Day 14 - Post Graduate Coursework?

I talked to the director of the PhD program at Dominican University for about an hour today. She was telling me about some factors to consider before entering into this commitment. She explained ways for me to tailor the program to address my interest in Archives. She also suggested that I look at the University of Pittsburgh for a similar set up, perhaps with more opportunities for fellowships. I was pretty inspired, and I began to get some balls rolling for my application, ordering test scores and asking for letter of recommendation, etc. Ideally, I would like to find a job that allowed me to practice my archival skills while I am working on my PhD. I like the fact that the faculty at Dominican are flexible and trying to help students find the right fit instead of just focusing on their enrollment numbers. I also have the option to defer admission if I find that the timing isn't right at this point. I wish that I could put in a life order the same way I order Chinese takeout. Mine would include a part time job as an archivist, admission to the PhD program, a diverse group of hip Chicago friends, a nice scholarly boyfriend, and enough discretionary money to visit friends and family around the nation. Aaah, the search for fulfillment continues....

Day 13 - Lovely Day

I started the day with  a bowl of Rice Krispies and plans to meet Rachna at the Hyde Park Street Fair. The fair took up about 5 blocks from 53rd to Lake Park. There was a variety of music and food, along with all kinds of artisans. I saw alot of jewelry that I would have bought, but I fought the impulse. Now is not the time to buy more things that will clutter up my space. The artwork was amazing, my mom would have had a field day. They had LaShun Beal prints, LaShun Beal pictures were all over my Aunt Dorothy, Cleo and Vera's, as well as Grandma Flanagan's homes. Another painting depicted people but they were all different shades of blue, with a random red hat or red scarf scattered within it, was my favorite. Rachna bought 3 wooden wall hangings of a Hindu goddess. Another highlight was a light conversation from a police officer, working as a security guard at the event, his name was Allen. Allen was tearing up some Caribbean food when I sat next to him under the shade. Relax, no romantic sparks..he told me more than I ever I wanted to know about the Chicago Police Department, and which local restaurants to avoid because of health code violations. Apparently, there are places that have been shut down multiple times, but because of who they know, the closure never sticks. Suffice to say, there is no Dirty Dining segment on the news here, to let the public make our own decisions. It was super hot, but hanging out with Rachna and seeing the clever ways that people have found to make a dollar were very entertaining.

Later this afternoon, Lauren and I decided to bike to Northerly Island to check out the Anthony Hamilton and Jill Scott concert. We packed our backpacks with all kinds of snacks and a bottle of moscoto and headed over there around 7:30. The concert venue was outside, so we could hear all of the music from the park on the other side of the venue, for free. A lot of people had this idea and we enjoyed watching people clapping and dancing to their favorite songs, miles away from the source of the music. Biking to the city center at dusk was absolutely breathtaking, the skyline is amazing, I don't think that I will ever get tired of it. We left the concert around 9:30, knowing that we would have to bike back in the dark was not a pleasurable thought. There are areas of the path that are not lit, I didn't like having the water to my left and a dense migratory bird habitat on my right and no clue if there was a rock in my path. Not to mention, Lauren is swift like the wind on her bike, I spent the majority of the ride 50 feet behind her. I had every twisted vision of psychopaths abducting me and throwing me into Lake Michigan, leaving no evidence. I biked my butt off, and returned to Hyde Park without a hitch. Today made me feel like I am achieving the life that I have been dreaming of, it's not beyond my reach.

Day 12 - Arlene and Barbara

Today I volunteered to work the membership table at the DuSable's Movies in the Park program. They were screening Coming to America, that'd be 8 dollars :)Arlene is the volunteer coordinator, she explained everything and invited me to her church. Barbara is a docent, we were working the table together. Barbara's daughter lives in Scottsdale, AZ. Barbara was dressed up for the free "War" concert and she told me about the stepper's set in the neighborhood. I liked Barbara, I just stopped short of getting her number so that I could join her for the next concert. Hopefully I'll see her again and we can kick it. Lauren and Rachna were determined to celebrate part 2 of my birthday, so we picked up Ola and had sushi in Boystown. The northside is so different from the south. The traffic congestion and the demographics are just the start. We stayed there for hours discussing attitudes about homosexuality and hypothetical relationship debacles. Lauren had to take me to pick up my car because I had to park 3 blocks away, I hope that it isn't like this all the time when school is in session.

Day 11 - Maiden Voyage

Today was the Admiral's maiden voyage. I biked 10 miles from Hyde Park to Northwestern University's Law School. Lauren's job was having a summer fiesta and I was invited. They had all kinds of Mexican food in a buffet, plus margaritas and Coronas (alcohol at work, why not?) They played a trivia game and gave out kindles for prizes, not a bad working environment. After that I walked to the movie theater to check out Crazy, Stupid, Love...it was so GOOD. It will join the ranks of The Notebook and Dan in Real Life. I guess Friday is movie day in the city. The bike ride home was a little less strenuous, but I was definitely grateful to be home to eat and sleep. The verdict on biking into the city is, it is doable but I can't do it when my appearance matters. 10 miles one way, even with the breeze from the lake, transformed me into a sweaty mess. I will definitely use the Admiral more often for short trips in my neighborhood. All in all a good day.

Day 10 - The Admiral

I actually drove around outside of my neighborhood today. It is not as bad as I thought it would be. I made my way to Wal-Mart and found my new pride and joy, The Admiral! The Admiral is a white, black and red cruiser/road bike hybrid. It was on a serious discount, and I can't wait to ride it tomorrow. I have to give a shout out the the guy in the parking lot who showed me how to detach the front wheel, and helped me get it in the car. I also found a mall to wander around. I didn't buy anything frivolous, unless you call a portable steamer frivolous... I look at is as an investment, no more irons for me. I have stayed up late submitting a job application to Planned Parenthood. They have an archivist position that sounds pretty perfect, we'll see how that goes. Oh, and I met my roommate's mom, Mrs. Richardson. She was very friendly and complimented me on being so brave to move away from home. Then she asked when I would be finding a job at the Museum of Science and Industry, so that she can get free admission. I hope that she is not holding her breath on that one.

Day 9 - Photobook

My birthday present from my infinitely generous sister arrived today. It is a photobook of our amazing trip from Phoenix to Chicago a few weeks ago. The last page is a list of the 14 most memorable moments, including the 5 hour stretch across Colorado when the A/C went out...it came back before we stopped in Sterling, CO that night. I will put it on my bookshelf next to my well worn copy of Emily Griffin's Something Borrowed. I had my meeting with Samip from the South Asian Digital Archive today, he was very cool. He was telling me about the initiative, they are collecting any and all information about South Asian immigrants to the US. There is no other organization with this type of collection, so their work is pretty ground breaking. I am supposed to be thinking of which specific tasks I would like to be involved with and we'll meet again next week. I called the U of C bookstore to check the status of my application and I have an interview next Tuesday. In college I never thought I'd be that person behind the counter, going to find the textbook for BIO 225 or empathizing with students about a professor's insistence on the new edition, which costs twice as much as the used one. I'll keep my fingers crossed that this one will come through. My roommate sent me a few job postings, I'm going to take it as a sign of her supportiveness and not a growing concern that a stranger is lounging around her house all day.

Last night at Leona's with Lauren and Rachna!