is a view from our walk). I used to walk down there all the time, and I miss it. Next we went to the Metropolitan Market, a fun fancy grocery store with lots of free samples. In the evening I went over to my old Bible study leader's house for dinner with her and her husband. Later that night Katie and Andrew and I walked to the Parkway, my favorite place in Tacoma for drinks, and had delicious beer. We talked and laughed and had a great bonding time, which we continued back at their apartment until 1:30 in the morning.

Here I am with Katie on our walk.


Monday I stopped by my old workplace and visited with the boss for a few minutes, which was fun. I then went over to UPS to visit two professors. It felt a little funny because I drove straight to the sub parking lot, walked across to Wyatt to see them, then walked straight back and left, just as if it was two and a half years ago and I'd gone to class. I then met back up with Katie for lunch, and we stopped by the UW-Tacoma store downtown so I could get a Tacoma sweatshirt (thanks to my Grandpa who told me to buy a sweatshirt while I was there so I don't forget my heritage). While Katie went back to work I went to a coffee shop to do some history reading. It was fun to still feel slightly connected to Tacoma, because I knew the owner, and I overheard the kids next to me mention my ex-boyfriend. From the coffee shop I walked over to Wright Park to check out a manuscript library museum, but it was closed. I then walked back to Katie's apartment. After Andrew got off work we went out for a happy hour dinner, which was really good. We then drove to Seattle and picked up her sister to take her out for dessert for her birthday. I got the bread pudding. Around 9pm we left Seattle and they dropped me off at the airport for my overnight flight back to Raleigh (via Chicago).

In conclusion, I had a great weekend. I didn't go with big plans or an agenda, I just wanted to hang out with Katie and Andrew and enjoy Tacoma. We had a fun and relaxing time, and the weather was beautiful. I'm already trying to figure out how and when I can get back to the City of Destiny.

it's a small (history) world

I just stopped by my alma mater to visit two of my former professors. It was nice to see them and catch up briefly. One professor is currently using the book of a professor from NCSU in his course, and the NCSU guy happens to be someone I will need to talk to eventually if I want to write a thesis on some aspect of western history, so it's fun I now have a random connection to talk to him about. I also told him I'm writing a paper on the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, and he copied an article for me that will be helpful. While I was there another professor came through who left a year or two ago and was stopping by to visit, just like me. I never had him or knew him, but a guy in my archives class knows him from when they were getting doctorates at Minnesota, so I said I know so-and-so and now when I go back and see him in class I'll have a message for him. These little connections are exciting to me. I'm really liking school and this whole academic world of history.

I RAN OVER EIGHT MILES!!!

Today I ran around the lake twice. Then I stopped to stretch and thought, "hey, I'm feelin' pretty good." So I ran around again. That was over six miles, and more than I had ever done before. Then I thought, "hey, I'm not doin' too bad." So I ran around again. Jennifer was right about running becoming addicting. I love it. In fact, today I realized I was smiling as I ran. As you know, I'm not really known for smiling a lot. To think that running was making me so happy (combined with the blue sky, my music, and the turtles that are back) I couldn't help but have a silly grin on my face as I huffed and puffed my way around the lake! It was great. Of course now I can barely move my legs and I have blisters on my feet, but still. Eight (plus) miles!

Weekend: fun but unproductive

Friday: Graded papers, ran over four and a half miles while listening to favorite new tunes under a beautiful blue sky, went to help set up for a conference, bought a cd with my Valentine's gift card and a book of U.S. Presidents stickers as a gift, read for my TA class, went out to sushi dinner with Elizabeth and Tess for Elizabeth's birthday (she loved the stickers), went for Ben and Jerry's ice cream for dessert, came home and read more in bed.

Saturday: Got up at 6 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING to get down to the Graduate Student History Conference by 7:30, helped tie string to balloons, ate a bagel with cream cheese and drank coffee, listened to presented papers, ate a quarter of a muffin and drank more coffee, listened to more papers, ate delicious boxed lunch from the Lebanese restaurant, drank a Coke, sat at the registration table but read for my TA class since hardly anyone new came in, ate a big cookie and drank more coffee, skipped the last session to go outside and read on a bench, ate cheese and veggies at the reception, went home to take a nap, ate a little dinner, went with Elizabeth and Tess to Chapel Hill for free drinks and dancing thanks to Tess's bartender boyfriend, drank a little too much and enjoyed sleepover giggling until 4 in the morning, went to bed at the bartender boyfriend's mom's house.

Sunday: Slept in until 11:30 and then watched My Fair Lady, drove back to Raleigh to grade papers and watch the Oscars, planned for TA discussion, off to bed.

Oh Oprah

Ryan helped Oprah Winfrey with her luggage. Oprah Winfrey. She has her dogs with her. Today she's headed up to Taos to hang out at Julia Roberts' ranch. Look at me- I have the inside scoop on Oprah! He's going to call me back when he sees her again. Then he's going to get the both of us invited out to Chicago to become her adopted heirs. Or wherever it is she actually lives.

Speaking of which, many years ago the National Enquirer ran a story on all of Oprah's houses. She had one in Tesuque. Or at least her manager did or something. Anyway, the NE photographer didn't drive up the road far enough, and instead took a picture of my aunt's house. You could see the barbecue out in front of the garage and everything.

Update: We were a little off on the Taos trip. She had already been up there to visit Julia. Now she's headed toward California and the Oscars. Even more exciting, Ryan saw her some more. In fact, he accidentally barged into a room and found her with her entourage having her hair and makeup done. He was told to get something out of a hotel room that was supposed to be empty, but they forgot to tell him they'd moved Ms. Winfrey in. He had to apologize profusely and the manager had to explain the mistake to her people. Because you can't just barge into Oprah's room like that. She's Oprah.

Why go to the gym when you can take a trip to the library?

And I'm not even talking about exercising your brain.

Today at school I hiked up ten flights of stairs to the very top of the library. I picked up two books, then went back down the stairs to the fourth floor, where I picked up another book. On the third floor I grabbed two more, and at the check out desk I added another three huge volumes I got through inter-library loan. I then strapped the mini-library to my back, trekked across campus, and climbed another four flights of steps to my car in the parking garage.


Later I might use some of these books I picked up to do bicep curls.