So today I found out that I can't work this week - just like last week - and two weeks in late June/early July. I'm sure glad these people feel like they can jerk me around and just have me not come in to work...I didn't really need the money (***note excessive sarcasm***). So instead of packing (we have to exchange my new luggage because it has a hole in it) I've been sitting around reading and watching the 9/11 coverage. Call me sappy, but this whole thing is really touching to me. So many people lost so much and we out here in the west were so seemingly isolated. All we had was the news, and for a long time they didn't know much of what was going on. The closest thing we had to a skyscraper to be worried about was the Space Needle, but honestly, who's going to blow up the Space Needle? We were so removed it's almost as if we had to *try* to be sympathetic with the people that lost family and friends 5 years ago. I didn't know anyone who died that day and I think that made me try harder to feel sorry for others who did lose a loved one. I try really hard to identify with the people whose lives were profoundly changed on that day, but I don't think there's a way I can understand the fear, grief, anger, and whatever else those people are/were feeling. It's been interested talking to people at Northwestern who were in bigger cities at the time of the attacks. The people in Chicago who were watching the Sears Tower with fear. The people who lived in/around NYC who knew multiple people that died that day. In a way, I feel like I was in a different country than they were on 9/11/01, but when I watch the media coverage like I have been today, I realize that TV and the internet has brought me so much closer to the tragedy than I could have been when Pearl Harbor was attacked, for instance. I suppose I should thankful for that, even though they can be biased.

God Bless everyone who was touched by the tragic events of 9/11

mood: touched

So remember when I said a while back that I hoped my summer would calm down once I got a schedule going? Yeah...not happening. Mostly, I'm not getting into a schedule. Every week is different - aggravated by the fact that I just switched who I am researching for and now I have to actually go in to work, but on different times everyday. Basically, it's impossible for me to schedule anything more than a day or two in advance now. Very frustrating for someone so anal-retentive as me. The good part of researching for this other guy is that I think I'll be on any journal articles he wrote too, which means two publications for me this summer! Yay!

The worst part of running around like a crazy woman is that I don't get to see the boy very much :( With me tutoring from 6-7pm (right after he gets off work at 5) there's not really time for me to see him each day unless it's 8:00 at night or I go meet him for a short lunch. Now with the new crazy job, most of my lunch hours are totally messed up because there are interviews I have to conduct most days between 11 and 1. Grrrr. The boy is going back to school in 2 weeks and I feel like I haven't had much time with him this summer.

....other than the last week. I drove with the boy and his family to their family reunion near Brainerd, MN. That's right. 40 hours in a car with the boy and his family. Actually, it was really fun. I like his nuclear family a lot and I found out his extended family is pretty cool too. They're the most musically talented bunch of people I have ever met. It was kind of intimidating, especially when the boy and I had to perform in the talent show. All went well, though, and I somehow refrained from killing the boy's youngest brother.

Despite the chaos here and feeling like this summer is going way too fast (don't even ask me how much crap I have going on in the next couple of weeks) I am looking forward to going back to E-town. I've decided to embrace Chicago/college life to the fullest this year and I hope those of you at NU with me will help!

That's all for now - I have to go take a test and then go into work. Ta-ta

mood: crazy

I just got back from my first major excursion of the summer - Orcas Island. It was great to get back over there. My family and I used to go every year when I was in elementary school, but it's slowed down to every couple of years now. The last time I went was before college. It was nice to be in that laid-back environment again, but after a couple of days I was ready to be home. The boy came with me (in addition to my parents and the people we stay there with) so that was nice, but he fell on the beach and ground up his knee pretty good on some barnacles. He probably won't ever have hair on that knee again...

In other news, the guy that I'm researching for told me today that I'm pretty much done with what he has for me to do with his project. Since I signed a contract until Sept 15, though, he's going to try to find stuff for me to do with other people around. Also (and much more excitingly) he offered to let me be a co-author on the paper that I've been collecting data for. That means that when I'm back at NU I'll be doing lit searches and helping him do some of the researching/writing/proofing/rewriting some of the actual paper.....AND I'll get a journal co-authorship!!! Major brownie points for me on my resume!!!

I think that's pretty much all for now.



Oh yeah - my mom is kinda getting on my nerves......a lot.

mood: bouncy music: Springtime for Hitler - The Producers

So long since I last posted...over a month if I remember right. Since then I said goodbye to my senior friends, packed up all my stuff, left PARC for the last time, flew across the country, moved into my new house, and embarked on "summer". The most summery part about has been the weather (which has been very nice for the past week and a half or so). I'm working as a research assistant part time, taking two classes, tutoring a 5th grader in reading, and helping organize a drum corps show/competition. Oh yeah, and I'm trying to fit in seeing my boyfriend that I don't get to see all year and taking some personal time. The personal/relaxing time isn't working well so far. Maybe after the corps show is done (July 9th at CV at 7:00pm for those of you in Spokane) things will get better? For now I'm just plugging along, hoping I'll get into some sort of groove and things will calm down. We'll see.....

mood: exhausted

So I'm currently sitting in Pick-Staiger on Dillo Day - go me. It's 80-some degrees outside and I'm stuck inside a large concrete building with sound panels that tend to fall. I swear, I'm really not bitter...especially considering the $200 paycheck I got yesterday (which, of course, has to go to summer school costs).

Honestly, though, my shift hasn't been all that bad. I've written a 5-page paper, eaten some food, and seen some drunken friends go by. All-in-all, it hasn't been as bad as it could have been. I just hope people are still up for doing stuff tonight, aka they aren't too drunk to stand up.

mood: stuck

Yes, yes, I know, I don't post nearly often enough. I'm sorry. Life has been busy, but good, I would say. I still haven't heard from U Penn, but I probably should within the week. Either way I think I'm going to stay here, though.

Pretty much all of my friends are home and doing fun stuff - that makes me pretty sad - especially because it's been like 90 degrees at home this week :( I'm super excited that we only really have one more week of classes left. Yay! Oddly enough, the weirdest thing about being done with the year is that I'm going to pack up all my stuff. That just seems incredibly weird this year - like it's not time to move or something. Maybe it's because we had the same layout in the room all year (unlike last year) so it seems more permanent? I really don't know what it is, it just seems really odd that I'm going to be packing up pretty soon...

In other news, I need a summer job.

I got to play with lots of beads today. Twas very fun and I have two new pairs of earrings and two new necklaces. Yay for 25% off sales O:-)

Tonight we had our SAI Monkey dinner. It was quite wonderful to spend time with those people that I don't get to see very often.

My roommate and a friend from down the hall (Wheezy) are playing the song "Peaches" for me.

And that's all I have to say about that.

mood: amused

Wow - for not being a music major in, I sure do manage to fill up my time somehow. We're officially 1/2 done with spring quarter at NU and that makes me really happy...even though most of my friends are either already home or will be home in a week or two. I'm just going to keep myself isolated in the NU bubble in that sense, and not let myself realize that it sucks that I'm still here. I'm really not all that opposed to being here, though. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous for the past two weeks in an uncharacteristically Chicago spring/early summer.

In nursing news, it's looking more and more like I'm going to be staying at Northwestern. The problem now is making sure I can get the stuff I need for grad schools while still fulfilling all the NU requirements and not spending a fortune. Good luck to me.

I suppose that's all for now. I'm really looking forward to seeing all you Spokanites when I get home in 5 1/2 weeks!!!

KT

mood: cheerful