Day 51 - Bombs over Bagdad

I can't even believe all of the stuff that went down today.

First, I misread the schedule and arrived at work at 7:45 AM, and I didn't need to be there until noon. I walked around campus for a little bit and then I went home and took nap and was almost late to the right shift. The messed up part is that my bike lock is on the fritz. I wound up walking to work in the morning because I couldn't unlock it from the porch. I was able to unlock it for the second trip to work, but I couldn't lock it back when I got to work. I had to put the bike in the basement workspace where all the books are shipped and received. At work, I find out that one of the managers is recovering from an adolescent drug problem. I knew he was fidgety but I guess his behavior could be remnants of a bigger problem.

When I go to punch out for lunch, I learn that the apparel staff has a problem with my co-worker, Caitlyn. They are biding their time before they have to "check her". I guess that she never speaks to anybody on the first floor. I didn't know what to say to them when I first started, but I was always cordial. I learned a long time that even if you are shy, it will come off as rude and stuck up, if you don't acknowledge someone in a room. I asked them if they could wait until I talked to her before they pounced, what good could come from confronting her? It is a little ridiculous.

On the career front, there is a part time position at the company that publishes Jet and Ebony magazine in downtown Chicago. I will be applying for that one. Also, Mrs. Julian, the archivist from DuSable responded to my email. She outlined everything that I would need to be familiar with to get the position in the museum archive. I have been looking for structure for 50 days, and she gave me some with one simple email. I will be returning to old school study techniques to get the relevant information into my head. Oh, and Coleman Evans returned to the bookstore to give me the job description for that vacancy in his department. The position looks very overwhelming, I don't know what makes him think that I could handle it. I will have to tweak my resume but I will give it a shot.

Lastly, Rachna calls and tells me that she lost her job today. Remember that she quit her job in Oklahoma and took a pay cut to gain experience at this prestigious lab at the University of Chicago. Her supervisors were not impressed with her work, and eliminated her before her 90 day probation period was over. To complicate matters, she is here on a student visa, if she can't find a job in 15 days, she will be deported to Delhi within 10 days of that deadline. High stakes, no? Of course she was freaking out and crying, so I offered to drive her to get Starbucks, some cigarettes and help her set up the Internet in her apartment. Since Murphy's Law is real, the cable outlet in her apartment is defective, Comcast said that they would send someone out to check on it, on September 19th! After Rachna's desperate pleas and explanations, they offered to send someone earlier but there is no guarantee. Her cat allergy is the only reason she can't do work over here, and she doesn't have any access to the university's library anymore.

I am genuinely sorry for Rachna, she was really trying to make a home for herself here, and to have that option abruptly ripped away is a shame. It does go to show that there are no promises of success in the best laid plans. Taking a risk has felt like a mistake at times, as if I have fallen into a dark cave. Now these little specks of light keep revealing themselves, and it seems like I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I believe that Rachna is a fighter, and she will draw on every connection that she has and something will come through for her.

On a final note, everyday I come through the front door and smell Cheetos. I am wondering where is this elusive bag of Cheetos. The realization clicked today, that is not a cheesy corn chip fragrance, that is the smell of Lauren's funky shoes. It really slaps you in the face, any ideas on how to tactfully address this problem??