Well, this will be my last post on "The Madness of Ms. Katherine". With the new job, I didn't want anyone to be able to see things I had posted on here before. It's time to be a little more professional online. So I'm closing this out.
BUT this is not a farewell from blogging! I've started a different blog - www.katherineheugatter.blogspot.com. I'm calling it Motown Musings. You can read all about my adventures, as well as Robin's (my new puppy!) in Detroit/Grosse Pointe, MI there! That way, I can watch what I say...
Hope you all transition with me!! Thanks for reading!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The long promised and much anticipated update
Ok ok. So those of you who still read this blog are probably wondering what is going on in my life since my euphoric "I got a job!!!" post. Here's the deal.
Yes I do have a job. I am the Program Coordinator at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, just outside of Detroit, MI. Technically, it's in Grosse Pointe Shores, part of Grosse Pointe, a suburb of Detroit. It is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to get up there and start working with the education programs! This is an amazing opportunity. I have been truly blessed.
Secondly, I found my apartment in Grosse Pointe on Tuesday. It's in Grosse Pointe Park, bout 15-20 minutes from the museum. It's a SUPER CUTE little first floor apartment in a two family hosue built somewhere between the 20s and 40s (I think it's the 20s cause it's very craftsman style, but the ad on Craigslist says 1940s...). It's a 2 bedroom, so I will have an office/guest room, complete with a futon. White leather futon. Oh yeah baby. It's awesome. I also got a new couch and chair - I love the brown couch I have now, very comfy, but VERY VERY heavy and bulky... not fun to move... so I am leaving that to my roomie in STL and instead bought a blue leather couch anc chair at Weekend's only. Very very cute, very 1950s "I love Lucy" ish. I love them, perfect for me!
Thirdly, I got a puppy!!!!! Some of you may be wondering why I would get a puppy when I talk about Captain/Mr. Bixby so much on here. Here's the deal. I love Bixby with all my heart. No matter what, he will probably always be my favorite dog and definitely have a special place in my heart. But Bixby is almost 9 years old. He's had some health troubles (had to have 6 teeth removed this summer). He also is very much a family dog and really belongs in this house in STL. I can't take him away from that. And, since I am living by myself, I wanted someone to come home too. Thus, I got Robin. Robin is my new 11 week (ok 12 week as of tomorrow) half dachshund, half black-lab mix. Yes, you read that right - she is a dachsador (a new designer breed... although she was not designed, she was an accident on a farm...). She will probably get to be about 30-35 lbs, perfect size for an apartment dog. Super smart (she's already learned to sit on command and we're working on "Stay", "Come", and potty training - thus far very few accidents!), very very sweet, very laid back and calm though she can be active too. Perfect dog for me and Detroit. For those wondering, I named her Robin because my apartment is on Nottingham. So she's Robin of the Hood :-)
Finally, for those wondering, Daddy and I are driving up to Detroit on September 4. Yes, this Saturday. So if you're in STL and have not seen me yet, contact me ASAP to hang out. But be warned, you may see a very stressed out Katherine. I have a WHOLE heck of a lot of packing to do. I'm a little worried I'll be going to work with bald spots from pulling my hair out...
So that's the update. By the way, there is a chance I will be shutting this blog down and starting a new one. Since I got the job, I really want to keep everything about work off of the internet and keep things fun and professional at the same time. Not sure I quite did that here as well as I should have. BUT I will absolutely post the link to the new blog whenever it is up.
So for all those STL friends that read this - thank you! I love you and I am going to miss you all so much!!!!
Yes I do have a job. I am the Program Coordinator at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, just outside of Detroit, MI. Technically, it's in Grosse Pointe Shores, part of Grosse Pointe, a suburb of Detroit. It is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to get up there and start working with the education programs! This is an amazing opportunity. I have been truly blessed.
Secondly, I found my apartment in Grosse Pointe on Tuesday. It's in Grosse Pointe Park, bout 15-20 minutes from the museum. It's a SUPER CUTE little first floor apartment in a two family hosue built somewhere between the 20s and 40s (I think it's the 20s cause it's very craftsman style, but the ad on Craigslist says 1940s...). It's a 2 bedroom, so I will have an office/guest room, complete with a futon. White leather futon. Oh yeah baby. It's awesome. I also got a new couch and chair - I love the brown couch I have now, very comfy, but VERY VERY heavy and bulky... not fun to move... so I am leaving that to my roomie in STL and instead bought a blue leather couch anc chair at Weekend's only. Very very cute, very 1950s "I love Lucy" ish. I love them, perfect for me!
Thirdly, I got a puppy!!!!! Some of you may be wondering why I would get a puppy when I talk about Captain/Mr. Bixby so much on here. Here's the deal. I love Bixby with all my heart. No matter what, he will probably always be my favorite dog and definitely have a special place in my heart. But Bixby is almost 9 years old. He's had some health troubles (had to have 6 teeth removed this summer). He also is very much a family dog and really belongs in this house in STL. I can't take him away from that. And, since I am living by myself, I wanted someone to come home too. Thus, I got Robin. Robin is my new 11 week (ok 12 week as of tomorrow) half dachshund, half black-lab mix. Yes, you read that right - she is a dachsador (a new designer breed... although she was not designed, she was an accident on a farm...). She will probably get to be about 30-35 lbs, perfect size for an apartment dog. Super smart (she's already learned to sit on command and we're working on "Stay", "Come", and potty training - thus far very few accidents!), very very sweet, very laid back and calm though she can be active too. Perfect dog for me and Detroit. For those wondering, I named her Robin because my apartment is on Nottingham. So she's Robin of the Hood :-)
Finally, for those wondering, Daddy and I are driving up to Detroit on September 4. Yes, this Saturday. So if you're in STL and have not seen me yet, contact me ASAP to hang out. But be warned, you may see a very stressed out Katherine. I have a WHOLE heck of a lot of packing to do. I'm a little worried I'll be going to work with bald spots from pulling my hair out...
So that's the update. By the way, there is a chance I will be shutting this blog down and starting a new one. Since I got the job, I really want to keep everything about work off of the internet and keep things fun and professional at the same time. Not sure I quite did that here as well as I should have. BUT I will absolutely post the link to the new blog whenever it is up.
So for all those STL friends that read this - thank you! I love you and I am going to miss you all so much!!!!
Friday, August 13, 2010
THE DREAM LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I JUST GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am OFFICIALLY the Program Coordinator at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH. MY. GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Cause I'm leaving on a... um... highway...
OK so leaving on a jet plane doesn't quite work as well as I'd hoped. But you get the point. Yes, I am leaving Natchez. I am coming home. At least for a few weeks. Anyone who reads this blog (test test, is this thing on?) may be going "Wait, I'm so confused!" Ok, here's the deal.
So I am still Stretch Armstrong. Stretch wants to lean towards one side. But we'll see if that one side releases Stretch or not.
Last Thursday and Friday, I went to Detroit for a face to face interview with the museum up there. We'll call it "Car". I absolutely loved it. This is basically my dream job. And yes, I know it's Detroit. Yes, I know what Detroit means. But technically, "Car" is in Grosse Pointe, a SUBURB of Detroit where the public schools are in the top 2% of the nation - make more sense?. Before you all start saying, "Wait, what is Katherine doing in a SUBURB?" it's not your typical suburb. It's more like a small town. Besides, living in the city of Detroit is VERY VERY VERY different from living in the city of St. Louis. Especially for a single white female who weighs 100 lbs. So yes, if I got the job in Detroit, I would live in a suburb. Either Grosse Pointe or another suburb where, apparently, more of the young people live. We'll see. I feel pretty good about that job. I did my absolute best in all my face to face interviews. Plus, I talked to the president on the phone, and she flat out said it sounded like we're on the same page. However, I also know that I am not the only candidate. Yes, I beat out 96-98 other people for a face to face interview. But there's still that 1-3 others that could be a better fit. But I was the first one they flew in and I think I set the bar pretty high. I really want this job to work out but I've got to stay realistic.
Then there's the other side. We'll call it "Garden". This is the job in Natchez. I had my work session with the committee and they took it to the board. The president said it looked hopeful, but didn't have much more info than I had before I went to Detroit. We'll see on that. They're thinking of calling me "Museum Consultant" and having me come on "temporarily" so the board can get used to me, with the unwritten understanding among a few of us that, unless it's just a horrible fit, after the project I was working on was done, they'd present me to the board and hire me on permanently, that way the board doesn't get scared about hiring on a full time curator. This would be a great opportunity. The pay would be less than "Car" and there are no benefits, which "Car" is offering. But they could throw in a fully furnished apartment on the 3rd floor of one of the "garden" houses which would be AWESOME. So that's another option.
So why am I coming home? Well, I don't have an answer on either of these. BUT I should know on both, definitely "Car" cause they want someone to start by the 2nd wk of September and I'd have to find a place to live, by the end of August. Since that's only 2 weeks away, I decided just to come home and wait it out. I felt like it would be cheating Melrose for me to sign up for classes, start the STEP program, then a wk to 2 wks later, "Hey I got a job, I'm out". Plus, I've worked 7 days a week all summer. Plus a few weeknights. I am EXHAUSTED. The idea of having to start classes and another job immediately, without a break, time to relax with family, time to see Bixby, or time to see friends in STL just makes me want to cry. I need some downtime. So I'm taking some.
I know that there is a very good chance that either "Car" or "Garden" will work out. If both work out, I would take "Car". More money, benefits, and the dream job, I'd be an idiot to turn it down. But if "Garden" worked out and "Car" did not, I would be thrilled. But I have to keep in mind that both of these could still go south. Should that happen, when I get home, I'm going to look into some online classes/distance learning at UMSL and Forest Park/SLCC as well as at Co-Lin. That way, I can talk to Melrose about maybe coming back as a STEP student. If they can't do it, maybe a park in STL could hire a STEP student on. I'll take it from there. But right now, I need some relaxation time with Bixby!
So if you're in STL and reading this, get excited, I'm coming home!!!
So I am still Stretch Armstrong. Stretch wants to lean towards one side. But we'll see if that one side releases Stretch or not.
Last Thursday and Friday, I went to Detroit for a face to face interview with the museum up there. We'll call it "Car". I absolutely loved it. This is basically my dream job. And yes, I know it's Detroit. Yes, I know what Detroit means. But technically, "Car" is in Grosse Pointe, a SUBURB of Detroit where the public schools are in the top 2% of the nation - make more sense?. Before you all start saying, "Wait, what is Katherine doing in a SUBURB?" it's not your typical suburb. It's more like a small town. Besides, living in the city of Detroit is VERY VERY VERY different from living in the city of St. Louis. Especially for a single white female who weighs 100 lbs. So yes, if I got the job in Detroit, I would live in a suburb. Either Grosse Pointe or another suburb where, apparently, more of the young people live. We'll see. I feel pretty good about that job. I did my absolute best in all my face to face interviews. Plus, I talked to the president on the phone, and she flat out said it sounded like we're on the same page. However, I also know that I am not the only candidate. Yes, I beat out 96-98 other people for a face to face interview. But there's still that 1-3 others that could be a better fit. But I was the first one they flew in and I think I set the bar pretty high. I really want this job to work out but I've got to stay realistic.
Then there's the other side. We'll call it "Garden". This is the job in Natchez. I had my work session with the committee and they took it to the board. The president said it looked hopeful, but didn't have much more info than I had before I went to Detroit. We'll see on that. They're thinking of calling me "Museum Consultant" and having me come on "temporarily" so the board can get used to me, with the unwritten understanding among a few of us that, unless it's just a horrible fit, after the project I was working on was done, they'd present me to the board and hire me on permanently, that way the board doesn't get scared about hiring on a full time curator. This would be a great opportunity. The pay would be less than "Car" and there are no benefits, which "Car" is offering. But they could throw in a fully furnished apartment on the 3rd floor of one of the "garden" houses which would be AWESOME. So that's another option.
So why am I coming home? Well, I don't have an answer on either of these. BUT I should know on both, definitely "Car" cause they want someone to start by the 2nd wk of September and I'd have to find a place to live, by the end of August. Since that's only 2 weeks away, I decided just to come home and wait it out. I felt like it would be cheating Melrose for me to sign up for classes, start the STEP program, then a wk to 2 wks later, "Hey I got a job, I'm out". Plus, I've worked 7 days a week all summer. Plus a few weeknights. I am EXHAUSTED. The idea of having to start classes and another job immediately, without a break, time to relax with family, time to see Bixby, or time to see friends in STL just makes me want to cry. I need some downtime. So I'm taking some.
I know that there is a very good chance that either "Car" or "Garden" will work out. If both work out, I would take "Car". More money, benefits, and the dream job, I'd be an idiot to turn it down. But if "Garden" worked out and "Car" did not, I would be thrilled. But I have to keep in mind that both of these could still go south. Should that happen, when I get home, I'm going to look into some online classes/distance learning at UMSL and Forest Park/SLCC as well as at Co-Lin. That way, I can talk to Melrose about maybe coming back as a STEP student. If they can't do it, maybe a park in STL could hire a STEP student on. I'll take it from there. But right now, I need some relaxation time with Bixby!
So if you're in STL and reading this, get excited, I'm coming home!!!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Stretch armstrong
So I have become stretch armstong. But this is the best stretch armstrong situation EVER!
So Thurs I had my phone interview with Detroit. It went great! I felt wonderful after that! Friday, I drove up to Kilgore, TX to see my sister and Luke. I stopped in Naychadoches, La to see Steel Magnolias locations and was having lunch when the book club lady called saying the org here wanted to meet me and see if we could reach an agreement to take to the board! So I went there yesterday, they're recommending me to the board tomorrow as "museum consultant". Then today, detroit called for a ref check, and Jay (my prof) tipped off the fact that I'm bout to get an offer. So bout 2 hrs after he did that, u get a call saying Detroit wants me to come up for a face to facer interview! So I've got two possibilities. Both have major pros. But both have even
bigger cons. And both could still go south. We'll see!
So Thurs I had my phone interview with Detroit. It went great! I felt wonderful after that! Friday, I drove up to Kilgore, TX to see my sister and Luke. I stopped in Naychadoches, La to see Steel Magnolias locations and was having lunch when the book club lady called saying the org here wanted to meet me and see if we could reach an agreement to take to the board! So I went there yesterday, they're recommending me to the board tomorrow as "museum consultant". Then today, detroit called for a ref check, and Jay (my prof) tipped off the fact that I'm bout to get an offer. So bout 2 hrs after he did that, u get a call saying Detroit wants me to come up for a face to facer interview! So I've got two possibilities. Both have major pros. But both have even
bigger cons. And both could still go south. We'll see!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Now or never
I'm posting from my blackberry so if things don't always make sense or there's mistakes that's why. Time to post my plan.
First off, my good news. I have a phone interview Thursday! Its with a job in MI that I applied to before I left for Natchez, same one I had the preinterview with! Plus its with the guy who graduated from UMSL and worked at the museum I was at for 5 years!
Second, more good news. The org here with the job I found out about at book club is definitely interested! At least, the President of the org is in my corner. I dunno bout the committee or the rest of the board. But signs are good there! Nothings set in stone, it could easily get ripped out from under me like Galveston. But signs are good!
Now for my plan. I have these two amazing leads. But, nothing is even close to set in sstone. Rosalie has said I could stay and finish the inventory project. I could also keep hostessing there. Plus today I was told that, while Melrose can't give me an absolute guarantee, they definitely need to fill the STEP pos they now have open, so if I want to figure out registering for classes somewhere, go ahead and do that and plan, for now, to work at Melrose. That could suddenly change but the chief of interp doesn't think it will, though he couldn't make any promises. They also know that I will be looking for a full time job while a STEP student and if one came up, I would leave - as the chief said, he wouldn't hire someone without initiative.
So one option is, once this internship is over, I could stay in natchez, finish rosalie, and be a STEP student till I know for sure bout full time jobs, or till December. My other option is to go back to STL, work retail, and volunteer at the same museums I've been at for years. I know that if I take option 2, I will kick myself constantly. I will also be miserable bvecause I missed an opportunity, thus making my roomie, my friends, and ESPECIALLY my family miserable too. I don't want to do that. And I need to get my foot in the door - if these full time jobs don't work out, at lease the natchez option would let me get my pinkie toe in the door.
So I am currently planning to stay in Natchez. I'm not making formal plans (ie registering for classes, finding an apt) until I have my interview Thurs and get a vetter timeline on the MI job. If they'll hire by september and I get an in person interview, I may not stay. But I kinda doubt that, I bet that propcess will go till bout October 1. I will be looking for a furnished apt here for 2-4 mos (if the full time job here works out, ill rent an apt and move down here, but I'm not moving all my stuff and sure not signing a lease for just thro Dec). If these FT jobs don't work, I will reevaluate in Dec, when my lease in STL is up. But that's the plan for now!
Don't worry, I won't be gone from you forever! Ill come back to STL to visit - if nothing else, I have to come back in Aug to get some more stuff! And thanks to the wonders of modern tech, you can still keep in touch with me - and I do expect you to!
I love everyone in STL. You're all absolutely amazing. But I can't turn down this opportunity, just to come home and wait for my shot. I need to take a chance and see where God is leading me, starting with a temp stay in natchez.
ill keep you updated as things develop!
Thanks for everything! I love you all!
Love and still missing you,
Katherine
First off, my good news. I have a phone interview Thursday! Its with a job in MI that I applied to before I left for Natchez, same one I had the preinterview with! Plus its with the guy who graduated from UMSL and worked at the museum I was at for 5 years!
Second, more good news. The org here with the job I found out about at book club is definitely interested! At least, the President of the org is in my corner. I dunno bout the committee or the rest of the board. But signs are good there! Nothings set in stone, it could easily get ripped out from under me like Galveston. But signs are good!
Now for my plan. I have these two amazing leads. But, nothing is even close to set in sstone. Rosalie has said I could stay and finish the inventory project. I could also keep hostessing there. Plus today I was told that, while Melrose can't give me an absolute guarantee, they definitely need to fill the STEP pos they now have open, so if I want to figure out registering for classes somewhere, go ahead and do that and plan, for now, to work at Melrose. That could suddenly change but the chief of interp doesn't think it will, though he couldn't make any promises. They also know that I will be looking for a full time job while a STEP student and if one came up, I would leave - as the chief said, he wouldn't hire someone without initiative.
So one option is, once this internship is over, I could stay in natchez, finish rosalie, and be a STEP student till I know for sure bout full time jobs, or till December. My other option is to go back to STL, work retail, and volunteer at the same museums I've been at for years. I know that if I take option 2, I will kick myself constantly. I will also be miserable bvecause I missed an opportunity, thus making my roomie, my friends, and ESPECIALLY my family miserable too. I don't want to do that. And I need to get my foot in the door - if these full time jobs don't work out, at lease the natchez option would let me get my pinkie toe in the door.
So I am currently planning to stay in Natchez. I'm not making formal plans (ie registering for classes, finding an apt) until I have my interview Thurs and get a vetter timeline on the MI job. If they'll hire by september and I get an in person interview, I may not stay. But I kinda doubt that, I bet that propcess will go till bout October 1. I will be looking for a furnished apt here for 2-4 mos (if the full time job here works out, ill rent an apt and move down here, but I'm not moving all my stuff and sure not signing a lease for just thro Dec). If these FT jobs don't work, I will reevaluate in Dec, when my lease in STL is up. But that's the plan for now!
Don't worry, I won't be gone from you forever! Ill come back to STL to visit - if nothing else, I have to come back in Aug to get some more stuff! And thanks to the wonders of modern tech, you can still keep in touch with me - and I do expect you to!
I love everyone in STL. You're all absolutely amazing. But I can't turn down this opportunity, just to come home and wait for my shot. I need to take a chance and see where God is leading me, starting with a temp stay in natchez.
ill keep you updated as things develop!
Thanks for everything! I love you all!
Love and still missing you,
Katherine
Friday, July 9, 2010
Nobody panic. I have a plan.
I think that's a movie quote... maybe...
Anyway, wanted you all to know I have a plan. A tentative plan at least. Still lots of ifs in that plan. But it gives me peace of mind.
No time to post the actual plan. Darian and I are off to Planet Thailand. I'm going to drown my sorrows over the fact that Soupman, one of my fav lunch places in STL, is closing today, efore I could have my last soup, in some yummy stir fry.
Fill you in later! Love and miss you all!
Anyway, wanted you all to know I have a plan. A tentative plan at least. Still lots of ifs in that plan. But it gives me peace of mind.
No time to post the actual plan. Darian and I are off to Planet Thailand. I'm going to drown my sorrows over the fact that Soupman, one of my fav lunch places in STL, is closing today, efore I could have my last soup, in some yummy stir fry.
Fill you in later! Love and miss you all!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Jesus take the wheel
I'm posting this from my blackberry, so if things are wrong here, that's why. I love that Carrie Underwood song. And right now it is very fitting for my life.
Recently, doors seem to be opening somewhat. Not fully, at least not as fully as I want. But doors I've been praying to open are starting to be unlocked. The problem is, I have no idea which door to go through.
- Temp job here. It has been offered to me! Problem is, it's only temporary. Now I could stretch it to 3 mos or so. But there are no guarantees and a whole lot of ifs involved here.
- Org here. Still no word. But I need to call the woman I met and meet with her.
- Melrose. Ranger pos are opening, I'm gonna apply. There's also the STEP program. I'd have to be a student, but it would be a job. Plus I could combine it with the first option.
The top and bottom combo was what I was leaning towards. Till this latest amazing but frustrating monkey wrench.
-job I applied to before coming down here. I had what I guess you could say was a preinterview today. I think I nailed it. As much as I can nail a preinterview. I'm not guaranteed an official phone interview. It'll be two weeks before I know for sure if I got a phone interview or not. But signs are good. Then they'll make a cut and the finalists will go up there. Then they'll pick one. I think I've got a good shot and some legs up. But assuming that I make it to the finalists, it'll be the fall before I know for sure. And eben if I don't make it to the finals, it'll prob be 3 or 4 wks before I know if I got an in person interview. That means it'll be hard to commit to one of the ones above. HUGE monkey wrench.
I've been praying for these doors to open. I've said that wherever God wanted to send me, I would go. But now so many options are starting to be presented that I don't know which one to do! And if there's one thing I HATE, its not knowing!
Otherwise life is good.
Be praying for guidance for me!
Love and miss you!
Recently, doors seem to be opening somewhat. Not fully, at least not as fully as I want. But doors I've been praying to open are starting to be unlocked. The problem is, I have no idea which door to go through.
- Temp job here. It has been offered to me! Problem is, it's only temporary. Now I could stretch it to 3 mos or so. But there are no guarantees and a whole lot of ifs involved here.
- Org here. Still no word. But I need to call the woman I met and meet with her.
- Melrose. Ranger pos are opening, I'm gonna apply. There's also the STEP program. I'd have to be a student, but it would be a job. Plus I could combine it with the first option.
The top and bottom combo was what I was leaning towards. Till this latest amazing but frustrating monkey wrench.
-job I applied to before coming down here. I had what I guess you could say was a preinterview today. I think I nailed it. As much as I can nail a preinterview. I'm not guaranteed an official phone interview. It'll be two weeks before I know for sure if I got a phone interview or not. But signs are good. Then they'll make a cut and the finalists will go up there. Then they'll pick one. I think I've got a good shot and some legs up. But assuming that I make it to the finalists, it'll be the fall before I know for sure. And eben if I don't make it to the finals, it'll prob be 3 or 4 wks before I know if I got an in person interview. That means it'll be hard to commit to one of the ones above. HUGE monkey wrench.
I've been praying for these doors to open. I've said that wherever God wanted to send me, I would go. But now so many options are starting to be presented that I don't know which one to do! And if there's one thing I HATE, its not knowing!
Otherwise life is good.
Be praying for guidance for me!
Love and miss you!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
It's my life, it's now or never
Yeah I felt like a little Bon Jovi today. Don't know why. It just popped into my head.
So here's the update from Natchez:
1. Jr. Ranger Camp. I survived! Barely. I thought I was gonna KILL some of those kids, 1 in particular. I know this is crazy coming from the girl who wants to go into museum education. But here's the thing. I really would have been fine if these were normal kids. And most of them were. But there were 3 that were demons. And they drew others in with them! Plus on Wednesday, the whole crew were just MONSTERS. There's no other way to explain it. MONSTERS. I know kids will be kids. I know they'll interrupt. I know they'll be loud. All that stuff. But here are some of the things we dealt with -
Soap on the doors of the bathroom (twice) at William Johnson House while there were visitors coming into Johnson house
Trashing the bathrooms at Melrose
Kids tipping the picnic tables by sitting on them
Kids walking on the picnic tables
Getting so rough while wrestling that a kid ended up crying
Running into the street after we told them to wait
Having a girl take the gunk off her shoe and throw it at Christina
Throwing paper towels at Christina after they trashed out the bathroom
Kicking down the door of the 1800s-1900s play house at Melrose
Stealing my shoes and throwing them into the bushes
Running down to the pond by themselves to throw a giant stick into the pond
Telling me multiple times how other kids were making fun of me, then laughing with another intern about how I scolded them after they put soap all over the bathroom.
Yeah. And that doesn't include the normal kid stuff. See. MONSTERS!
2. Jobs. This week it's been pretty good news. Still no official "yes" on a job yet. But I've got leads!
- House down here, I won't say which, one I applied to before. I've been giving tours on the weekends there, and one of the ladies that runs it really loves my tour. My curator at Melrose has been helping them inventory the whole collection, but she's been sick and hasn't been able to do it recently, so I'm going to help with that project. BUT I'm already working 7 days a week, so I can help a little in between tours and 1 or 2 nights in the evening, but by god I deserve some time off. So there's only so much I can do. THUS, I am hoping I can impress them and swing it so that they hire me part time after this internship is done to finish the project
- Two houses down here, run by big organization, won't say which. So I went with Darian to a book club down here. I'm introducing myself to the women, they ask what I do when I'm not here, I say right now I don't know, I just graduated. The woman next to me goes "I need to talk to you". Turns out I'm sitting next to the president of one of the biggest organizations in Natchez that runs two really famous houses down here (1 is being used in True Blood as the King of MS house right now) and they've been looking for someone. They're still debating the position. But I sent my stuff in. Good thing - hasn't been posted yet, basically non existent applicant pool, plus my curator is pulling for me. Bad thing - they could cut the position.
- Melrose. Planning to apply for 2 of the 3 ranger positions opening and still looking itno the STEP program
- Recent job I was upset about. Got my thanks but no thanks letter. Best one of those I've gotten. They put it off for 6 months (well they said at least 6 months, but still that's better than a year!) and they want to contact me later!! I STILL HAVE HOPE!
- Others. Still applying. We'll see.
3. Life. Things have been good down here. I've been super busy and time is flying, which is great. I've discovered that I really like Natchez, which is good cause there's a chance I'll be staying here (fingers crossed - I really want a job!) I still miss everyone at home though!
Tonight I"m going to see Eclipse. The only theater in Natchez didn't have a midnight showing on Tuesday, and I was exhausted after Ruby Tuesday's yesterday and didn't go last night. But tonight I am gonna get my oogling on!!!
LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!
So here's the update from Natchez:
1. Jr. Ranger Camp. I survived! Barely. I thought I was gonna KILL some of those kids, 1 in particular. I know this is crazy coming from the girl who wants to go into museum education. But here's the thing. I really would have been fine if these were normal kids. And most of them were. But there were 3 that were demons. And they drew others in with them! Plus on Wednesday, the whole crew were just MONSTERS. There's no other way to explain it. MONSTERS. I know kids will be kids. I know they'll interrupt. I know they'll be loud. All that stuff. But here are some of the things we dealt with -
Soap on the doors of the bathroom (twice) at William Johnson House while there were visitors coming into Johnson house
Trashing the bathrooms at Melrose
Kids tipping the picnic tables by sitting on them
Kids walking on the picnic tables
Getting so rough while wrestling that a kid ended up crying
Running into the street after we told them to wait
Having a girl take the gunk off her shoe and throw it at Christina
Throwing paper towels at Christina after they trashed out the bathroom
Kicking down the door of the 1800s-1900s play house at Melrose
Stealing my shoes and throwing them into the bushes
Running down to the pond by themselves to throw a giant stick into the pond
Telling me multiple times how other kids were making fun of me, then laughing with another intern about how I scolded them after they put soap all over the bathroom.
Yeah. And that doesn't include the normal kid stuff. See. MONSTERS!
2. Jobs. This week it's been pretty good news. Still no official "yes" on a job yet. But I've got leads!
- House down here, I won't say which, one I applied to before. I've been giving tours on the weekends there, and one of the ladies that runs it really loves my tour. My curator at Melrose has been helping them inventory the whole collection, but she's been sick and hasn't been able to do it recently, so I'm going to help with that project. BUT I'm already working 7 days a week, so I can help a little in between tours and 1 or 2 nights in the evening, but by god I deserve some time off. So there's only so much I can do. THUS, I am hoping I can impress them and swing it so that they hire me part time after this internship is done to finish the project
- Two houses down here, run by big organization, won't say which. So I went with Darian to a book club down here. I'm introducing myself to the women, they ask what I do when I'm not here, I say right now I don't know, I just graduated. The woman next to me goes "I need to talk to you". Turns out I'm sitting next to the president of one of the biggest organizations in Natchez that runs two really famous houses down here (1 is being used in True Blood as the King of MS house right now) and they've been looking for someone. They're still debating the position. But I sent my stuff in. Good thing - hasn't been posted yet, basically non existent applicant pool, plus my curator is pulling for me. Bad thing - they could cut the position.
- Melrose. Planning to apply for 2 of the 3 ranger positions opening and still looking itno the STEP program
- Recent job I was upset about. Got my thanks but no thanks letter. Best one of those I've gotten. They put it off for 6 months (well they said at least 6 months, but still that's better than a year!) and they want to contact me later!! I STILL HAVE HOPE!
- Others. Still applying. We'll see.
3. Life. Things have been good down here. I've been super busy and time is flying, which is great. I've discovered that I really like Natchez, which is good cause there's a chance I'll be staying here (fingers crossed - I really want a job!) I still miss everyone at home though!
Tonight I"m going to see Eclipse. The only theater in Natchez didn't have a midnight showing on Tuesday, and I was exhausted after Ruby Tuesday's yesterday and didn't go last night. But tonight I am gonna get my oogling on!!!
LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Kids say the darndest things - Jr. Ranger Camp
So this week is junior ranger camp. 5 days. 30 kids between the ages of 8 and 12. All outdoor activities. CRAZY WEEK. Today was the first day of it. Here are some of the things overheard:
While trying to get a kid to do his worksheet on different positions in the park -
Little boy: I don't really like workin' (yes workin', southern drawl)
Me to Melissa and Dave, park rangers: Well that's gonna be a problem later in life.
To a law enforcement ranger -
Boy: I thought police officers carry a Glock 45
Me to Christina, another intern: I don't even know what a Glock 45 is!
While going to the slave cabin -
Little black girl (with her finger going, ala "Oh no you didn't"): Uh uh, I'm not going in there, just cause I'm black don't mean I'm no slave!
While on the tour of Melrose -
Jessica, park ranger: We'll see John McMurran upstairs
Kid: You mean we can see his ghost?!
Jessica: No. His picture.
On tour of Melrose, after we told them not to step on the oilcloth -
Kid: I accidentally stepped on it, don't hit me!
Jessica: It's ok, it was an accident, I won't hit you. I will cut your feet off though (joking)
Me: Yeah, we've got machetes in the visitor's center
And my personal favorite... best one of the day...
On the way to the bathroom -
Little boy: Ma'am, I have a problem
Me: What's that?
Boy: My butt itches
Me: Well you can scratch it when you get in the bathroom
Boy: On the inside
Me: (trying not to laugh) OH. Well, I don't know what to do about that...
We also had a little girl pick up a dead frog down by the pond and bring it up to the carriage house, then get mad when we threw it out. Oh and they also kicked in the door to the playhouse, built by Melrose's 2nd owners, the Davis' for their grandkids...
Hilarious. And this is only the first day. I can't wait to see what the rest of the week brings.
hahahahahah.
Love and miss you all!
While trying to get a kid to do his worksheet on different positions in the park -
Little boy: I don't really like workin' (yes workin', southern drawl)
Me to Melissa and Dave, park rangers: Well that's gonna be a problem later in life.
To a law enforcement ranger -
Boy: I thought police officers carry a Glock 45
Me to Christina, another intern: I don't even know what a Glock 45 is!
While going to the slave cabin -
Little black girl (with her finger going, ala "Oh no you didn't"): Uh uh, I'm not going in there, just cause I'm black don't mean I'm no slave!
While on the tour of Melrose -
Jessica, park ranger: We'll see John McMurran upstairs
Kid: You mean we can see his ghost?!
Jessica: No. His picture.
On tour of Melrose, after we told them not to step on the oilcloth -
Kid: I accidentally stepped on it, don't hit me!
Jessica: It's ok, it was an accident, I won't hit you. I will cut your feet off though (joking)
Me: Yeah, we've got machetes in the visitor's center
And my personal favorite... best one of the day...
On the way to the bathroom -
Little boy: Ma'am, I have a problem
Me: What's that?
Boy: My butt itches
Me: Well you can scratch it when you get in the bathroom
Boy: On the inside
Me: (trying not to laugh) OH. Well, I don't know what to do about that...
We also had a little girl pick up a dead frog down by the pond and bring it up to the carriage house, then get mad when we threw it out. Oh and they also kicked in the door to the playhouse, built by Melrose's 2nd owners, the Davis' for their grandkids...
Hilarious. And this is only the first day. I can't wait to see what the rest of the week brings.
hahahahahah.
Love and miss you all!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Yoga is my new best friend
Yoga is my new best friend. Seriously. Like you think I'm joking. Nope. Def not. It is AH-MAZING! Here's the deal. It has been one hell of a roller coaster week. Yoga has saved my butt on 2 days where I was really depressed.
Monday I found out that Natchez was filling the museum technician position I was hoping for. One of the rangers who's been here for 7 years, and who I like a lot, got it. Now don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not mad that she got it. I love Jessica, she's a sweetheart. She's been here 7 years, she really wanted the position, and she'll be great at it. I'm a relative newbie, so that probably would have caused problems anwyay. I didn't really want the position except as a backup. So it's not that. Still, it's a bummer getting passed over. On top of that, everything kept breaking at work on Monday. Sucky day overall. I went to yoga class. Seriously, an hour later, I felt SO much better. Like I went from crying to my dad on the phone to absolutely fine. Awesome.
Tuesday was a good day. A great day actually. WE WON TRIVIA! Partly because I knew movies and Stephen Hawking - thank you Legally Blonde "they say Stephen Hawking stole his A brief history of time from my 4th grade paper"
Past two days were good. Nothing really to report.
Today I agreed to hostess every weekend for Rosalie, 9-5. So I will be working 7 days a week. They're making an exception for me to go to Kilgore and see Luke and Emily in Texas Shakespeare Festival. I might also ask for another exception so I can go to New ORleans at some point. But otherwise I'm working 7 days a week, either 8-5 (for Melrose) or 9-5 (for Rosalie) till August. Yeah.
Then I got devastating news. Galveston bit the dust. Well, we're about 95% sure Galveston bit the dust. It could come back to life. But that's not looking very good. It wasn't my fault that Galveston bit the dust though. The finance committee took the position out of next years budget, so they cna't pay it. Yeah. The budget still has to be approved, and things are looking better than they had origianlly anticipated, and they know they desperately need a curator, so it COULD be put back in there. But right now it doesn't look good. I was really upset. I left work a little early today and sobbed my whole way home. But I knew I had to go to Rosalie and pick up my stuff to learn the story so I can start giving tours there soon. So I decided to try and see if I could get the same feeling I did when I was bummed on Monday. Keep in mind that I was MUCH more upset about Galveston than I was about the museum tech. I did 10 minutes of yoga, versus an hour. I felt SO much better. I don't know if it was taking the time in the corpse pose to pray, or just focusing on "inhale, exhale" or something about the poses. But whatever it was, it works! Granted, after I go to the ballet with Darian tonight, I will probably go home and have a break down. But still. For right now, it got me to the point that I could go to Rosalie and get me stuff, fill out an application for a job in Hawaii, and get ready for the ballet, all without sobbing, hyperventilating, or having red eyes and tear stains! THIS IS AMAZING!
Oh and I decided to claim a little bit of disability in my national park service job applications. They have the option of "distortion of a limb or spine" on their disability thing. I have scoliosis. My spine is curved. Thus it is distorted. I'm hoping that means I qualify for section A, so I can skip all the interview and bs process and get hired instantly. HERE'S HOPING.
I'm also applyign for a bunch of internships with the Student Conservation Association. Plus there's a whole list of jobs I've found that I'm sending out.
Something's gonna happen for me. I'm gonna find a job. After all, it only takes one. And all I need is my foot in the door. Even if it is just my tiny little pinkie toe, as it would be with the SCA or the STEP program. SOMETHING'S gotta work out, right?!
Love and miss you all. Please be praying for me as I get through these next few weeks. Theyt're going to be very stressful - I'm working 7 days a week and searchig for a job so that I don't have to come home in 8 weeks unemployed and without health insurance, all while having a life down here. Yeah.
Monday I found out that Natchez was filling the museum technician position I was hoping for. One of the rangers who's been here for 7 years, and who I like a lot, got it. Now don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not mad that she got it. I love Jessica, she's a sweetheart. She's been here 7 years, she really wanted the position, and she'll be great at it. I'm a relative newbie, so that probably would have caused problems anwyay. I didn't really want the position except as a backup. So it's not that. Still, it's a bummer getting passed over. On top of that, everything kept breaking at work on Monday. Sucky day overall. I went to yoga class. Seriously, an hour later, I felt SO much better. Like I went from crying to my dad on the phone to absolutely fine. Awesome.
Tuesday was a good day. A great day actually. WE WON TRIVIA! Partly because I knew movies and Stephen Hawking - thank you Legally Blonde "they say Stephen Hawking stole his A brief history of time from my 4th grade paper"
Past two days were good. Nothing really to report.
Today I agreed to hostess every weekend for Rosalie, 9-5. So I will be working 7 days a week. They're making an exception for me to go to Kilgore and see Luke and Emily in Texas Shakespeare Festival. I might also ask for another exception so I can go to New ORleans at some point. But otherwise I'm working 7 days a week, either 8-5 (for Melrose) or 9-5 (for Rosalie) till August. Yeah.
Then I got devastating news. Galveston bit the dust. Well, we're about 95% sure Galveston bit the dust. It could come back to life. But that's not looking very good. It wasn't my fault that Galveston bit the dust though. The finance committee took the position out of next years budget, so they cna't pay it. Yeah. The budget still has to be approved, and things are looking better than they had origianlly anticipated, and they know they desperately need a curator, so it COULD be put back in there. But right now it doesn't look good. I was really upset. I left work a little early today and sobbed my whole way home. But I knew I had to go to Rosalie and pick up my stuff to learn the story so I can start giving tours there soon. So I decided to try and see if I could get the same feeling I did when I was bummed on Monday. Keep in mind that I was MUCH more upset about Galveston than I was about the museum tech. I did 10 minutes of yoga, versus an hour. I felt SO much better. I don't know if it was taking the time in the corpse pose to pray, or just focusing on "inhale, exhale" or something about the poses. But whatever it was, it works! Granted, after I go to the ballet with Darian tonight, I will probably go home and have a break down. But still. For right now, it got me to the point that I could go to Rosalie and get me stuff, fill out an application for a job in Hawaii, and get ready for the ballet, all without sobbing, hyperventilating, or having red eyes and tear stains! THIS IS AMAZING!
Oh and I decided to claim a little bit of disability in my national park service job applications. They have the option of "distortion of a limb or spine" on their disability thing. I have scoliosis. My spine is curved. Thus it is distorted. I'm hoping that means I qualify for section A, so I can skip all the interview and bs process and get hired instantly. HERE'S HOPING.
I'm also applyign for a bunch of internships with the Student Conservation Association. Plus there's a whole list of jobs I've found that I'm sending out.
Something's gonna happen for me. I'm gonna find a job. After all, it only takes one. And all I need is my foot in the door. Even if it is just my tiny little pinkie toe, as it would be with the SCA or the STEP program. SOMETHING'S gotta work out, right?!
Love and miss you all. Please be praying for me as I get through these next few weeks. Theyt're going to be very stressful - I'm working 7 days a week and searchig for a job so that I don't have to come home in 8 weeks unemployed and without health insurance, all while having a life down here. Yeah.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
"I'm going to Jackson"
I love that Johnny Cash/June Carter song "Jackson". So I pulled out a line from there. Cause technically, I am. Tomorrow.
Here's the latest update. Things have been crazy down here! First off, my project. I've really enjoyed the project thus far! Scott and I spent the past week cataloging about 96 books from George Malin Davis, the 2nd owner of Melrose who bought the house from the McMurran family after the Civil War - the Davis descendants were there till 1975, and one of the descendants donated a HUGE collection including a bunch of books. There were books in there from 1640! Well, just one. Most were from the 1800s. But still. AWESOME! Now we're cataloging some maps, all copies of stuff, a bunch of slides that I think are from the 60s, some pantaloons, and a bunch of furniture. I don't think it'll take us that long. Then we're starting on an archive project, going through all these letters and stuff from the Davis family. SUPER EXCITED!
So that project appeals to my curatorial side. I'm working on appealing to my education side with Rosalie. If you don't know already, I am summer hostessing over there. I'll be working weekends, giving tours at Rosalie, getting paid minimum wage. I'm excited, I took a tour this morning and it's got a really great family story. I've got to fill out the application and turn it in, but that'll probably start next weekend or so.
So what have I been doing down here? I think the better question is what HAVEN'T I been doing down here! Since I moved down a week ago this past Thursday, I have had something going on every single night, except last night. Last night was the first time I've had a night off. It was GLORIOUS - I watched Must Love Dogs and Steel Magnolias and part of Mean Girls before falling asleep. Yeah things have just been super busy. I've been hanging out with Kaitlyn and Emily and Darian and everybody a lot. And I guess Natchez just finally has some sort of a life, or at least I do down here!
For those wondering, yes I did meet someone down here. I'm not gonna go into detail on here. That's tacky. But basically, met him at Bowie's Tavern. Sweet guy. Went out on Thursday, had an awesome time. He's coming to trivia on Tuesday. Lots of fun. Hey, summer romance, I'll take it.
Oh, Trivia! Fun story. So I played with the Melrose team, we called ourselves "Tables of 8" cause we had 8 people. Apparently they're always "Table of ____" and it worked out well that "Tables of 8" was like "Pieces of 8" :-). Anyway, I wasn't much of a help through the first 3 rounds - there's only 4 - current events, The Beatles, and General knowledge. We were in 3rd or 4th place, 3rd I think. Then he pulls up "Worst Movies Ever". I'm not even kidding you, Christina and I totally ROCKED OUT that category. With the exception of the first question, which Scott knew, Christina and I basically just passed the sheet back and forth answering questions. I knew such classics as "Gigli", "From Justin to Kelly", "The League of Extraordinary Gentleman", "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", and "Freddy got Fingered". Christina had "Howard the Duck", "Cool as Ice", and the directors for 2 movies. We got a PERFECT score in round 4 and went from 3rd to tied with Kaitlyn's family, the Mayfields, for first place!! The tie breaker was Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels. They wrote more down than we did. We got 5, they got 8, so they won. But if we had to lose to someone, I'm glad it was them. I love trivia, I'm gonna keep doing it. And apparently there's a wager on it this week ;-).
Tonight is Solid Gold Saturday Night, so I'm gonna go to that at Bowie's. They're having a mechanical bull. I think Kaitlyn and I (after a beer or 2) are gonna ride it. We're trying to convince Christina to do it too - our thought is, if we're doing it, so is she! Tomorrow's Darian's ordination, so I'm going to that in Jackson (thus the title). Monday is work and yoga. Tuesday is Trivia. Yep.
So that's it! And so you all know, just cause I'm having fun down here does not mean that I don't miss you all like crazy!!!!!
OH I'm still trying to get all my contacts back together from my phone. When I got down here, my blackberry randomly and suddenly deleted all my numbers :-(. So please txt me and tell me who you are when you do, so I have your numbers!
Miss and love you all!
Here's the latest update. Things have been crazy down here! First off, my project. I've really enjoyed the project thus far! Scott and I spent the past week cataloging about 96 books from George Malin Davis, the 2nd owner of Melrose who bought the house from the McMurran family after the Civil War - the Davis descendants were there till 1975, and one of the descendants donated a HUGE collection including a bunch of books. There were books in there from 1640! Well, just one. Most were from the 1800s. But still. AWESOME! Now we're cataloging some maps, all copies of stuff, a bunch of slides that I think are from the 60s, some pantaloons, and a bunch of furniture. I don't think it'll take us that long. Then we're starting on an archive project, going through all these letters and stuff from the Davis family. SUPER EXCITED!
So that project appeals to my curatorial side. I'm working on appealing to my education side with Rosalie. If you don't know already, I am summer hostessing over there. I'll be working weekends, giving tours at Rosalie, getting paid minimum wage. I'm excited, I took a tour this morning and it's got a really great family story. I've got to fill out the application and turn it in, but that'll probably start next weekend or so.
So what have I been doing down here? I think the better question is what HAVEN'T I been doing down here! Since I moved down a week ago this past Thursday, I have had something going on every single night, except last night. Last night was the first time I've had a night off. It was GLORIOUS - I watched Must Love Dogs and Steel Magnolias and part of Mean Girls before falling asleep. Yeah things have just been super busy. I've been hanging out with Kaitlyn and Emily and Darian and everybody a lot. And I guess Natchez just finally has some sort of a life, or at least I do down here!
For those wondering, yes I did meet someone down here. I'm not gonna go into detail on here. That's tacky. But basically, met him at Bowie's Tavern. Sweet guy. Went out on Thursday, had an awesome time. He's coming to trivia on Tuesday. Lots of fun. Hey, summer romance, I'll take it.
Oh, Trivia! Fun story. So I played with the Melrose team, we called ourselves "Tables of 8" cause we had 8 people. Apparently they're always "Table of ____" and it worked out well that "Tables of 8" was like "Pieces of 8" :-). Anyway, I wasn't much of a help through the first 3 rounds - there's only 4 - current events, The Beatles, and General knowledge. We were in 3rd or 4th place, 3rd I think. Then he pulls up "Worst Movies Ever". I'm not even kidding you, Christina and I totally ROCKED OUT that category. With the exception of the first question, which Scott knew, Christina and I basically just passed the sheet back and forth answering questions. I knew such classics as "Gigli", "From Justin to Kelly", "The League of Extraordinary Gentleman", "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", and "Freddy got Fingered". Christina had "Howard the Duck", "Cool as Ice", and the directors for 2 movies. We got a PERFECT score in round 4 and went from 3rd to tied with Kaitlyn's family, the Mayfields, for first place!! The tie breaker was Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels. They wrote more down than we did. We got 5, they got 8, so they won. But if we had to lose to someone, I'm glad it was them. I love trivia, I'm gonna keep doing it. And apparently there's a wager on it this week ;-).
Tonight is Solid Gold Saturday Night, so I'm gonna go to that at Bowie's. They're having a mechanical bull. I think Kaitlyn and I (after a beer or 2) are gonna ride it. We're trying to convince Christina to do it too - our thought is, if we're doing it, so is she! Tomorrow's Darian's ordination, so I'm going to that in Jackson (thus the title). Monday is work and yoga. Tuesday is Trivia. Yep.
So that's it! And so you all know, just cause I'm having fun down here does not mean that I don't miss you all like crazy!!!!!
OH I'm still trying to get all my contacts back together from my phone. When I got down here, my blackberry randomly and suddenly deleted all my numbers :-(. So please txt me and tell me who you are when you do, so I have your numbers!
Miss and love you all!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Short and sweet
Alright so this is gonna have to be a short and sweet post, because I only have 15 minutes before the library closes, and I don't want to get locked in - I've got trivia tonight!
This has been my schedule since getting down here -
Thursday - moved down to Natchez, had dinner with Darian
Friday - took Dad to the airport. Hung out around town. Stayed with Kaitlyn's family, my intern friend from last summer. Had crawfish for the first time - yum! Watched Alice in Wonderland
Saturday - slept WAY too late. Moved into my apt. Had lunch with Kaitlyn's fam, dinner with Christina's. Caught up with my friends. Went to Bowie's Tavern. Out till 1:30. Saw someone peeing in the bushes and a fight. Met someone ;-). AWESOME AWESOME night.
Sunday - Church in the morning. Did my Walmart run. Saw most of Lolita for the first time - creepy movie! Went to my first Yoga class. Ate red beans and rice with the Mayfield's and watched Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged. STILL laugh at "Cut the crap Hamlet! My biological clock is ticking and I want babies now!"
Monday - started work. Yoga class at 6. Went to Emily's with Kaitlyn, Christina and Scott (Christina and Scott are my roommates, btw), had cookies, ordered pizza, watched youtube videos ("Shun the non-believers! Shuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnaaaaa!"), and watched Mystery Science Theater 3000. Talked on the phone ;-).
Tuesday - Work. Had a tour of the local Jewish temple. Checking internet now. Trivia later tonight - apparently the whole town goes to trivia at Bowie's on Tuesdays, I'm excited it should be fun!
Wednesday - Work then dinner :-).
Next weekend, Bowie's is hosting solid gold Saturday night with a mechanical bull and a band and stuff, then Sunday is Darian's graduation, followed by Yoga on Monday and doing it all over again.
CRAZY! This town actually has a life - where was it last summer, when I was bored out of my skull?!
I'll fill you in on my project later. Gotta go before they kick me out!
OH and I do get facebook on my blackberry. HALLELUJAH!
Planning to check on job stuff when I have a free minute - looks like Thursday...
LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!
This has been my schedule since getting down here -
Thursday - moved down to Natchez, had dinner with Darian
Friday - took Dad to the airport. Hung out around town. Stayed with Kaitlyn's family, my intern friend from last summer. Had crawfish for the first time - yum! Watched Alice in Wonderland
Saturday - slept WAY too late. Moved into my apt. Had lunch with Kaitlyn's fam, dinner with Christina's. Caught up with my friends. Went to Bowie's Tavern. Out till 1:30. Saw someone peeing in the bushes and a fight. Met someone ;-). AWESOME AWESOME night.
Sunday - Church in the morning. Did my Walmart run. Saw most of Lolita for the first time - creepy movie! Went to my first Yoga class. Ate red beans and rice with the Mayfield's and watched Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged. STILL laugh at "Cut the crap Hamlet! My biological clock is ticking and I want babies now!"
Monday - started work. Yoga class at 6. Went to Emily's with Kaitlyn, Christina and Scott (Christina and Scott are my roommates, btw), had cookies, ordered pizza, watched youtube videos ("Shun the non-believers! Shuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnaaaaa!"), and watched Mystery Science Theater 3000. Talked on the phone ;-).
Tuesday - Work. Had a tour of the local Jewish temple. Checking internet now. Trivia later tonight - apparently the whole town goes to trivia at Bowie's on Tuesdays, I'm excited it should be fun!
Wednesday - Work then dinner :-).
Next weekend, Bowie's is hosting solid gold Saturday night with a mechanical bull and a band and stuff, then Sunday is Darian's graduation, followed by Yoga on Monday and doing it all over again.
CRAZY! This town actually has a life - where was it last summer, when I was bored out of my skull?!
I'll fill you in on my project later. Gotta go before they kick me out!
OH and I do get facebook on my blackberry. HALLELUJAH!
Planning to check on job stuff when I have a free minute - looks like Thursday...
LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Mississippi girl
Hi from Natchez ya'll! Yep. I just pulled out the ya'll.
So Dad and I headed down here last night. We had dinner with Darian, my pastor friend from last summer, at Cotton Alley, a new restaurant in town. AWESOME seeing her. Food... eh. Dad and I had jambalaya - both agreed it wasn't jambalaya, cause it was in a cream sauce. But still yummy. And they've got reasonable prices on other stuff. So it's all good. Then we drove around Natchez for a bit before heading back to the hotel. I took him to the airport this morning, then had lunch at Pearl Street Pasta (Shrimp scampi - YUM!) and am now hanging out at the library, charging my ipod, computer, and trying to get my ebook reader to update. I'll be spending the afternoon running errands/hanging out around town before meeting up with Kaitlyn at 5 (can't wait to see her!), staying with her tonight, and moving into the apartment tomorrow. My roommates - the other 2 interns that are in from out of town, same ones from last summer - will be here tomorrow too. Busy already!
I've really started getting excited about being down here. As much as I complained about it last summer, I really do love this town. After all, it's hard to find more history and more antebellum homes than Natchez has. Yes, it's not a lively town. Mainly retirees and older. But I realized over the past year that, if I have a group of friends, even a small one, and something regular to do at nights, I don't NEED a big city with tons of stuff to do. Example - I'm from St. Louis, MUCH bigger than Natchez' 20,000 people. Yet I don't go out clubbing or partying or even just restaurants and stuff all the time. Instead, I spent the past year going to friend's houses, doing stuff with my church, hanging out, etc. So if I have some regular interaction/can get out of the apartment regularly, I really am OK with not having tons of options on stuff to do. I've already got friends down here, Darian and I are gonna try to start up ladies night at the Vue regularly (bar here that overlooks the Mississippi River) - we did that last summer, apparently sometime after i left it kinda fizzled out, but we're gonna try to start it again. Plus Darian teaches yoga and some friends I know go to that, so I'm gonna try that. Never done yoga before. Should be interesting. AND I found out Shreveport's only 3-4 hours away, which means my sister and Luke are just 4-5 hours away. So if I need to see my family, I can go up and visit them. And if I need a doggie fix, I can go see their sweet mutt, Ella, who LOVES her Aunt Katherine :-).
Yeah I think it's gonna be a good summer. I don't think I"ll be as homesick and surely not as lonely. Plus my background check is through already, so I don't have to deal with the pain of that. My big resolutions are just to get out of that apartment more. Walk around. See more houses. Travel around more. Just get away from the TV.
OH and I've realized I can get FACEBOOK ON MY PHONE!!!!! *cue Hallelujah chorus*. So I can put off the internet withdrawal a little. Oh did I forget to mention that? The apartment doesn't have internet. Yeah. BUT the library does, as does the coffee shop, and my church down here, Grace UMC, does and Darian said I can use the wifi there, so it should be good.
Plus I'm getting a new computer. *cue Ode to Joy*. I'm SO EXCITED about that! It'll be here Monday.
Still no news on the job front. I'm gonna continue searching this summer. Keep your fingers crossed.
One last thing. Remember I don't have internet down here, so I prob won't be updating the blog quite as much as I have. I'll try but we'll see what happens. I want to try and get away from my "I need internet!" fixes and enjoy Natchez, Mississippi, and Louisiana a little more. So while I may be checking facebook on my phone... ok I def will... if I"m not on here, that's what's up.
Miss you all already! But I think I'm gonna be fine down here. Catch you on the flip side!
Love you all,
Katherine
So Dad and I headed down here last night. We had dinner with Darian, my pastor friend from last summer, at Cotton Alley, a new restaurant in town. AWESOME seeing her. Food... eh. Dad and I had jambalaya - both agreed it wasn't jambalaya, cause it was in a cream sauce. But still yummy. And they've got reasonable prices on other stuff. So it's all good. Then we drove around Natchez for a bit before heading back to the hotel. I took him to the airport this morning, then had lunch at Pearl Street Pasta (Shrimp scampi - YUM!) and am now hanging out at the library, charging my ipod, computer, and trying to get my ebook reader to update. I'll be spending the afternoon running errands/hanging out around town before meeting up with Kaitlyn at 5 (can't wait to see her!), staying with her tonight, and moving into the apartment tomorrow. My roommates - the other 2 interns that are in from out of town, same ones from last summer - will be here tomorrow too. Busy already!
I've really started getting excited about being down here. As much as I complained about it last summer, I really do love this town. After all, it's hard to find more history and more antebellum homes than Natchez has. Yes, it's not a lively town. Mainly retirees and older. But I realized over the past year that, if I have a group of friends, even a small one, and something regular to do at nights, I don't NEED a big city with tons of stuff to do. Example - I'm from St. Louis, MUCH bigger than Natchez' 20,000 people. Yet I don't go out clubbing or partying or even just restaurants and stuff all the time. Instead, I spent the past year going to friend's houses, doing stuff with my church, hanging out, etc. So if I have some regular interaction/can get out of the apartment regularly, I really am OK with not having tons of options on stuff to do. I've already got friends down here, Darian and I are gonna try to start up ladies night at the Vue regularly (bar here that overlooks the Mississippi River) - we did that last summer, apparently sometime after i left it kinda fizzled out, but we're gonna try to start it again. Plus Darian teaches yoga and some friends I know go to that, so I'm gonna try that. Never done yoga before. Should be interesting. AND I found out Shreveport's only 3-4 hours away, which means my sister and Luke are just 4-5 hours away. So if I need to see my family, I can go up and visit them. And if I need a doggie fix, I can go see their sweet mutt, Ella, who LOVES her Aunt Katherine :-).
Yeah I think it's gonna be a good summer. I don't think I"ll be as homesick and surely not as lonely. Plus my background check is through already, so I don't have to deal with the pain of that. My big resolutions are just to get out of that apartment more. Walk around. See more houses. Travel around more. Just get away from the TV.
OH and I've realized I can get FACEBOOK ON MY PHONE!!!!! *cue Hallelujah chorus*. So I can put off the internet withdrawal a little. Oh did I forget to mention that? The apartment doesn't have internet. Yeah. BUT the library does, as does the coffee shop, and my church down here, Grace UMC, does and Darian said I can use the wifi there, so it should be good.
Plus I'm getting a new computer. *cue Ode to Joy*. I'm SO EXCITED about that! It'll be here Monday.
Still no news on the job front. I'm gonna continue searching this summer. Keep your fingers crossed.
One last thing. Remember I don't have internet down here, so I prob won't be updating the blog quite as much as I have. I'll try but we'll see what happens. I want to try and get away from my "I need internet!" fixes and enjoy Natchez, Mississippi, and Louisiana a little more. So while I may be checking facebook on my phone... ok I def will... if I"m not on here, that's what's up.
Miss you all already! But I think I'm gonna be fine down here. Catch you on the flip side!
Love you all,
Katherine
Monday, May 24, 2010
Just a little while longer
So in a week and a half, I head down to Natchez. That's really crazy to say. Hard to believe it's here already. I'm kinda eh about it. I mean, I'm excited to get down there. Maybe not quite as excited as I was last summer, cause I know what to expect now. But less nervous. And a lot more excited to see the people I know from down there. I also know that I may not be coming back after these 10 weeks, except to get my stuff from my apartment. Now that's anything but definite. I don't know what's going to happen with the jobs I've applied for. I could be back here after 10 weeks. But there's a possibility I won't be either. And that's a really weird feeling.
Last night was my graduation/going away party. I was a little nervous cause I have very different groups of friends, and I wasn't sure if they'd all get along. But it was GREAT! Everyone had a good time, I think. Except for one friend who's back window got broken. I felt SO BAD. But it's OK everything was fine, they didn't take anything. Possibly some recyclables, which we think she took out already. But nothing else. Luckily she'd cleaned her car out already. But other than that, it was wonderful. I felt really special seeing how many people came out, and very celebrated. Thank you to everyone that came!! And thank you to my AMAZING parents who did that for me.
My only bummer from last night. I forgot my camera!! So I didn't get any pictures! BUMMER!
I guess I said bye last night to people. It just didn't feel like bye. This is so hard.
Last night was my graduation/going away party. I was a little nervous cause I have very different groups of friends, and I wasn't sure if they'd all get along. But it was GREAT! Everyone had a good time, I think. Except for one friend who's back window got broken. I felt SO BAD. But it's OK everything was fine, they didn't take anything. Possibly some recyclables, which we think she took out already. But nothing else. Luckily she'd cleaned her car out already. But other than that, it was wonderful. I felt really special seeing how many people came out, and very celebrated. Thank you to everyone that came!! And thank you to my AMAZING parents who did that for me.
My only bummer from last night. I forgot my camera!! So I didn't get any pictures! BUMMER!
I guess I said bye last night to people. It just didn't feel like bye. This is so hard.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Life's like a road that you travel on, where there's one day here and the next day gone
Yeah I kinda have an obsession with using song lyrics as the title for my posts. I'm a little crazy. Sorry.
So my trip down the road of life (yep I just used that cliche) with Campbell House ended today. It was my last day at Campbell House Museum. 5 years there. We had a good run. I worked really hard. And I grew to love the family. I know I wouldn't be where I am today (just graduated with a masters in museum studies) without that place. So I owe it a lot. Now, I am happy to be done. It feels GREAT to finally finish. But I"m also sad. I cried when I left. Not because I"m leaving the job. Or even cause I'm leaving the staff there, who are AMAZING but I know I'll keep up wtih them via email and facebook and stuff. I cried because i was leaving the Campbells. Robert, Virginia, Lucy, the boys, Gus. That's what made it hard. Before you all start thinking I"m crazy, let me explain. My first summer there, I transcribed 300 personal letters of the family. That means I read them and typed them into the computer. I then went through a HUGE estate case with lots of stories of the family. I've also posted letters on a blog and written a children's book about the story. I know these people like the back of my hand. To me, the Campbells are just like the characters in a favorite book that you read over and over - they are real to me, even though I've never met them. Actually, they're more than that. The Campbells are family. So leaving them was REALLY REALLY hard. Like I said, I cried, something I haven't done since my very first summer there.
But like I said, lately life has always been there to offer me a balance. Today it was my cousin Lauren. I got to talk to her and celebrate the fact that she and her husband Kevin are having a GIRL in October! As I put it, they're going to have a "little curly-headed, smart, kinda weird, ham", the perfect mix of both of them. I can't wait to meet this sweet little baby girl! And it's exciting, cause of my cousins that have had kids, we've had 3 boys so far. It's nice to have a girl in the mix! We're so excited, CONGRATS LAUREN AND KEVIN!!!
So I now leave you with this...
That's right folks. That's my soon to be second-cousin, the first girl of the next generation. And that little booger is WAVING!
So my trip down the road of life (yep I just used that cliche) with Campbell House ended today. It was my last day at Campbell House Museum. 5 years there. We had a good run. I worked really hard. And I grew to love the family. I know I wouldn't be where I am today (just graduated with a masters in museum studies) without that place. So I owe it a lot. Now, I am happy to be done. It feels GREAT to finally finish. But I"m also sad. I cried when I left. Not because I"m leaving the job. Or even cause I'm leaving the staff there, who are AMAZING but I know I'll keep up wtih them via email and facebook and stuff. I cried because i was leaving the Campbells. Robert, Virginia, Lucy, the boys, Gus. That's what made it hard. Before you all start thinking I"m crazy, let me explain. My first summer there, I transcribed 300 personal letters of the family. That means I read them and typed them into the computer. I then went through a HUGE estate case with lots of stories of the family. I've also posted letters on a blog and written a children's book about the story. I know these people like the back of my hand. To me, the Campbells are just like the characters in a favorite book that you read over and over - they are real to me, even though I've never met them. Actually, they're more than that. The Campbells are family. So leaving them was REALLY REALLY hard. Like I said, I cried, something I haven't done since my very first summer there.
But like I said, lately life has always been there to offer me a balance. Today it was my cousin Lauren. I got to talk to her and celebrate the fact that she and her husband Kevin are having a GIRL in October! As I put it, they're going to have a "little curly-headed, smart, kinda weird, ham", the perfect mix of both of them. I can't wait to meet this sweet little baby girl! And it's exciting, cause of my cousins that have had kids, we've had 3 boys so far. It's nice to have a girl in the mix! We're so excited, CONGRATS LAUREN AND KEVIN!!!
So I now leave you with this...
That's right folks. That's my soon to be second-cousin, the first girl of the next generation. And that little booger is WAVING!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Celebrate good times, come on!
So I probably shouldn't post this out there but whatev. Sunday my parents are having a shindig for me to celebrate the fact that I graduated. It's also to send me off in style, cause I"m headed to Natchez for 10 weeks. Sunday May 23. 7:00. Burgers and hot dogs and such will be served. My parents house. Email or facebook me for more info. COME!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
P-A-R-T-YYYY? Because I GOTTA!
Yep. I totally just pulled out that cheesy Jim Carrey 1990's line from the Mask. Cause I"m cool like that.
Seriously though yesterday was Mom and Dad's party. Considering the way that the Heugatter family gets ready for parties, there was very little drama with this one. And everyone had a blast. Mom and Dad definitely felt celebrated, as they should have, cause if anybody deserves to be celebrated it's those two. They loved everything we did for them, and I got more help that I was expecting so things turned out perfectly.
Today was a bad morning. I can't find my keys. Anywhere. I'm sure they're in my apartment, cause i had them to get in. But somewhere between when I got in and when I was ready to leave, my keys disappeared. And I ran out of meds. I have ADD. Those of you who have seen me not on my meds, you know this is a BAD idea. I'm OK now, things worked out. But yeah. Not fun.
Now I'm finishing up a few things at Campbell House, then heading to the zoo with Daddy, Emily and LUke. I haven't been to the zoo in years. Luke's never been to the St. Louis Zoo. We're excited.
Wish me luck that i find those keys - kind of an important item!!
Seriously though yesterday was Mom and Dad's party. Considering the way that the Heugatter family gets ready for parties, there was very little drama with this one. And everyone had a blast. Mom and Dad definitely felt celebrated, as they should have, cause if anybody deserves to be celebrated it's those two. They loved everything we did for them, and I got more help that I was expecting so things turned out perfectly.
Today was a bad morning. I can't find my keys. Anywhere. I'm sure they're in my apartment, cause i had them to get in. But somewhere between when I got in and when I was ready to leave, my keys disappeared. And I ran out of meds. I have ADD. Those of you who have seen me not on my meds, you know this is a BAD idea. I'm OK now, things worked out. But yeah. Not fun.
Now I'm finishing up a few things at Campbell House, then heading to the zoo with Daddy, Emily and LUke. I haven't been to the zoo in years. Luke's never been to the St. Louis Zoo. We're excited.
Wish me luck that i find those keys - kind of an important item!!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
And for my next trick...
And for my next trick... I will... do... something...
That kinda sums up how I"m feeling right now. I graduated from graduate school yesterday. I'm SO excited about that. I am done and it feels AMAZING. The past few nights, I've gotten to do somethign I NEVER get to do - read for FUN. That's right people. I'm a nerd and I'm proud of it. Granted, I wasn't reading the next great American novel. It was books by Lisa Kleypas and Cathy Maxwell. Trashy roamnce novels, in other words. The bubble gum of literature. But still. It wasn't required for school. And I got to choose it. And I LOVED it.
But at the same time, I'm starting to get terrified. For the first time in my life, I don't know what my next step will be. Yes I'm doing the internship in Natchez. And I'm still in the race for one thing. I've applied several other places. And I know that it's gonna happen. I'm gonna find a full time job in a museum. But still. It's scary. Because I've done school straight, I've always known what the next step is. Elementary school, junior high, college, grad school. Yes with the latter two, I had to apply and get in. But still. I got in. I don't know what's next for me, at least after August. And for a control freak that worries about "What ifs", that's scary as hell.
The other thing is that I'm sad. Tonight I'm going out for one last hoorah with my cohort, or most of them at least. I don't know when we'll all be together again. Granted I could be back in St. Louis without a job after Natchez. But, for all I know (and hopefully this will happen), I could go down to Natchez, get a job this summer, and end up moving somewhere in August. Same thing could happen with a lot of these people.
The group I really haven't faced saying goodbye to is my church. It hit me today that I only have 2 Sundays left with them. Makes me really sad.
And then there's all the other friends I've made in St. Louis. ALl these people constitute groups that I would not have survived the past 2 years without. I'm so ready to know what the next step is and get to it. But I hate not knowing what it is. And I hate the thought of leaving these incredible people.
In other news, the surprise of having the song that was at Mom and Dad's wedding played at church today went off without a hitch! Tomorrow's the big anniversary party. I'm excited, it's gonna be great!
To all who read this blog and have been in my life in St. Louis the past two years. Thank you all so much. Know that I wouldn't have gotten through the past 2 years in St. Louis without you. I love you all.
OK. I've gotta stop writing this now or I'm gonna get way too depressed. As Magda said at Miranda and Steve's wedding on Sex and the City, "Come on everybody, it happy time! Clap clap clap, it happy time!"
That kinda sums up how I"m feeling right now. I graduated from graduate school yesterday. I'm SO excited about that. I am done and it feels AMAZING. The past few nights, I've gotten to do somethign I NEVER get to do - read for FUN. That's right people. I'm a nerd and I'm proud of it. Granted, I wasn't reading the next great American novel. It was books by Lisa Kleypas and Cathy Maxwell. Trashy roamnce novels, in other words. The bubble gum of literature. But still. It wasn't required for school. And I got to choose it. And I LOVED it.
But at the same time, I'm starting to get terrified. For the first time in my life, I don't know what my next step will be. Yes I'm doing the internship in Natchez. And I'm still in the race for one thing. I've applied several other places. And I know that it's gonna happen. I'm gonna find a full time job in a museum. But still. It's scary. Because I've done school straight, I've always known what the next step is. Elementary school, junior high, college, grad school. Yes with the latter two, I had to apply and get in. But still. I got in. I don't know what's next for me, at least after August. And for a control freak that worries about "What ifs", that's scary as hell.
The other thing is that I'm sad. Tonight I'm going out for one last hoorah with my cohort, or most of them at least. I don't know when we'll all be together again. Granted I could be back in St. Louis without a job after Natchez. But, for all I know (and hopefully this will happen), I could go down to Natchez, get a job this summer, and end up moving somewhere in August. Same thing could happen with a lot of these people.
The group I really haven't faced saying goodbye to is my church. It hit me today that I only have 2 Sundays left with them. Makes me really sad.
And then there's all the other friends I've made in St. Louis. ALl these people constitute groups that I would not have survived the past 2 years without. I'm so ready to know what the next step is and get to it. But I hate not knowing what it is. And I hate the thought of leaving these incredible people.
In other news, the surprise of having the song that was at Mom and Dad's wedding played at church today went off without a hitch! Tomorrow's the big anniversary party. I'm excited, it's gonna be great!
To all who read this blog and have been in my life in St. Louis the past two years. Thank you all so much. Know that I wouldn't have gotten through the past 2 years in St. Louis without you. I love you all.
OK. I've gotta stop writing this now or I'm gonna get way too depressed. As Magda said at Miranda and Steve's wedding on Sex and the City, "Come on everybody, it happy time! Clap clap clap, it happy time!"
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Done done done done, done done done, done done done
[Sung to Darth Vader's theme]
Done done done done, done done done, done done done
Done done done done, done done done, done done done
DONE done duh-duh-duh-duh, done done done duh-duh-duh-duh
Done done done done done, done done done, done done DOOOOONNNNNEEE!!
That's right! I am DONE! My paper is finished! That was my last assignment for graduate school! I graduate on Saturday! I AM DONE!!!!!!
It feels AMAZING to say that. I've worked my butt off for 19 years straight (from kindergarten-2 years of masters). Now, on Saturday, I will walk across that stage and receive my advanced degree. Well, technically I will receive an empty folder. My actual diploma will come later. But the point is I will GRADUATE with my masters. I am done!
This feels especially good considering my day yesterday. I took the day off work to finish reading about the Cuban Missile Crisis and write my 15 page paper. I'm finally ready to start writing it. And my computer starts freezing. So I restart it. It does the same thing. I'm freaking out. Luckily my parents are only 5 minutes away, so I went over there and wrote it. 16 pages including a bibliography. 11.5 font, 1 in margins, 1.5 spacing. Over 6,000 words. But that thing is FINISHED AND TURNED IN. So I am done with UMSL's museum studies program! And fingers crossed, that means I will be done FOREVER!
Now there is a chance that I will not in fact be done forever. If I do the STEP program with Natchez, I will have to be a student. That means taking being enrolled at least 1/2 time in an accredited program online. In exchange I'd get to be the museum tech at Natchez, which could lead to a full time job. I would prefer just having a job, cause I'm really sick of school. 19 YEARS STRAIGHT PEOPLE. If you count preschool, I've been doing school since I was 4. That's a LONG TIME. WITH NO BREAK. I'm ready to get into the real world. But if the STEP program is my way into the real world, I'll figure out how to get into an online masters program for historic preservation and do a 2nd masters.
Right now I'm just enjoying the fact that, at least for a while/hopefully the foreseeable future, I have no homework. No assignments. No school. I am DONE!
I worked hard these past 2 years and Saturday is the culmination of it. In the words of James Brown -
OOOOH I feel good, done nah nah nah nah nah nah,
I knew that I would hah, done nah nah nah nah nah nah
SO GOOD! done done
SO GOOD! done
I feel good! done done done done DONE!
HEY!
Done done done done, done done done, done done done
Done done done done, done done done, done done done
DONE done duh-duh-duh-duh, done done done duh-duh-duh-duh
Done done done done done, done done done, done done DOOOOONNNNNEEE!!
That's right! I am DONE! My paper is finished! That was my last assignment for graduate school! I graduate on Saturday! I AM DONE!!!!!!
It feels AMAZING to say that. I've worked my butt off for 19 years straight (from kindergarten-2 years of masters). Now, on Saturday, I will walk across that stage and receive my advanced degree. Well, technically I will receive an empty folder. My actual diploma will come later. But the point is I will GRADUATE with my masters. I am done!
This feels especially good considering my day yesterday. I took the day off work to finish reading about the Cuban Missile Crisis and write my 15 page paper. I'm finally ready to start writing it. And my computer starts freezing. So I restart it. It does the same thing. I'm freaking out. Luckily my parents are only 5 minutes away, so I went over there and wrote it. 16 pages including a bibliography. 11.5 font, 1 in margins, 1.5 spacing. Over 6,000 words. But that thing is FINISHED AND TURNED IN. So I am done with UMSL's museum studies program! And fingers crossed, that means I will be done FOREVER!
Now there is a chance that I will not in fact be done forever. If I do the STEP program with Natchez, I will have to be a student. That means taking being enrolled at least 1/2 time in an accredited program online. In exchange I'd get to be the museum tech at Natchez, which could lead to a full time job. I would prefer just having a job, cause I'm really sick of school. 19 YEARS STRAIGHT PEOPLE. If you count preschool, I've been doing school since I was 4. That's a LONG TIME. WITH NO BREAK. I'm ready to get into the real world. But if the STEP program is my way into the real world, I'll figure out how to get into an online masters program for historic preservation and do a 2nd masters.
Right now I'm just enjoying the fact that, at least for a while/hopefully the foreseeable future, I have no homework. No assignments. No school. I am DONE!
I worked hard these past 2 years and Saturday is the culmination of it. In the words of James Brown -
OOOOH I feel good, done nah nah nah nah nah nah,
I knew that I would hah, done nah nah nah nah nah nah
SO GOOD! done done
SO GOOD! done
I feel good! done done done done DONE!
HEY!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Post-mother's day post
SO I hope you all had a great mother's day! I hope you made your mom feel really special. I think my mom had a good one. At least I hope she did. I went up and had breakfast with her at Lafayette Park, then I gave her her card and gift - a gift card to Park Ave. Coffee and the offer for me to work at the shop Thursday night and Sunday morning. Then Daddy and I cleaned the house while she worked the shop and I got to study a little. Emily came in with the Centenary improv troupe, Alan's Hot Tub. Luke got in late, he had to drive a girl who couldn't leave in the morning. You all missed a really great show, it was HILARIOUS! The kids were great and yours truly plus her mom got to jump into the "tub" and play! Awesomeness. Today Mom and Dad made the troupe breakfast and they headed out. So I think Mom had a good mother's day. I know she made me feel special - she gave me a necklace as a congratulations on finishing my exit project and to cheer me up cause I was bummed after Rosalie. It's got symbols for the things I care about - a star, for guiding me to the perfect job, a cross for my church, and a paw print for dogs/Bixby. I love my mom. Happy mother's day everybody!
Today I picked up my glasses. Yes I need glasses. The prescription's real slight, but I can definitely see better now. AND they look great, they definitely make me look older.
I also went to get my M-2 form. I kept waiting for the committee member I'd left the form with to come in so I could grab the form and take it to the committee chair. Waited 45 mins. Nothing. Then I got an e-mail from Jay saying Lankford, my chair, had it with both signatures and was bringing it to him. So that's in, and my exit project is DONE! So I just have a historiography paper due Wednesday and I am DONE WITH GRAD SCHOOL!!!!!!
Here's the potentially great news I got today. It has to do with the job description I referenced earlier. I tried to use a metaphor but I just couldn't get it to work so here goes. Basically I found out that the guy at the Ford House that I'm sending my stuff in to/would be my boss graduated from the UMSL museum studies program AND did his GRA at Campbell House. Yeah. Granted this does not guarantee me anything. BUT the fact that we have similar credentials may help me get a second look, rather than 20 secs and in the trash. AND it means he knows Campbell House, so I won't get the "This will teach you about small museums" I did from Rosalie. AND he knows 2 of my references. :-)
That's it. Hope you all had a good mother's day!
Today I picked up my glasses. Yes I need glasses. The prescription's real slight, but I can definitely see better now. AND they look great, they definitely make me look older.
I also went to get my M-2 form. I kept waiting for the committee member I'd left the form with to come in so I could grab the form and take it to the committee chair. Waited 45 mins. Nothing. Then I got an e-mail from Jay saying Lankford, my chair, had it with both signatures and was bringing it to him. So that's in, and my exit project is DONE! So I just have a historiography paper due Wednesday and I am DONE WITH GRAD SCHOOL!!!!!!
Here's the potentially great news I got today. It has to do with the job description I referenced earlier. I tried to use a metaphor but I just couldn't get it to work so here goes. Basically I found out that the guy at the Ford House that I'm sending my stuff in to/would be my boss graduated from the UMSL museum studies program AND did his GRA at Campbell House. Yeah. Granted this does not guarantee me anything. BUT the fact that we have similar credentials may help me get a second look, rather than 20 secs and in the trash. AND it means he knows Campbell House, so I won't get the "This will teach you about small museums" I did from Rosalie. AND he knows 2 of my references. :-)
That's it. Hope you all had a good mother's day!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Life is a balance
It's amazing how balanced my big ups and downs seem to have been lately. So many times, when something I had really wanted ends up saying no, something else comes along that either says yes or indicates closer to a yes. One more sign that someone out there is looking out for me.
So I talked about my big news with "the race" yesterday. I've said some stuff on here about Rosalie before, the antebellum house with the manager position where I'd live behind the place. Just talked to the president of the board there. I didn't get it. Essentially they didn't think I was qualified for it. But that's OK. Cause I'm still running the race for something else and there's just me and 9 other runners left. And I was told that I had the best "form" of a runner that they'd seen, or one of the best... use the metaphor... Rosalie has offered me a summer hostessing job. I'd be giving tours on the weekends and helping the museum with anything they needed. Basically exactly what I do with Eugene Field House already, except I'd get paid minimum wage.
Here's the kicker on Rosalie though. It's not that I "wasn't qualified", cause the idea of running the house basically on my own did scare me. But I don't think they really looked at my resume. First off, she said "Well you're just graduating from college". Technically yeah, I am graduating. But WITH MY MASTERS. I'm not some untested undergrad with no real world experience! The other thing, and actually worse thing, is that they seemed to think that I've only worked with big federal museums and the National Park Service. She said that the summer hostessing job would give me a chance to see how a small house museum works because it's very different from the NPS, they have 2 gardners and they do everything themselves, 1 housekeeper and she does everything herself, etc. Yeah. I've seen how small historic house museums work. It's called 5 years at Campbell House Museum with 1-2 staff persons, interns, and volunteers. They don't even have a housekeeper. A board member comes in and cleans the place. Oh, it's also called Eugene Field House, where they have 3 paid staff members, 1-2 interns, and volunteers. It's all RIGHT THERE on my resume. And in my cover letter.
I'm not TOO upset. At least not as upset as I'd thought I would be. I kinda figured that was the case since I sent my stuff in over a month ago and hadn't heard anything. Plus I know that at least somewhere likes what I have thanks to my news yesterday. And I'm sending my stuff in for the job that Jay sent me. But still. Seriously? SERIOUSLY?
At least this is balanced out by yesterday.
So I talked about my big news with "the race" yesterday. I've said some stuff on here about Rosalie before, the antebellum house with the manager position where I'd live behind the place. Just talked to the president of the board there. I didn't get it. Essentially they didn't think I was qualified for it. But that's OK. Cause I'm still running the race for something else and there's just me and 9 other runners left. And I was told that I had the best "form" of a runner that they'd seen, or one of the best... use the metaphor... Rosalie has offered me a summer hostessing job. I'd be giving tours on the weekends and helping the museum with anything they needed. Basically exactly what I do with Eugene Field House already, except I'd get paid minimum wage.
Here's the kicker on Rosalie though. It's not that I "wasn't qualified", cause the idea of running the house basically on my own did scare me. But I don't think they really looked at my resume. First off, she said "Well you're just graduating from college". Technically yeah, I am graduating. But WITH MY MASTERS. I'm not some untested undergrad with no real world experience! The other thing, and actually worse thing, is that they seemed to think that I've only worked with big federal museums and the National Park Service. She said that the summer hostessing job would give me a chance to see how a small house museum works because it's very different from the NPS, they have 2 gardners and they do everything themselves, 1 housekeeper and she does everything herself, etc. Yeah. I've seen how small historic house museums work. It's called 5 years at Campbell House Museum with 1-2 staff persons, interns, and volunteers. They don't even have a housekeeper. A board member comes in and cleans the place. Oh, it's also called Eugene Field House, where they have 3 paid staff members, 1-2 interns, and volunteers. It's all RIGHT THERE on my resume. And in my cover letter.
I'm not TOO upset. At least not as upset as I'd thought I would be. I kinda figured that was the case since I sent my stuff in over a month ago and hadn't heard anything. Plus I know that at least somewhere likes what I have thanks to my news yesterday. And I'm sending my stuff in for the job that Jay sent me. But still. Seriously? SERIOUSLY?
At least this is balanced out by yesterday.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Believe it or not, I'm walking on air
Yep I used that cheesy song lyric as the title of my blog post. But I have a good reason. Cause I am.
My exit project is DONE! I've still got to get it in to Jay and my committee, and the museum may want to make some tweaks to the book before we print it to sell in the gift shop, but the binders are together and overall everything is DONE for the committee!!!! HUGE weight off my shoulders!
I can't say the other thing that really made my day and made me start walking on air. I don't want to jinx anything. Or be stupid and post something on my blog that someone sees and is like "Right, scratch that one off the list". But basically I got good news on something. It's not the ABSOLUTE BEST NEWS IN THE WORLD, SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE ME JUMPING UP AND DOWN AND FREAKING OUT that I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for (I think you can all deduce what that absolute best news would be) but it is good news.
Here's a metaphor for the news: I've been in a race for something. The finish line is towards the very very southern tip of the US, close to the place I was born, surrounded by water, where they sometimes have really big storms that have names. I found out today that I am still in the race, getting towards the home stretch, and a lot of the other runners, all but 10 of us, have been disqualified.
I think you can figure out my news now.
The other big news I have is that Jay Rounds, the head of my program, forwarded me another job posting. It's in Detroit. Education department in a historic house museum. What was it that I said I wanted?? Oh right, THAT. The guy had asked if Jay had anyone in mind for the position... he fwded it to me... and only me!
So yeah I"m feeling pretty good right now.
Well I'm off to dinner and drinks with my friend Sarah from HS that I haven't seen since graduation. Excited!
And can I just say how much I LOVE family and friends that get super duper excited for me when I tell them my news? I love you guys!
My exit project is DONE! I've still got to get it in to Jay and my committee, and the museum may want to make some tweaks to the book before we print it to sell in the gift shop, but the binders are together and overall everything is DONE for the committee!!!! HUGE weight off my shoulders!
I can't say the other thing that really made my day and made me start walking on air. I don't want to jinx anything. Or be stupid and post something on my blog that someone sees and is like "Right, scratch that one off the list". But basically I got good news on something. It's not the ABSOLUTE BEST NEWS IN THE WORLD, SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE ME JUMPING UP AND DOWN AND FREAKING OUT that I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for (I think you can all deduce what that absolute best news would be) but it is good news.
Here's a metaphor for the news: I've been in a race for something. The finish line is towards the very very southern tip of the US, close to the place I was born, surrounded by water, where they sometimes have really big storms that have names. I found out today that I am still in the race, getting towards the home stretch, and a lot of the other runners, all but 10 of us, have been disqualified.
I think you can figure out my news now.
The other big news I have is that Jay Rounds, the head of my program, forwarded me another job posting. It's in Detroit. Education department in a historic house museum. What was it that I said I wanted?? Oh right, THAT. The guy had asked if Jay had anyone in mind for the position... he fwded it to me... and only me!
So yeah I"m feeling pretty good right now.
Well I'm off to dinner and drinks with my friend Sarah from HS that I haven't seen since graduation. Excited!
And can I just say how much I LOVE family and friends that get super duper excited for me when I tell them my news? I love you guys!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Parents anniversary
So today I could really and honestly see things start to come together for my parents anniversary party. And let me tell you, it felt AH-MAZING.
Some of these things they don't know about so SSSHHHH. Yes they know about the party but the other stuff is a secret. But it's k cause they never look at my blog.
Basically here's what it boils down to -
Hymn from their wedding at church the day before + party with their friends and likely catered by Ricardos, which I'm getting a quote for that tomorrow + sending out invites + having my sister and soon to be brother in law come in town + a nice gift + sending them to a nice B&B in St. Genevieve = quite possibly the best 30th anniversary ever. We're rockin this, and I'm super excited.
And I know this is bad to do cause of the whole idol thing (citylifers you know what I'm talking bout but the rest of you don't) it's awesome to know it all came together cause of me. I know that's bad. And that's my issue. But still. It's nice.
Some of these things they don't know about so SSSHHHH. Yes they know about the party but the other stuff is a secret. But it's k cause they never look at my blog.
Basically here's what it boils down to -
Hymn from their wedding at church the day before + party with their friends and likely catered by Ricardos, which I'm getting a quote for that tomorrow + sending out invites + having my sister and soon to be brother in law come in town + a nice gift + sending them to a nice B&B in St. Genevieve = quite possibly the best 30th anniversary ever. We're rockin this, and I'm super excited.
And I know this is bad to do cause of the whole idol thing (citylifers you know what I'm talking bout but the rest of you don't) it's awesome to know it all came together cause of me. I know that's bad. And that's my issue. But still. It's nice.
Everything and the kitchen sink
You know that expression "everything and the kitchen sink"? Well that's what was thrown at me literally last night. No I don't mean our kitchen sink was actually thrown at me. But here's the story.
So Tuesday night I had been up till 4:30 AM working on a paper. I was exhausted. So I went home after work, sat on the couch, and watched Glee and Parenthood. It was great. Then I decided to get ready for CityLife. But first I check my facebook. That's when I see the message from my roommate's new bf (she had been trying to contact me but my phone's dead so I didn't know) saying they wanted to know if it's ok for him to stay over last night. I of course was fine with it. But it meant I had to clean. So I put off doing makeup for a few mins and pick up the apt a little.
Still good on time, I'm about to start doing makeup when I hear this drip drip drip. I look, can't find the source. Then I notice the rug in our kitchen is SOAKED and getting worse by the second. Look underneath... sure enough our kitchen sink is leaking. I try to pick it up (the water and the rug, not the sink). By the time I"m done, there's no time left for makeup. So I put some towels down, tell my roommate (who's coming in as I head out), and go to CityLife.
CityLife was nice and relaxing.
Then afterwards it's time for me to take care of the neighbors cat. The cat is diabetic so I have to give him his shot as well as feed him and their other cat, change the litter boxes, etc. I was a few hours late - 1.5 to be exact - but nothing bad. I'd been taking care of him for 3 weeks, the neighbors are coming home today. I open the door... THAT DAMN CAT RUNS OUTSIDE. And he won't come back when I'm calling him! I start freaking out of course. Run over, get my parents, we're all scouring the neighborhood, they even call the night patrol (which it turned out Phil was on the shift at the time) to try and help us find him. Finally my mom spots him... in the backyard... Dad had searched that place, I'd been yelling for him back there, she calls him a lil bit and out he comes! Damn cat! Bout gave me a heart attack for an hour!!
And of course by the time that's done, I've taken care of his shot, gave him a "Don't do that again!" talk, etc. there's all of 1 minute left of the PBS Great Performances showing of the RSC's Hamlet, with David Tennant (the 10th Doctor on Doctor Who) as Hamlet and Patrick Stewart (Captain Picaurd on STar Trek, which I never watched but know him from, also of SNL's "If it's not Scottish, it's crap!") as Claudius and Hamlet's father's ghost. So I missed all of that, when I coudl have caught the last hour and a half had I not been going all over Lafayette Square yelling "WALES! HERE KITTY KITTY!" and shaking treats for that damn cat.
Yeah that was my everything and the kitchen sink night. Tonight - I'm going to watch TV. Specifically Hamlet (which I started watching this morning - it's really good, but I am glad I wikipedia'd Hamlet and saw Luke in the ASC production 1st, cause I wouldn't know what was going on otherwise), Community, Bones, The Office, and 30 Rock.
PS. Anyone else find it interesting that 2 Scottish guys - Tennant and Stewart - were in Hamlet?? Why not just do the Scottish play at that point? JK!
So Tuesday night I had been up till 4:30 AM working on a paper. I was exhausted. So I went home after work, sat on the couch, and watched Glee and Parenthood. It was great. Then I decided to get ready for CityLife. But first I check my facebook. That's when I see the message from my roommate's new bf (she had been trying to contact me but my phone's dead so I didn't know) saying they wanted to know if it's ok for him to stay over last night. I of course was fine with it. But it meant I had to clean. So I put off doing makeup for a few mins and pick up the apt a little.
Still good on time, I'm about to start doing makeup when I hear this drip drip drip. I look, can't find the source. Then I notice the rug in our kitchen is SOAKED and getting worse by the second. Look underneath... sure enough our kitchen sink is leaking. I try to pick it up (the water and the rug, not the sink). By the time I"m done, there's no time left for makeup. So I put some towels down, tell my roommate (who's coming in as I head out), and go to CityLife.
CityLife was nice and relaxing.
Then afterwards it's time for me to take care of the neighbors cat. The cat is diabetic so I have to give him his shot as well as feed him and their other cat, change the litter boxes, etc. I was a few hours late - 1.5 to be exact - but nothing bad. I'd been taking care of him for 3 weeks, the neighbors are coming home today. I open the door... THAT DAMN CAT RUNS OUTSIDE. And he won't come back when I'm calling him! I start freaking out of course. Run over, get my parents, we're all scouring the neighborhood, they even call the night patrol (which it turned out Phil was on the shift at the time) to try and help us find him. Finally my mom spots him... in the backyard... Dad had searched that place, I'd been yelling for him back there, she calls him a lil bit and out he comes! Damn cat! Bout gave me a heart attack for an hour!!
And of course by the time that's done, I've taken care of his shot, gave him a "Don't do that again!" talk, etc. there's all of 1 minute left of the PBS Great Performances showing of the RSC's Hamlet, with David Tennant (the 10th Doctor on Doctor Who) as Hamlet and Patrick Stewart (Captain Picaurd on STar Trek, which I never watched but know him from, also of SNL's "If it's not Scottish, it's crap!") as Claudius and Hamlet's father's ghost. So I missed all of that, when I coudl have caught the last hour and a half had I not been going all over Lafayette Square yelling "WALES! HERE KITTY KITTY!" and shaking treats for that damn cat.
Yeah that was my everything and the kitchen sink night. Tonight - I'm going to watch TV. Specifically Hamlet (which I started watching this morning - it's really good, but I am glad I wikipedia'd Hamlet and saw Luke in the ASC production 1st, cause I wouldn't know what was going on otherwise), Community, Bones, The Office, and 30 Rock.
PS. Anyone else find it interesting that 2 Scottish guys - Tennant and Stewart - were in Hamlet?? Why not just do the Scottish play at that point? JK!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Boo-OOOOOOK! (spoken like Bette Midler in Hocus Pocus)
For some reason, that moment of Bette Midler's Winifred opening the shutters and crying "Boo-OOOOK!" from Hocus Pocus always stuck with me.
So as most, if not all, of you know, my exit project is creating a childrens book for Campbell House Museum that tells the story of the Campbell family in a way that kindergarten-3rd graders can understand. It'll be accompanied by a story time education program I'm designing. I've done the story, but I am definitely not an artist, so an art student at UMSL agreed to illustrate the book for me. I got some of the illustrations today! Check em out!
1. Gus the narrator (an actual person who was a servant here for 40 years) showing the kids the dining room
2. The kitchen, including the bell system
3. Gus the narrator's room
4. Grandma Lucy's room
5. The library. This is my favorite of the illustrations she's sent me. Although Gus' hand in his pocket doesn't look quite right...
6. Mr. Hugh's room
Aren't these great!! I put them into the book and it looks wonderful. I can't even tell you how awesome it feels to see your vision start coming together after a almost full year of work!
Books will be on sale at the Campbell House Museum gift shop, and also Looking Glass Designs of Lafayette Square. Plus we're just printing them at Kinko's, so if you want one, come talk to me and I can prob print one for you (but we'd prefer you support the museum or Mom's shop :-) ).
Anyway had to brag on myself cause these are awesome!
So as most, if not all, of you know, my exit project is creating a childrens book for Campbell House Museum that tells the story of the Campbell family in a way that kindergarten-3rd graders can understand. It'll be accompanied by a story time education program I'm designing. I've done the story, but I am definitely not an artist, so an art student at UMSL agreed to illustrate the book for me. I got some of the illustrations today! Check em out!
1. Gus the narrator (an actual person who was a servant here for 40 years) showing the kids the dining room
2. The kitchen, including the bell system
3. Gus the narrator's room
4. Grandma Lucy's room
5. The library. This is my favorite of the illustrations she's sent me. Although Gus' hand in his pocket doesn't look quite right...
6. Mr. Hugh's room
Aren't these great!! I put them into the book and it looks wonderful. I can't even tell you how awesome it feels to see your vision start coming together after a almost full year of work!
Books will be on sale at the Campbell House Museum gift shop, and also Looking Glass Designs of Lafayette Square. Plus we're just printing them at Kinko's, so if you want one, come talk to me and I can prob print one for you (but we'd prefer you support the museum or Mom's shop :-) ).
Anyway had to brag on myself cause these are awesome!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Reminders
You know, this semester has not been an easy one. Classes have been tough. Projects have been tough. Oh and then there's been that amazing little experience called the job search - total piece of cake, just sunshine and puppies as Katherine D. would say... :-). There have definitely been times where I've gotten down. I've wondered sometimes if my chance is ever gonna come. I've even wondered occasionally if I'm even in the right field or if I really have what it takes to make it (wow I totally sound like a contestant on Project Runway or America's Next Top Model right now). Anyway the point is that it's been tough. But then you get those reminders that actually you are doing the right thing. And I got a big one today.
I'm gonna try not to go into all the details on this cause that would be boring and kinda tacky. But basically I've been working really hard on my exit project, and someone that I respect a lot, who really knows his stuff, and who has really been behind me on this project - and who is not easy to please from what I've heard - told me that, just from my program outline and story, without even seeing the final product of the book, it's an amazing product. I am kinda walking on air a little. The only thing that would make this day better would be a job offer... (hint hint, nudge nudge God :-) ). Seriously though, I'd already had a good day because I'd started putting the book together and realized that this baby I'd been envisioning really was a good idea. And to hear the same from the mouth of someone that knows museums is just incredible. And that's before showing the finished product!
Hearing that just renewed my faith that I am in the right field. I do know my stuff. And my time will come. Sure, as of today, April 22, I don't have a full time job lined up. But I've got an internship. I've got 3 good connections and possibilities. I've got a lot of passion and potential. And damnit, I know my stuff and I'm ready. So I've just gotta wait it out and trust that I am right and ready for a job, and that one's gonna come. It's just nice to get that reminder from someone else.
Now on to some crazy crazy weeks ahead!
I'm gonna try not to go into all the details on this cause that would be boring and kinda tacky. But basically I've been working really hard on my exit project, and someone that I respect a lot, who really knows his stuff, and who has really been behind me on this project - and who is not easy to please from what I've heard - told me that, just from my program outline and story, without even seeing the final product of the book, it's an amazing product. I am kinda walking on air a little. The only thing that would make this day better would be a job offer... (hint hint, nudge nudge God :-) ). Seriously though, I'd already had a good day because I'd started putting the book together and realized that this baby I'd been envisioning really was a good idea. And to hear the same from the mouth of someone that knows museums is just incredible. And that's before showing the finished product!
Hearing that just renewed my faith that I am in the right field. I do know my stuff. And my time will come. Sure, as of today, April 22, I don't have a full time job lined up. But I've got an internship. I've got 3 good connections and possibilities. I've got a lot of passion and potential. And damnit, I know my stuff and I'm ready. So I've just gotta wait it out and trust that I am right and ready for a job, and that one's gonna come. It's just nice to get that reminder from someone else.
Now on to some crazy crazy weeks ahead!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
My schedule for the next few weeks
This is my schedule for the next few weeks/months. Read it and tell me it's not crazy.
Friday April 23 - dinner, CHARIS concert
Saturday April 24 - Art Underground
Sunday April 25 - help clean up from AU
This weekend - get party invitations out
Monday April 26 - eye doctor appointment, getting glasses (A. I need them, B. they make me look older and smarter)
Tuesday April 27 - historiography paper due
Tuesday April 27 - deadline for illustrator to get her stuff to me
Next week - put book together, put together education program
Tuesday May 4 - present historiography paper
That week (don't remember date off top of my head - 2nd historiography paper due
Friday May 7 - exit project, signed off by committee, due to Jay
Sunday May 9 - Mother's Day (right?) Still no idea what I'm doing for that.
Friday May 15 - graduation
Monday May 17 - parents 30th anniversary party
Weekend after that - Wash U graduation (lots of the basketball players that I've gotten to know are graduating). Parents of one of mom's students are prob taking us out to dinner
Around there - must have UMC descriptions finished
Sometime between the 20th and June 4th - move down to Natchez for the internship.
June 7 - Start Natchez internship
The last few may change if I get a job.
Oh and somewhere in there I have church and CityLife and a life in general.
IS THIS NOT CRAZY?
Friday April 23 - dinner, CHARIS concert
Saturday April 24 - Art Underground
Sunday April 25 - help clean up from AU
This weekend - get party invitations out
Monday April 26 - eye doctor appointment, getting glasses (A. I need them, B. they make me look older and smarter)
Tuesday April 27 - historiography paper due
Tuesday April 27 - deadline for illustrator to get her stuff to me
Next week - put book together, put together education program
Tuesday May 4 - present historiography paper
That week (don't remember date off top of my head - 2nd historiography paper due
Friday May 7 - exit project, signed off by committee, due to Jay
Sunday May 9 - Mother's Day (right?) Still no idea what I'm doing for that.
Friday May 15 - graduation
Monday May 17 - parents 30th anniversary party
Weekend after that - Wash U graduation (lots of the basketball players that I've gotten to know are graduating). Parents of one of mom's students are prob taking us out to dinner
Around there - must have UMC descriptions finished
Sometime between the 20th and June 4th - move down to Natchez for the internship.
June 7 - Start Natchez internship
The last few may change if I get a job.
Oh and somewhere in there I have church and CityLife and a life in general.
IS THIS NOT CRAZY?
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Does it ever slow down
You know it's funny. Sometimes I get days where I can actually relax and enjoy myself. And then as soon as those are over, I pay for them cause I realize everything I should've done. Or forgot to do.
Life is just nuts right now. I have a book I have to put together within the next few weeks. Gotta get the illustrations to do that. I have to finalize the education program that goes with it. Put it all together and turn it in as my exit project.
I have to finish these descriptions for the Urban Museum Collaborative grant, which means i have to research these people and summarize all the research into 400-600 words. Sounds easy, right? Not really. It's not easy to put together descriptive detail, a biography, and national connections in 600 words or less. It's also not easy to write a blurb about an object in 400 words (though that's easier than the descriptions).
Planning Mom and Dad's party. Which seems to have been moved from Hodak's to the house. That's fine. But dad's out of town and I need to finalize a location and a guest list so we can get invites out.
Still hoping for jobs. I've gotta call both to check on how things are going.
Calling on housing for Natchez for the summer.
I have 2 huge historiography papers due. One's due next week. One's due a week after that. LOTS of work left to do there.
I graduate may 15. That's a whole other stressor.
Oh and I've got a ton of laundry to do. And I'm taking care of my neighbor's diabetic cat.
SERIOUSLY?
Life is just nuts right now. I have a book I have to put together within the next few weeks. Gotta get the illustrations to do that. I have to finalize the education program that goes with it. Put it all together and turn it in as my exit project.
I have to finish these descriptions for the Urban Museum Collaborative grant, which means i have to research these people and summarize all the research into 400-600 words. Sounds easy, right? Not really. It's not easy to put together descriptive detail, a biography, and national connections in 600 words or less. It's also not easy to write a blurb about an object in 400 words (though that's easier than the descriptions).
Planning Mom and Dad's party. Which seems to have been moved from Hodak's to the house. That's fine. But dad's out of town and I need to finalize a location and a guest list so we can get invites out.
Still hoping for jobs. I've gotta call both to check on how things are going.
Calling on housing for Natchez for the summer.
I have 2 huge historiography papers due. One's due next week. One's due a week after that. LOTS of work left to do there.
I graduate may 15. That's a whole other stressor.
Oh and I've got a ton of laundry to do. And I'm taking care of my neighbor's diabetic cat.
SERIOUSLY?
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Deep thoughts
So I'm gonna write on something that I've been thinking about and am divided on and I'm wanting to see what readers (however few of them there are) think about it. I bet everyone has heard about the woman in Tennessee who sent her adopted son back to Russia. Here are the details that I've gathered - granted, these details are all from news reports, I have no personal knowledge of this family.
A woman adopted a 7 year old Russian boy. The boy had been in an orphanage, which are notorious for being bad - kids get little affection, often are not well taken care of, etc. Many children who come from orphanages in Russia as well as other places and even here in the US have emotional problems. This boy, who she named Justin, was no exception. He had very very severe problems, which the woman says she was not told about from the orphanage. Justin would throw tantrums (and not normal kid tantrums) when he didn't get his way, threatening violence, drawing pictures of the house burning down and saying he was going to burn the house down with the family in it, etc. The family went to a psychologist for help, but only the PARENTS went, they did not take the boy (which seems super odd to me). The last straw was apparently attacking his adopted aunt with a statue when she asked him to correct some math problems. Finally, the adopted mom said she could not take care of Justin anymore, so she put him on a plane back to Russia with a small backpack, had someone pick him up at the airport and drop him off at the education ministry in Moscow, and left him with a note that essentially said, I can't handle this kid anymore so I no longer want to be his parent (I can't find the exact quote). The woman is now trying to adopt a kid from Georgia, she says she was already in the process before she got rid of Justin. Because of this case, the Russian ministry has apparently suspended all US-Russian adoptions - here's a link to a news story on that. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100415/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_us_adoptions
I really don't know where I stand on this issue. On the one hand, I don't want to just outright condemn the adoptive mother. I mean, in her shoes, could I really handle a 7 year old child from a foreign country that was threatening to murder me and my family because I asked him to clean his room (that may not have been the cause, just hypothetical) or was attacking my sister with a statue because she said he had done a math problem wrong? Those are some pretty big issues and, in her shoes, I don't know that I'd be able to handle it.
You know, some may say that the woman is making up some of her claims to justify sending him back. I have seen lots of adoption cases where the child is adopted, either here or overseas, and is PERFECTLY normal and wonderful (or as normal and wonderful as any kid ever can be) and things are just great. But I've also seen cases where families adopted older children, though sometimes not even as old as Justin was, and they had problems. A couple I know adopted a boy and a girl from the foster care system, and while they don't have the psychological problems that Justin seemed to, the boy is behind a little bit developmentally than where he should be because of treatment as a baby and in the womb. That's a mild case, I've seen cases with some severe problems. A family friend adopted a little boy (he was about 2 I think) from Russia several years ago; this couple was AMAZING. The little boy had some very severe problems, obviously had not been given much affection in the orphanage, and there were cases where, like Justin, he would threaten his parents - if I remember correctly, he even threatened the mom with a knife at one point, he was like 3 or 4 years old. The couples marriage ended because of the stress of this adoption. There was also a family that adopted a little girl through the foster care system when she was 5. I know this family and the little girl really well. There were some problems there, ones that I didn't realize till later, and some drastic steps were taken to get her help. But that ended up as a success story, as the girl is now in HS and doing FABULOUSLY - like, even better than I did in school in some ways. So I know that adoption cases, while many can be incredibly wonderful, can also put strain on couples.
Here's where I get on the fence on this issue. In all of the cases I've mentioned above, the adoptive parents did not give up on the child, even when it would have made a lot of sense to do just that (i.e. when the child's problems ended up causing you and your husband to divorce). Now like I said, in the woman who adopted Justin's shoes, I don't know what I would do, maybe something similar. But at the same time, what a thing to do. The whole point of adoption is to bring a child into your family and love them as if they were your own. It can be a real struggle proving to a kid that, no matter what they do, you're not going to give up on them or treat them any differently than your biological children just because you didn't give birth to them. What a thing for this little boy to go through - he was essentially (and almost literally due to the note) told "You're not good enough, so we don't want you anymore, go back to where you came from". Would she have said that to a child she gave birth to? So why do it to your adopted son just because he came from Russia?
Furthermore, my friend Sarah made a really good point that the woman never took Justin to a psychologist, just the adults to learn how to treat him. Would she have done that with her own kids? Now the other side of that coin is that, if Justin was her BIOLOGICAL son, he probably wouldn't have these problems because they were born of neglect and the treatment at the orphanage. But still... something to think about...
The other thing that upsets me is that this woman has now caused an international incident, and because of her, Russia has suspended all US adoptions, which hurts so many other families who just want to bring their children home. That does upset me.
So I'm really divided on this issue. On the one hand, in her shoes, I don't know that I could handle the problems that this boy had either. I do believe he had severe problems, because I've seen cases before where children had these problems. But I still firmly believe in adoption and think that adoptive parents need to make it their daily mission to show the child that, no matter what, they will always be their mom and dad and nothing will ever change that, even though they are not biologically related. I feel for the woman but I also REALLY feel for Justin, who was told he wasn't good enough to be loved and accepted by a woman he called Mommy. And I feel for all the families that are affected by this now.
What do you think??
A woman adopted a 7 year old Russian boy. The boy had been in an orphanage, which are notorious for being bad - kids get little affection, often are not well taken care of, etc. Many children who come from orphanages in Russia as well as other places and even here in the US have emotional problems. This boy, who she named Justin, was no exception. He had very very severe problems, which the woman says she was not told about from the orphanage. Justin would throw tantrums (and not normal kid tantrums) when he didn't get his way, threatening violence, drawing pictures of the house burning down and saying he was going to burn the house down with the family in it, etc. The family went to a psychologist for help, but only the PARENTS went, they did not take the boy (which seems super odd to me). The last straw was apparently attacking his adopted aunt with a statue when she asked him to correct some math problems. Finally, the adopted mom said she could not take care of Justin anymore, so she put him on a plane back to Russia with a small backpack, had someone pick him up at the airport and drop him off at the education ministry in Moscow, and left him with a note that essentially said, I can't handle this kid anymore so I no longer want to be his parent (I can't find the exact quote). The woman is now trying to adopt a kid from Georgia, she says she was already in the process before she got rid of Justin. Because of this case, the Russian ministry has apparently suspended all US-Russian adoptions - here's a link to a news story on that. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100415/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_us_adoptions
I really don't know where I stand on this issue. On the one hand, I don't want to just outright condemn the adoptive mother. I mean, in her shoes, could I really handle a 7 year old child from a foreign country that was threatening to murder me and my family because I asked him to clean his room (that may not have been the cause, just hypothetical) or was attacking my sister with a statue because she said he had done a math problem wrong? Those are some pretty big issues and, in her shoes, I don't know that I'd be able to handle it.
You know, some may say that the woman is making up some of her claims to justify sending him back. I have seen lots of adoption cases where the child is adopted, either here or overseas, and is PERFECTLY normal and wonderful (or as normal and wonderful as any kid ever can be) and things are just great. But I've also seen cases where families adopted older children, though sometimes not even as old as Justin was, and they had problems. A couple I know adopted a boy and a girl from the foster care system, and while they don't have the psychological problems that Justin seemed to, the boy is behind a little bit developmentally than where he should be because of treatment as a baby and in the womb. That's a mild case, I've seen cases with some severe problems. A family friend adopted a little boy (he was about 2 I think) from Russia several years ago; this couple was AMAZING. The little boy had some very severe problems, obviously had not been given much affection in the orphanage, and there were cases where, like Justin, he would threaten his parents - if I remember correctly, he even threatened the mom with a knife at one point, he was like 3 or 4 years old. The couples marriage ended because of the stress of this adoption. There was also a family that adopted a little girl through the foster care system when she was 5. I know this family and the little girl really well. There were some problems there, ones that I didn't realize till later, and some drastic steps were taken to get her help. But that ended up as a success story, as the girl is now in HS and doing FABULOUSLY - like, even better than I did in school in some ways. So I know that adoption cases, while many can be incredibly wonderful, can also put strain on couples.
Here's where I get on the fence on this issue. In all of the cases I've mentioned above, the adoptive parents did not give up on the child, even when it would have made a lot of sense to do just that (i.e. when the child's problems ended up causing you and your husband to divorce). Now like I said, in the woman who adopted Justin's shoes, I don't know what I would do, maybe something similar. But at the same time, what a thing to do. The whole point of adoption is to bring a child into your family and love them as if they were your own. It can be a real struggle proving to a kid that, no matter what they do, you're not going to give up on them or treat them any differently than your biological children just because you didn't give birth to them. What a thing for this little boy to go through - he was essentially (and almost literally due to the note) told "You're not good enough, so we don't want you anymore, go back to where you came from". Would she have said that to a child she gave birth to? So why do it to your adopted son just because he came from Russia?
Furthermore, my friend Sarah made a really good point that the woman never took Justin to a psychologist, just the adults to learn how to treat him. Would she have done that with her own kids? Now the other side of that coin is that, if Justin was her BIOLOGICAL son, he probably wouldn't have these problems because they were born of neglect and the treatment at the orphanage. But still... something to think about...
The other thing that upsets me is that this woman has now caused an international incident, and because of her, Russia has suspended all US adoptions, which hurts so many other families who just want to bring their children home. That does upset me.
So I'm really divided on this issue. On the one hand, in her shoes, I don't know that I could handle the problems that this boy had either. I do believe he had severe problems, because I've seen cases before where children had these problems. But I still firmly believe in adoption and think that adoptive parents need to make it their daily mission to show the child that, no matter what, they will always be their mom and dad and nothing will ever change that, even though they are not biologically related. I feel for the woman but I also REALLY feel for Justin, who was told he wasn't good enough to be loved and accepted by a woman he called Mommy. And I feel for all the families that are affected by this now.
What do you think??
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Glorious spring day
Today was wonderful. It's beautiful outside. So I went out and enjoyed it. Well, as much as I could. I went to church. Heard a really great sermon. Caught up with friends. Went to Rue Lafayette for a delicious BLT sandwich, tea latte (not as good as I thought but OK) and cup of strawberries. Yum. Then I went to Park Ave. Coffee and had a smoothie. Double yum.
Then I went to the grocery store. While there I bought a box of Penne pasta that had this recipe on it. I tried it and it is DELICIOUS and relatively easy too. So I'm posting it here:
Penne Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes
Ingredients -
8 oz (I used 1/2-3/4 of a 16 oz box) of penne pasta
7 slices chopped Pancetta or bacon (it calls for 3 oz, I used 4 slices and then added 3 more cause I like bacon)
2 Tbsp olive oil, more to pour on top
2 cups fresh spinach (I just bought some at the store and tossed it in)
Garlic - the recipe calls for 1 large or 2 small gloves, I just used garlic salt and garlic pepper
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar - be sure not to put too much in, I think I might have, but it's still good
1 1/3 cup (or 1 can) of Grape or Cherry Tomatoes - I used diced tomatoes
Parmesan
What I added - 1 can mushrooms, 1 1/2 scallions, 3 celery stalks
1. Boil the penne - I did it in some chicken stock and water, you can do it in just water. Once it's cooked, drain it and set it aside
2. While the pasta boils, saute the pancetta/bacon in the olive oil till it's crisp. Remove the bacon and set it aside but leave all the juice.
3. Saute the spinach and garlic in the juice (this is when I added the mushrooms, scallions, and celery) till the spinach wilts
4. Add vinegar, cook about 2 mins (I combined this step with the next one and it still turned out good)
5. Add tomatoes, cook until tomatoes are softened and hot (bout 2-3 minutes)
6. Add tomatoes and pancetta/bacon. Toss it/stir it. Add parmesan on top.
Serves at least 3 people, probably about 4-5 servings. It's delish!
Then I went to the grocery store. While there I bought a box of Penne pasta that had this recipe on it. I tried it and it is DELICIOUS and relatively easy too. So I'm posting it here:
Penne Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes
Ingredients -
8 oz (I used 1/2-3/4 of a 16 oz box) of penne pasta
7 slices chopped Pancetta or bacon (it calls for 3 oz, I used 4 slices and then added 3 more cause I like bacon)
2 Tbsp olive oil, more to pour on top
2 cups fresh spinach (I just bought some at the store and tossed it in)
Garlic - the recipe calls for 1 large or 2 small gloves, I just used garlic salt and garlic pepper
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar - be sure not to put too much in, I think I might have, but it's still good
1 1/3 cup (or 1 can) of Grape or Cherry Tomatoes - I used diced tomatoes
Parmesan
What I added - 1 can mushrooms, 1 1/2 scallions, 3 celery stalks
1. Boil the penne - I did it in some chicken stock and water, you can do it in just water. Once it's cooked, drain it and set it aside
2. While the pasta boils, saute the pancetta/bacon in the olive oil till it's crisp. Remove the bacon and set it aside but leave all the juice.
3. Saute the spinach and garlic in the juice (this is when I added the mushrooms, scallions, and celery) till the spinach wilts
4. Add vinegar, cook about 2 mins (I combined this step with the next one and it still turned out good)
5. Add tomatoes, cook until tomatoes are softened and hot (bout 2-3 minutes)
6. Add tomatoes and pancetta/bacon. Toss it/stir it. Add parmesan on top.
Serves at least 3 people, probably about 4-5 servings. It's delish!
Friday, April 9, 2010
From thoughtful to funny
Yesterday I posted a really thoughtful (or what I hope was really thoughtful) post. So today I figure we need some time to laugh. Watch these and tell me that at least one, if not all of them, don't make you laugh. Now I don't know how to actually turn these into links, so you'll just need to copy the URL and paste it in. Sorry.
1. My cousin Brandon and Susie have twin boys Luke and Hudson. This is Brandon making Luke laugh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWfbQuP_XuE&feature=player_embedded
2. My friends Katie and Russ's little boy Eliot playing basketball. This link is to her blog where you can see 2 videos of him playing - watch the 2nd one in particular. "Mommy I'm playing basketball, I can't make you your mac and cheese!"
http://katiemohr.blogspot.com/2010/03/progression-of-balla.html
3. The local news was doing a story on the World Bird Sanctuary. Apparently the pelican was not so happy with his trainer. As they say, right in the "unmentionables"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhFFyLl_s64&feature=youtube_gdata
1. My cousin Brandon and Susie have twin boys Luke and Hudson. This is Brandon making Luke laugh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWfbQuP_XuE&feature=player_embedded
2. My friends Katie and Russ's little boy Eliot playing basketball. This link is to her blog where you can see 2 videos of him playing - watch the 2nd one in particular. "Mommy I'm playing basketball, I can't make you your mac and cheese!"
http://katiemohr.blogspot.com/2010/03/progression-of-balla.html
3. The local news was doing a story on the World Bird Sanctuary. Apparently the pelican was not so happy with his trainer. As they say, right in the "unmentionables"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhFFyLl_s64&feature=youtube_gdata
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Too many connections for it all to be random
So I really try to keep this blog away from the religious side of stuff. I'm fine talking about my faith. I just feel a little uncomfortable writing about it on a blog with the possibility of offending people sometimes. But I started thinking about something last night and recently and I just had to write it.
As most of you, if not all, know, I am a Christian. Last night in my church's small group, we were talking about different things and I started thinking back about how I've gotten the place that I am, and hope to be at, in my life.
Campbell house:
- My parents house was built by Horace Bixby, who taught Mark Twain to be a steamboat pilot. I love this house.
- Freshman year of college, I went to the Nelson Atkins Art Museum for extra credit, and then went to dinner with a professor afterward. In talking about my house, she asked if I had thought about historic preservation. Lightbulb.
- I start talking about my interest in historic preservation to my parent's friend, a former history teacher who, with his wife, owned our house for 30 years till we bought it. He says he docents at Campbell House Museum and I should come over.
- I go into Campbell House and fall in love. He gets me a summer internship here. T hat leads to 3 summers here, my interest in museum studies, and a 2 year long internship through UMSL's museum studies program that has showed me a love for museum education.
Connections -
1. I discovered right after I had gotten into UMSL that the Nelson Atkins Art Museum in Kansas City, where I went on the field trip that led to the dinner that started me on this path, is about a block away from both Campbell St. and Charlotte St. Those two streets are named for Charlotte Campbell. Charlotte Campbell is Robert's niece, the wife of John Campbell, who Robert worked with.
Campbell House and Natchez:
- I did an internship last summer at Natchez National Historical park. I loved it. I plan to go back there.
- There is a job open at Rosalie mansion in Natchez as manager, where you actually live behind the antebellum mansion in an original dependency/studio apartment above the kitchen. I've applied for it and have good connections down there.
Connections -
1. Horace Bixby, who built my parents house, taught Mark Twain to be a steamboat pilot. Once Twain got his license, he was hired by Robert Campbell's steamboat business.
- Both Bixby and Twain would have piloted ships past Natchez and probably stopped there. Twain talks about Natchez-under-the-hill in Life on the Mississippi, same book he talks about Bixby in.
- Rosalie overlooks the Mississippi River, the same river Twain and Bixby would have been piloting their boats on
- There's a church in Natchez that shows a collection of pictures of Natchez. It includes a ton of pictures of the Anchor Line, the line that Bixby was co-owner of for a while. They include interior pictures of Bixby's boats. Pictures we never would've known existed had I not gone to Natchez.
IF I get the job at Rosalie:
1. President Grant was a friend of Robert Campbell's. He actually came to visit Campbell 2x, once when Virginia Campbell hosted him by herself. Once when they had a huge party for him which included James Eads, Henry Shaw, and General Sherman.
- When Grant took Vicksburg, he set up his HQ in Natchez. He picked Rosalie as his HQ, because it overlooks the river.
There are connections with church and my house but I don't think that's so much someone guiding me as St. Louis and Lafayette Square funniness. The other connection is to Galveston, where there's a job open, but it's more that I loved playing there as a kid, my cousin moved there a few years ago, and now there's a job open - that could easily be coincidence, cause there are LOTS of people who love living in Galveston.
Anyway, my point is, look at all these connections. I know there are people who would say, well it's all just coincidence. But to me, I just feel like when you look at it all, you can't say life is completely random. I feel like all these things prove that there is someone or something up there guiding me and us. Now I'm not trying to prove who or what that is cause that's a whole can of worms that I won't get into. I think it's God, you may not, whatever. Point is there are just way too many connections for this and life to be completely random. Agree? Disagree? Your thoughts?
As most of you, if not all, know, I am a Christian. Last night in my church's small group, we were talking about different things and I started thinking back about how I've gotten the place that I am, and hope to be at, in my life.
Campbell house:
- My parents house was built by Horace Bixby, who taught Mark Twain to be a steamboat pilot. I love this house.
- Freshman year of college, I went to the Nelson Atkins Art Museum for extra credit, and then went to dinner with a professor afterward. In talking about my house, she asked if I had thought about historic preservation. Lightbulb.
- I start talking about my interest in historic preservation to my parent's friend, a former history teacher who, with his wife, owned our house for 30 years till we bought it. He says he docents at Campbell House Museum and I should come over.
- I go into Campbell House and fall in love. He gets me a summer internship here. T hat leads to 3 summers here, my interest in museum studies, and a 2 year long internship through UMSL's museum studies program that has showed me a love for museum education.
Connections -
1. I discovered right after I had gotten into UMSL that the Nelson Atkins Art Museum in Kansas City, where I went on the field trip that led to the dinner that started me on this path, is about a block away from both Campbell St. and Charlotte St. Those two streets are named for Charlotte Campbell. Charlotte Campbell is Robert's niece, the wife of John Campbell, who Robert worked with.
Campbell House and Natchez:
- I did an internship last summer at Natchez National Historical park. I loved it. I plan to go back there.
- There is a job open at Rosalie mansion in Natchez as manager, where you actually live behind the antebellum mansion in an original dependency/studio apartment above the kitchen. I've applied for it and have good connections down there.
Connections -
1. Horace Bixby, who built my parents house, taught Mark Twain to be a steamboat pilot. Once Twain got his license, he was hired by Robert Campbell's steamboat business.
- Both Bixby and Twain would have piloted ships past Natchez and probably stopped there. Twain talks about Natchez-under-the-hill in Life on the Mississippi, same book he talks about Bixby in.
- Rosalie overlooks the Mississippi River, the same river Twain and Bixby would have been piloting their boats on
- There's a church in Natchez that shows a collection of pictures of Natchez. It includes a ton of pictures of the Anchor Line, the line that Bixby was co-owner of for a while. They include interior pictures of Bixby's boats. Pictures we never would've known existed had I not gone to Natchez.
IF I get the job at Rosalie:
1. President Grant was a friend of Robert Campbell's. He actually came to visit Campbell 2x, once when Virginia Campbell hosted him by herself. Once when they had a huge party for him which included James Eads, Henry Shaw, and General Sherman.
- When Grant took Vicksburg, he set up his HQ in Natchez. He picked Rosalie as his HQ, because it overlooks the river.
There are connections with church and my house but I don't think that's so much someone guiding me as St. Louis and Lafayette Square funniness. The other connection is to Galveston, where there's a job open, but it's more that I loved playing there as a kid, my cousin moved there a few years ago, and now there's a job open - that could easily be coincidence, cause there are LOTS of people who love living in Galveston.
Anyway, my point is, look at all these connections. I know there are people who would say, well it's all just coincidence. But to me, I just feel like when you look at it all, you can't say life is completely random. I feel like all these things prove that there is someone or something up there guiding me and us. Now I'm not trying to prove who or what that is cause that's a whole can of worms that I won't get into. I think it's God, you may not, whatever. Point is there are just way too many connections for this and life to be completely random. Agree? Disagree? Your thoughts?
Monday, April 5, 2010
Easter Weekend
I don't have too much to say. Just wanted to say hope everyone had a great Easter weekend! I know I did.
Friday night I went out with my old church youth group. It was fun.
Saturday was a CRAZY freaking day. I had to work at Campbell House. I knew that since it was the day before Easter, it'd either be completely dead or pretty busy, but I thought pretty busy would still give me time to eat and read at least a few pages. Silly me. Silly silly silly me. From the time I opened the front gate at the stroke of 10 and found people waiting for me until I was finally able to close the museum at 4:30, 1/2 an hour after it was supposed to close, I did not stop. Literally. I had about 2 minutes difference between tour shifts, where I said "Hi" to the woman in the gift shop and put my lunch in the microwave. I had JUST gotten it out and was grabbing a fork when the door rings again. We had 20 people come through the museum. 20 PEOPLE. Now this may not sound like much. But they didn't all come in at once. It was one or two or three trickling in all day. And I was the only docent. So what it boils down to is that I was only my feet, walking around the museum, giving tours, and TALKING for 6 HOURS STRAIGHT. I was EXHAUSTED. I finally got to eat something with my dad afterwards. Then I watched the Butler game and read.
Sunday I went to church - LPUMC. It was nice. Then I had lunch with my fam. Then I read. All day. And wrote questions.
Today I slept in till 12:30. It was absolutely GLORIOUS.
There is something going on in my life. But I don't want to post it on here. Basically there's a job that I would really really love to have. And due to my connections I think I have a good shot at it. I've talked to someone about it and sent in my resume and am getting the official application and stuff. But nothing is even CLOSE to being set in stone. It's just a possible good shot right now that I would really love to have but nothing is for sure by any means. So just be praying and keep your fingers crossed for that and any situation I apply to.
Finally, HAPPY EASTER!
Friday night I went out with my old church youth group. It was fun.
Saturday was a CRAZY freaking day. I had to work at Campbell House. I knew that since it was the day before Easter, it'd either be completely dead or pretty busy, but I thought pretty busy would still give me time to eat and read at least a few pages. Silly me. Silly silly silly me. From the time I opened the front gate at the stroke of 10 and found people waiting for me until I was finally able to close the museum at 4:30, 1/2 an hour after it was supposed to close, I did not stop. Literally. I had about 2 minutes difference between tour shifts, where I said "Hi" to the woman in the gift shop and put my lunch in the microwave. I had JUST gotten it out and was grabbing a fork when the door rings again. We had 20 people come through the museum. 20 PEOPLE. Now this may not sound like much. But they didn't all come in at once. It was one or two or three trickling in all day. And I was the only docent. So what it boils down to is that I was only my feet, walking around the museum, giving tours, and TALKING for 6 HOURS STRAIGHT. I was EXHAUSTED. I finally got to eat something with my dad afterwards. Then I watched the Butler game and read.
Sunday I went to church - LPUMC. It was nice. Then I had lunch with my fam. Then I read. All day. And wrote questions.
Today I slept in till 12:30. It was absolutely GLORIOUS.
There is something going on in my life. But I don't want to post it on here. Basically there's a job that I would really really love to have. And due to my connections I think I have a good shot at it. I've talked to someone about it and sent in my resume and am getting the official application and stuff. But nothing is even CLOSE to being set in stone. It's just a possible good shot right now that I would really love to have but nothing is for sure by any means. So just be praying and keep your fingers crossed for that and any situation I apply to.
Finally, HAPPY EASTER!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
I get by with a little help from my friends
Found out this week that at least a couple people actually read this blog. Cool. Hi peeps!
I've been thinking about this blog post all evening. Ok not all evening. But a little while at least. What to say, what not to say, etc. Don't worry nothing bad I promise! It's just that there's something that is going on that I want to talk about and it could be really good but I don't want to get my hopes up and writing it out I could get mine and whoever reads this blogs hopes up, and I don't want to jinx my chances by getting my hopes up or writing it on here. So for now I'll just say keep your fingers crossed for me. And if you really want to know what I'm talking about, just ask me. I'll be happy to tell you in person. I just don't want to write it here.
I've been on a roller coaster of emotions this week. I won't go into what all caused it. Instead I'll just say that I could not have gotten through the highs and the lows of the week without my friends. The old "I get by with a little help from my friends" really does apply here. So I'm just gonna use this time to say thanks.
To friends who go out for a girls night after getting dumped and still celelbrate my possibly good news and my other friend's good love life. Friends who let me be one of the first to meet their boyfriend. Friends who help me with looking for something that I don't know if I want to do but might be one of my only options. Friends who go to Soupman with me and talk about slaves (it's in relation to Campbell House Museum - that was one of the lows, I put together a 14 page file of Campbell letters on slaves... it's emotionally draining to read about...). Friends who go out of their way to offer a helping hand when they don't really have to, thus reassuring me that I am on the right track. Friends that can take me from talking about crucifixion and injustice to laughing about wisdom teeth stories. Friends who push me to be the best I can and reassure me that I can handle stuff and rejoice in the even slim possibility of a potential joy with me. Friends that fill in for me at the last minute when I space on serving communion on Sunday. Friends that always know what I need and how to make me feel better (this is both humans and pets like Bixby). Friends who I haven't seen in a while and set up going out on Good Friday. And most of all - friends who aren't afraid to lay it on the line and hit me upside the head (not literally) even though I didn't ask but because they knew I desperately needed it.
So to all those friends and more... thank you.
I've been thinking about this blog post all evening. Ok not all evening. But a little while at least. What to say, what not to say, etc. Don't worry nothing bad I promise! It's just that there's something that is going on that I want to talk about and it could be really good but I don't want to get my hopes up and writing it out I could get mine and whoever reads this blogs hopes up, and I don't want to jinx my chances by getting my hopes up or writing it on here. So for now I'll just say keep your fingers crossed for me. And if you really want to know what I'm talking about, just ask me. I'll be happy to tell you in person. I just don't want to write it here.
I've been on a roller coaster of emotions this week. I won't go into what all caused it. Instead I'll just say that I could not have gotten through the highs and the lows of the week without my friends. The old "I get by with a little help from my friends" really does apply here. So I'm just gonna use this time to say thanks.
To friends who go out for a girls night after getting dumped and still celelbrate my possibly good news and my other friend's good love life. Friends who let me be one of the first to meet their boyfriend. Friends who help me with looking for something that I don't know if I want to do but might be one of my only options. Friends who go to Soupman with me and talk about slaves (it's in relation to Campbell House Museum - that was one of the lows, I put together a 14 page file of Campbell letters on slaves... it's emotionally draining to read about...). Friends who go out of their way to offer a helping hand when they don't really have to, thus reassuring me that I am on the right track. Friends that can take me from talking about crucifixion and injustice to laughing about wisdom teeth stories. Friends who push me to be the best I can and reassure me that I can handle stuff and rejoice in the even slim possibility of a potential joy with me. Friends that fill in for me at the last minute when I space on serving communion on Sunday. Friends that always know what I need and how to make me feel better (this is both humans and pets like Bixby). Friends who I haven't seen in a while and set up going out on Good Friday. And most of all - friends who aren't afraid to lay it on the line and hit me upside the head (not literally) even though I didn't ask but because they knew I desperately needed it.
So to all those friends and more... thank you.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
My life
Alright peeps. Here's the latest update on my life.
First off, I am not importing these posts to Facebook, at least for a little while. There have been several things on here that I haven't wanted on facebook that got on there accidentally so I'm not taking any more chances. In fact, this is one of those posts (though it's not too bad).
So first off, job search. I accepted Natchez. Yes I'm still looking for a full time job. But I'm THRILLED about the opportunity at Natchez.
Connecticut turned me down. That one actually hurt more than Michigan, because that job description was freaking WRITTEN for me. But I knew i hadn't gotten it - I'd applied in January and still hadn't heard, I got cut. Oh well their loss right? But here's the kicker. I got the "Thanks but no thanks" letter from them. But in that letter, they actually TOLD ME who the candidate was. Who does that?? First off, it made me go "Oh thanks, rub it in that they have something I don't, as if I didn't know". Second, I was like "You know, that's kinda scary - for all they know, I could be a crazy person, and now that I know who got the job, I could go stalk them and kill them and, at least in my mind, get the job". Now don't worry I'm not actually gonna do that. Cause I am not, in fact, a crazy person. But still... technically it could happen... Lastly, it'd be one thing if I had gotten an interview, gone through all the steps, and they told me who the other candidate they went with was. But I didn't. I got cut in the first round. This letter with the girl's info was sent to EVERYONE who applied - all 60+ people in the applicant pool. If I had gotten the job, I don't think I'd be comfortable with that. So yeah.
As for the rest of my life, things are pretty crazy. I'm still working on the book. Still working on the portrait gallery. Trying to survive my classes. OH and I'm planning my parents 30th wedding anniversary celebration (this is the main reason I don't want this on facebook - if anyone reads this and talks to them, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT tell my mom. I want it to be at least a somewhat surprise). It's pretty amazing what can happen. I knew I would be able to figure out how to cover it financially, but I was nervous about how much the cost of planning a party would cut into the cushion I want to have in case I don't have a job in the fall. Then Natchez came along. So not only will I be able to cover Mom and Dad's celebration, BUT I'll still be able to stash away even more than I had thought and be OK should I not have a job in the fall. Isn't it amazing how things can work out like that?
So yeah. Things are good.
First off, I am not importing these posts to Facebook, at least for a little while. There have been several things on here that I haven't wanted on facebook that got on there accidentally so I'm not taking any more chances. In fact, this is one of those posts (though it's not too bad).
So first off, job search. I accepted Natchez. Yes I'm still looking for a full time job. But I'm THRILLED about the opportunity at Natchez.
Connecticut turned me down. That one actually hurt more than Michigan, because that job description was freaking WRITTEN for me. But I knew i hadn't gotten it - I'd applied in January and still hadn't heard, I got cut. Oh well their loss right? But here's the kicker. I got the "Thanks but no thanks" letter from them. But in that letter, they actually TOLD ME who the candidate was. Who does that?? First off, it made me go "Oh thanks, rub it in that they have something I don't, as if I didn't know". Second, I was like "You know, that's kinda scary - for all they know, I could be a crazy person, and now that I know who got the job, I could go stalk them and kill them and, at least in my mind, get the job". Now don't worry I'm not actually gonna do that. Cause I am not, in fact, a crazy person. But still... technically it could happen... Lastly, it'd be one thing if I had gotten an interview, gone through all the steps, and they told me who the other candidate they went with was. But I didn't. I got cut in the first round. This letter with the girl's info was sent to EVERYONE who applied - all 60+ people in the applicant pool. If I had gotten the job, I don't think I'd be comfortable with that. So yeah.
As for the rest of my life, things are pretty crazy. I'm still working on the book. Still working on the portrait gallery. Trying to survive my classes. OH and I'm planning my parents 30th wedding anniversary celebration (this is the main reason I don't want this on facebook - if anyone reads this and talks to them, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT tell my mom. I want it to be at least a somewhat surprise). It's pretty amazing what can happen. I knew I would be able to figure out how to cover it financially, but I was nervous about how much the cost of planning a party would cut into the cushion I want to have in case I don't have a job in the fall. Then Natchez came along. So not only will I be able to cover Mom and Dad's celebration, BUT I'll still be able to stash away even more than I had thought and be OK should I not have a job in the fall. Isn't it amazing how things can work out like that?
So yeah. Things are good.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Update
So I don't know that anyone read my blog earlier and saw the post I had written about my life being up in the air, and not in a good George Clooney movie way. I deleted it cause it's not exactly the case anymore.
I got my answer. The full time job I had an interview for last month sent me a thanks but no thanks letter. Apparently I was in a pool of 60 qualified applicants and the whole pool's experience and education exceeded their expectations/requirements... and my app was good enough to get past that initial 20 second glance and get a phone interview. That's pretty darn good, especially when you consider this is a job that I didn't think I had any shot at but wanted to stick my hat in the ring anyway. So I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm doing the right thing and I'm on the right track. I've just gotta get past the phone interview to the face to face, and then the offer...
I'm bummed. But surprisingly enough I'm really OK. Seriously. I'm fine. And I'm not saying that because I'm trying to convince myself it's true. I'm saying it cause I'm in shock that it IS true. I thought I'd be really upset with a rejection. But instead I'm just like "Hm. Bummer. Ok whatever."
I think part of it is the fact that I heard from Natchez. Not only have they offered for me to come back for the summer, but they gave me a raise! I won't say how much but it's a really REALLY nice offer. AND my friends from last summer are coming back! AND I already have friends down there! AND I don't have to go through the waiting period of a background check this summer, which took seriously half of my time last summer - 5 weeks, cause it's good for 3-5 years, I can just start when I get down there. Granted it's not a permanent solution. But heck I am not gonna get a better offer on an internship than this! So yeah I'm happy!
So I decided to accept Natchez. Doesn't mean I'm giving up applying for full time jobs. Still looking. Still hoping. But I can't put off a decision on Natchez and more than likely I'm not gonna find a job right after graduation at this point, so better to have something lined up.
So that's my life. I'm pretty good with it.
How are you?
I got my answer. The full time job I had an interview for last month sent me a thanks but no thanks letter. Apparently I was in a pool of 60 qualified applicants and the whole pool's experience and education exceeded their expectations/requirements... and my app was good enough to get past that initial 20 second glance and get a phone interview. That's pretty darn good, especially when you consider this is a job that I didn't think I had any shot at but wanted to stick my hat in the ring anyway. So I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm doing the right thing and I'm on the right track. I've just gotta get past the phone interview to the face to face, and then the offer...
I'm bummed. But surprisingly enough I'm really OK. Seriously. I'm fine. And I'm not saying that because I'm trying to convince myself it's true. I'm saying it cause I'm in shock that it IS true. I thought I'd be really upset with a rejection. But instead I'm just like "Hm. Bummer. Ok whatever."
I think part of it is the fact that I heard from Natchez. Not only have they offered for me to come back for the summer, but they gave me a raise! I won't say how much but it's a really REALLY nice offer. AND my friends from last summer are coming back! AND I already have friends down there! AND I don't have to go through the waiting period of a background check this summer, which took seriously half of my time last summer - 5 weeks, cause it's good for 3-5 years, I can just start when I get down there. Granted it's not a permanent solution. But heck I am not gonna get a better offer on an internship than this! So yeah I'm happy!
So I decided to accept Natchez. Doesn't mean I'm giving up applying for full time jobs. Still looking. Still hoping. But I can't put off a decision on Natchez and more than likely I'm not gonna find a job right after graduation at this point, so better to have something lined up.
So that's my life. I'm pretty good with it.
How are you?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Oscar winners
Alright the much promised and maybe not so anticipated post on the Oscar winners is here!
So the Oscars turned out pretty much how I expected. Here are my thoughts on the winners.
Best Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz
I haven't seen Inglorious Basterds. Well I take that back. I've seen the first few minutes of the first scene. Just up to the point where you see someone hiding under the floor. That's it. Yes I know. I need to see it. Apparently he's amazing in it. He's good in those few minutes. So I'm OK with this.
Best Supporting Actress - Mo'Nique
I'm TOTALLY happy about this! I wasn't a big fan of Precious to be honest. I thought Gabourey Sidibe had her moments of good. But overall I thought the movie was way too depressing and kinda slow. However, that's not true of Mo'Nique. She absolutely MADE that movie. She's a total monster in it but she's FABULOUS. There is definitely no one else that could have played Mary Jones like she did. I say well done baby!
Best Actor - Jeff Bridges
Yeah no surprise. I haven't seen Crazy Heart, at least not more than the first few minutes, but everyone says he's awesome. Friends have said he really does do a fabulous job portraying an alcoholic. So I guess I say he deserved it. Personally I was rooting for Morgan Freeman, who serious WAS Nelson Mandela, or George Clooney who was awesome in Up in the Air. I guess I have to see Crazy Heart to really judge Bridges.
Best Actress - Sandra Bullock.
Hmmm. I dunno. I saw the Blind Side and she's GOOD. I'm not saying she did a horrible job. She was really good in the role. But I don't think she really deserved an Oscar for it, at least not with her competition. I don't know. I just felt like another actresses could have played the role and still done a good job, whereas there were other actresses in the category who you couldn't say that about. Gabourey Sidibe, for example - she may not have been awesome the WHOLE time in Precious but she had her moments and I still say no one else could have played the role the way she did. There were also 2 actresses who truly MADE their movies. Carey Mulligan in An Education - NO ONE else could have played that role, and the movie would not have been as good without her. And of course, Meryl Streep - are you kidding? That woman seriously WAS Julia Child!! The movie definitely, DEFINITELY would have been terrible without Meryl as Julia, at least in my opinion. So to me, the ones who deserve the Oscar are the ones where you can say "Those actresses MADE that movie and no one else could have played that part", not someone who you say "Wow she was good. But she didn't make the movie. Another actress could have played the part".
That said, I absolutely LOVED Sandra Bullock's speech. It was fabulous. As was her dress.
Best Director - Kathryn Bigelow
WOOHOO! I was excited she won. She did a great job directing The Hurt Locker. Plus, Barbara, a former nominee, got to give it to the first woman to ever win Best Director. But here's why I loved it so much. She was sitting right in front of her ex-husband James Cameron. I don't care that their friends. I kept waiting for her to turn around to him and go "SUCK IT" or at the very least get up there and go "I"M QUEEN OF THE WORLD!"
Although it would've been funny to see what James Cameron would do to top "I"m King of the World" in his speech. My bet - "I'm King of ANOTHER World!"
Best Picture - The Hurt Locker
You know I'm really and truly ok/happy with this. I loved Avatar. I thought Avatar was amazing. But The Hurt Locker is a pretty fabulous movie. And it really sticks with you and makes you think. Plus it's nice to see a small movie win over gigantic stuff.
Not to mention I LOVED when the cast got up there and the guys were jumping on each other. So cute :-)
That's my thoughts on the Oscar winners. What do you think?
So the Oscars turned out pretty much how I expected. Here are my thoughts on the winners.
Best Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz
I haven't seen Inglorious Basterds. Well I take that back. I've seen the first few minutes of the first scene. Just up to the point where you see someone hiding under the floor. That's it. Yes I know. I need to see it. Apparently he's amazing in it. He's good in those few minutes. So I'm OK with this.
Best Supporting Actress - Mo'Nique
I'm TOTALLY happy about this! I wasn't a big fan of Precious to be honest. I thought Gabourey Sidibe had her moments of good. But overall I thought the movie was way too depressing and kinda slow. However, that's not true of Mo'Nique. She absolutely MADE that movie. She's a total monster in it but she's FABULOUS. There is definitely no one else that could have played Mary Jones like she did. I say well done baby!
Best Actor - Jeff Bridges
Yeah no surprise. I haven't seen Crazy Heart, at least not more than the first few minutes, but everyone says he's awesome. Friends have said he really does do a fabulous job portraying an alcoholic. So I guess I say he deserved it. Personally I was rooting for Morgan Freeman, who serious WAS Nelson Mandela, or George Clooney who was awesome in Up in the Air. I guess I have to see Crazy Heart to really judge Bridges.
Best Actress - Sandra Bullock.
Hmmm. I dunno. I saw the Blind Side and she's GOOD. I'm not saying she did a horrible job. She was really good in the role. But I don't think she really deserved an Oscar for it, at least not with her competition. I don't know. I just felt like another actresses could have played the role and still done a good job, whereas there were other actresses in the category who you couldn't say that about. Gabourey Sidibe, for example - she may not have been awesome the WHOLE time in Precious but she had her moments and I still say no one else could have played the role the way she did. There were also 2 actresses who truly MADE their movies. Carey Mulligan in An Education - NO ONE else could have played that role, and the movie would not have been as good without her. And of course, Meryl Streep - are you kidding? That woman seriously WAS Julia Child!! The movie definitely, DEFINITELY would have been terrible without Meryl as Julia, at least in my opinion. So to me, the ones who deserve the Oscar are the ones where you can say "Those actresses MADE that movie and no one else could have played that part", not someone who you say "Wow she was good. But she didn't make the movie. Another actress could have played the part".
That said, I absolutely LOVED Sandra Bullock's speech. It was fabulous. As was her dress.
Best Director - Kathryn Bigelow
WOOHOO! I was excited she won. She did a great job directing The Hurt Locker. Plus, Barbara, a former nominee, got to give it to the first woman to ever win Best Director. But here's why I loved it so much. She was sitting right in front of her ex-husband James Cameron. I don't care that their friends. I kept waiting for her to turn around to him and go "SUCK IT" or at the very least get up there and go "I"M QUEEN OF THE WORLD!"
Although it would've been funny to see what James Cameron would do to top "I"m King of the World" in his speech. My bet - "I'm King of ANOTHER World!"
Best Picture - The Hurt Locker
You know I'm really and truly ok/happy with this. I loved Avatar. I thought Avatar was amazing. But The Hurt Locker is a pretty fabulous movie. And it really sticks with you and makes you think. Plus it's nice to see a small movie win over gigantic stuff.
Not to mention I LOVED when the cast got up there and the guys were jumping on each other. So cute :-)
That's my thoughts on the Oscar winners. What do you think?
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