planning ahead

Today a girl came in to the Writing Center who didn't want to be there. Her professor had told her to come, so she came, but she had no idea what we really did or what sort of help to ask for. Tutoring sessions like this are the hardest to deal with, no matter the quality of the writing. I'll take the worst writer in the world who actually wants to improve over an average student who has been forced to come. Interestingly enough, my other session today was with a girl whose professor was offering extra credit to students who came to us for help. The attitude was better with this one, so I really didn't mind, but I have to wonder what professors are thinking when they make assignments like this. Have they told their students what the Writing Center does, or do they just assume every student already knows about us? More importantly, do the professors all realize what it is we do here? The other tutor and I opted for signing the draft that was brought in as proof the student had been there, since we have no other way of letting professors know who has been in and who hasn't. I think it would have been better if professors had warned the Writing Center that their students were going to be required to come in, just so we could be ready for the sudden influx and demand for evidence.

Not that this is a new experience for me. Occasionally, the USF WC was treated the same way. However, the system here has been a bit more professional with most other things thus far, and I had hoped the trend would continue. Obviously not. Look for a future post with more information on how the WC operates. I know at least two of my readers would find it interesting, but I don't want to take the time for that today.

I'm actually at work at the WC right now. My 3:00 appointment was canceled, so I should be free for the rest of my shift to get my own homework done. Right now I am staring at a very long list of things to do for next week. Most of the work will be done on Saturday, since tomorrow is essentially full, with eight hours at my internship and the dorm Halloween party in the evening.

We've been getting ready for the party since last week. Last Friday we began decorating the main lounge, and more decorations have been added since. On Tuesday I went on a shopping trip with my fellow hall council members to get supplies for this and future parties. As treasurer, I probably should have paid more attention to exactly what we were getting, but it was hard enough keeping track of the five people, let alone what went into the cart. Still, going slightly over budget on this trip isn't such a problem, since some of the supplies we bought are for the Christmas party, and therefore from our larger budget. Our RD drove us to a Christmas Shop store about a half hour away, and then to a grocery store on the way back. It's a very good thing we didn't try to take the train for this trip, because we managed to completely fill the trunk of the car with what we bought and had trouble getting it all into the dorm in one trip when we got back. We bought serving trays, decorations, plates and napkins, candy--all kinds of great stuff. The Christmas Shop is a great store that has way more than just Christmas stuff. I actually did a little shopping of my own and picked up a fleece throw blanket for only $3. Good times.

The same day as our shopping trip my evening class was preempted by an archivist's career panel on campus. It was actually very helpful, even though I won't be looking for a real job for quite a while yet. However, I learned some things that should help me present myself better when I apply for summer internships. Yes, I'm already thinking about that. One that I've heard of already (through Harvard and actually funded, so I wouldn't be going broke for it) has an application deadline in January, so I've got to be working on it. I'd really like to do this one, and not only because the stipend would cover my living expenses for the summer. It's through Harvard, which sounds impressive (until you realize that Harvard is so huge, the number of students they are forced to employ makes the distinction rather more mellow for those who live here), and it's museum work. I would be working at their archeology and ethnography museum preserving hand-drawn maps and other paper documents. I think it sounds fun. And guess what? The archivist who I would be working under was at the career panel. So now I know what sort of resume and cover letter should get her attention. Now I just need to get my references in order and visit the Career Resource Center so they can show me how to put together a CV and tell me whether I have anything worth mentioning in one.

-Kim

the best weekend

This past weekend was a much needed break from school. Well, mostly. I still had my Saturday morning class, in which I actually had to give a short presentation, but as soon as that was over I got to leave my school books behind and spend my weekend with Sherwin, who came all the way out here from South Dakota just to spend time with me. This long-distance relationship thing really is hard sometimes, and we needed a little face time to remind ourselves why we thought this idea was worth pursuing. At least, I needed to be reminded--all this stress and schoolwork can be terribly distracting, after all. And yes, he is worth the trouble.


So besides spending hours gazing into the eyes of the amazing Sherwin Gilbert, I used this opportunity to play tourist and dragged him all over this city that is my temporary home. Okay, we didn't cover the whole city, barely a fraction of it, but it was enough for a good taste. On Saturday we wandered through the Boston Public Gardens, which would be even more beautiful in the springtime, I'm sure, but the fall foliage made an impression as well. This park is home to the semi-famous Make Way For Ducklings statue, which we had a bit of fun with.


This next photo is just a city street, taken from the vantage point of some church steps. The city is beautiful at any time of day, but I think dusk is especially enchanting.


Sunday was sunny, and after attending service at Park Street Church, we walked the first half of the Freedom Trail and took in some Revolutionary history. Don't think I'm morbid or anything, but I especially enjoy the old cemeteries and all the old tombstones.


All in all, it was an amazing weekend, a great chance to have some fun and catch up with each other again. I haven't been happier since coming out here. Of course, now I miss him even more, but it's really only a few more weeks before winter break.

Which reminds me, even though I took the weekend off, the rest of the world didn't. I am now entering the truly busy part of the semester, and will be devoting even more time to my studies in order to get all my work done. When I find time, details will follow.

-Kim

Writer's Block

The veracity of the above statement may be debatable, considering how often I blog now in comparison to months past. After all, blogging is writing. But it's not the only sort of writing that I want to be doing.

The Friday right before my Jersey trip I met up with my friend Caleb for the first time in almost a year. He's been traveling through South America having a grand old time while I graduated USF and came out here. We could only get together for about two hours because of my schedule, but that was enough time to go to a little coffee shop in Cambridge and catch up. He has some amazing stories about his travels. And, somehow he was productive at the same time, coming back here with drafts of short stories and novels, character sketches and plans for more books. I've got to admit, I'm kinda jealous. My first book has been done for quite some time now and is still being rejected (I got another rejection two weeks ago from an agency Dianna suggested), but for some reason I have been unable to get any momentum going on the sequel. And I don't have anything else to work on, either. It's a total dry spell. Sometimes that bothers me, and sometimes I figure getting through grad school is more important anyway, so I shouldn't worry about it.

I started writing this post ages ago. I meant to publish it before I went to Jersey, but that obviously didn't happen. And guess what? I got another rejection letter today. That makes 13 official rejections so far and about as many who just never responded. At least this one came on nice stationery. And now I get to find a new agent to be rejected by. On the bright side, not having an agent means nobody is pushing me to get the sequel written so it's ready to go when this first one proves to be wildly popular.

I've actually been thinking lately of moving in a different direction. Since coming out to Boston I've encountered the seeds of a few ideas, but they're more of a sci-fi bent than fantasy. Still, it would be fun to try. If I every get spare time again we'll see how that works out. I've decided to do my reference final project on the science fiction and fantasy genres, which should give me a chance to do personal research in the process of completing the assignment. We're supposed to create a "pathfinder" for our chosen topic and share it with the class. Essentially, this means finding every resource in the library related to my topic and creating a snazzy list, as well as using library resources to choose new books that our library doesn't have but should consider purchasing to provide more coverage on the topic. It's due on the last day of class, so there's no way I'm starting it yet--all my other big projects are due before Thanksgiving. Still, it's something I could do little by little. And when I'm checking out the sources to see how much information they provide, I'll be taking my own notes on what is already out there and just how my new idea would fit in. Perhaps by Christmas I could try writing something? We'll have to wait and see.

-Kim

spam and pie

It's been quite the weekend. And when I say "weekend" I mean the last four days--there's just not a better way to refer to it. On Friday I made my way to the library around noon and stayed there until dinner time. And yes, I spent all this time working on a single reference assignment, the same one that sent me to the Dead People Server on Thursday. Actually, no, I also spent some time working on my technology project. Each member of my technology class has been assigned a"tech. term" to define and share with the class in the form of a wiki page and short presentation. Guess what word I'm doing? "Blogging." How sweet is that? I barely had to do research. Building the wiki page took quite a bit of time, though, since I included links to various professional blogs and blogging services as well as sharing the history and impact of blogging. I would provide a link, but only my classmates have access to the site. Friday night I was a total nerd and played both Scrabble and Settlers of Catan with a couple of my neighbors. Good times.

Saturday was also spent at the library. I find I get more done there than in my own room, not to mention the fact that most of my reference homework requires me to physically access the reference section. Anyway, my technology class Saturday morning was short because of our midterm, so I got the the library by 10:30. And yes, I stayed there all day, with only two short breaks. I left around 7:00, when my eyes were going too fuzzy to focus on my archives research.


Sunday was a glorious break. After church I took a walk around town to scope out some of the spots I want to visit next weekend with Sherwin (he'll be here in four days!). In the process, I discovered a used book shop that is full to the ceiling, but not organized terribly well. Even so, I spent a good bit of time there. And I passed a small theater that gets traveling Broadway shows. Apparently "Spamalot" is going to be in town the weekend before Thanksgiving. I'm currently trying to get a group together to go. Tickets won't be cheap, but I think I'm allowed one big indulgence for the semester. Besides, it's cultural (*wink*). The rest of my afternoon and evening were spent ding absolutely nothing. I had tea and watched pointless television and just took a break. That was the point of locking myself in the library the previous days, after all.

Monday was another full day at my internship. My first project is almost completely done now. I typed up a draft of a finding aid, and I will be editing it on Friday. Yes, Friday. My schedule now consists of two full days a week, meaning that I will complete me required hours by the beginning of November. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in my class who will be done so soon. So for the next two weeks I'm extra busy, but after that I'll have even more time for my semester projects, which seems like a good idea. You know, I think I really might be able to do this archival thing as a career. Even though I spent eight hours on the job yesterday, it didn't feel long. Of course, it helps that the entire staff had a tea and pie break in the middle of the afternoon, which is an uncommon occurrence. Still, it's the documents, not the pie, that keep me excited to spend time there.

-Kim

Out on the river, and through the woods...

In the past four years, Columbus Day has never once helped me out at all. Since USF didn't take the holiday off, it was just another day (and Native American Day at that, thanks to South Dakota deciding to be ultra-sensitive). But this year, it mattered. I don't have a class on Monday to be canceled, but I do have my internship. And guess what? The library was closed for the holiday, so I had a long weekend--long enough to head down to New Jersey to go sailing with my aunt Myrlene and uncle Eric.

It's great to have at least some family nearby. Granted, it took six hours on a train and then another hour by car to get from Boston to their house, but that's still relatively close as compared to, oh, say South Dakota. Here is my weekend excursion, told in photos.



First, the train ride. I'd just like to say that all of New England is beautiful. And so is rural New Jersey, for that matter, I just didn't get any pictures of it. My Amtrak train, while not necessarily the cheapest travel option, was an incredibly comfortable and easy way to make the trip from Boston to NJ. It took six hours, but my seat was comfy and there was an outlet to plug in my computer. I ended up not using my laptop much on the way out (I didn't do homework at all until the return trip, but don't worry, it all worked out). Instead I spent my time looking out the window and finishing the latest Terry Pratchett while listening to show tunes on my iPod.


Again, the countryside is absolutely beautiful. You can't see fall nearly this well in the city. I feel it, though--the weather is getting a lot chillier lately.


This river was somewhere halfway between Boston and NYC. I'm pretty sure we were passing through Connecticut at the time.


The train pulled into Trenton precisely on time, just before 9:00pm. Aunt Myrlene and Uncle Eric were at the platform waiting for me. It was hard to tell how long the drive from Trenton to Bayville took. We stopped about halfway there to have a late dinner at a country diner that had antler chandeliers and live music performed by a guy in a corner with an acoustic guitar. Sadly, my camera was in the car at the time...

On Sunday Eric and I skipped church (even though Myrlene is the pastor!) to compete in a sail boat race. Have any of you boaters in my readership been in an official race before? This one was pretty short, but it was fun to have the experience of trying to time everything just right to reach the starting line when the final buzzer sounded. And boy did Eric keep us busy! (Eric's friend Igan was on the boat as well--I went sailing with two old men) We tacked so often I barely had a chance to take any pictures. I was in the role of "winch wench," cranking in the jib every time we tacked, so my arms were pretty tired by the end of the day. The one photo from this first race shows the sad fact that we were in the rear of the pack the whole way. (By the way, this was all on the Toms River and partly in the bay, never all the way out to the ocean--that would take to long for a race)


After the race we came back to the yacht club for lunch. Here's part of the dock where we tied up the boat. Eric tells me that the Toms River Yacht Club is the second or third oldest in North America. I find that rather impressive.


After lunch we ran the second race. Sadly, we didn't do too well in this one either, though it was much closer. Myrlene was able to join us for this second race, which gave us another set of hands to share the work, and gave me more chances to take photos. Here you can see half the fleet coming back toward us long before we reached the buoy that was our goal. Their sails are spread to catch as much wind as possible because they are traveling with the wind. It's actually slower, and it feels like you aren't moving at all when you sail this way, because you can only move at the speed of the wind. Also, it makes the sails look like pope hats--it's a fleet of underwater popes!


Before we reached the buoy and turned around to head back toward the starting/finishing line, we decided to change sails. Myrlene and I got to go up to the bow and get everything ready, and when Eric let down the working jib, the genoa was all ready to go up. We lost very little time during the process and made up quite a bit of ground. The only problem with the genoa is that it's so big it's hard to see around from the wheel. to deal with this, Myrlene took up her position watching for other boats on the water.


We really did make up some distance on the other boats. Just look how close we are to catching the two in this next photo. The wind was really lightening up, though, and not helping at that moment.


After the race there was a cocktail party and an award ceremony. In spite of the fact that we were the last boat back in both races, we were awarded 8th place out of nine qualifying boats. Apparently there are time adjustments in sailing races that worked out in our favor. Usually Eric does better--last week he came in third. Afterward, we had to sail the boat back to tha marina, but the wind was nearly dead. So we made very slow progress. I was at the wheel so Eric and Igan could put away all three sails we had been using, so the extra time was actually helpful for them. And our progress was so gentle, I had time to photograph the gorgeous sky. This photo doesn't even do justice to how purple the sky was.


And in the other direction, the sky looked like this. It's better in real life, with the motion of the water throwing the light in all directions. The ripples were throwing roads of orange across the water, and pushing them away into the black. Sigh...


The next day I made friends with the chickens. Well, I fed them, at least. Have you ever had a chicken peck seeds out of your hand? It was an entertaining experience. Here's rooster, slighly less regal since his tail hasn't grown back since his most recent round of molting.


And here's Gracie, a wonderfully sweet dog who woke me up both mornings with a wet nose and a doggy kiss. If I had wanted to be up that early, I wouldn't have minded so much. Still, she's a very good dog, so we took her out to play to make up for the fact that she hadn't been able to come racing with us. On a normal day, Gracie would go out on the boat, but racing is a little too demanding to have that extra distraction on deck.


At a little park on the bay, we made friends with a seagull. And by "made friends" I mean Gracie didn't scare it away.



This story is rather animal heavy, isn't it? This last photo is a cormorant that has taken up residence in the pond at Myrlene's church (Morning Star Presbyterian Church). We stopped out there before lunch because last time I was out to visit, the landscaping hadn't been finished.


We had lunch at the Sand Castle Diner, a favorite place of Myrlene and Eric's. After that it was time to get me back to the train station in Trenton. We arrived to discover that my train was going to be an hour late. Although, we were told that sometimes trains aren't quite as late as posted, so we went down to wait on the train platform. Train stations are much nicer than airports for seeing someone off--Myrlene and Eric were able to wait down there with me until my train finally came in and took me away.

The ride back was a bit different than the ride out. There were actually more distractions, but I was determined to get my paper written (it was due the next evening). Somehow, in spite of the fact that I was constantly distracted by random conversations and the cheesy violence of "Rambo" on a computer screen across the aisle, I got a draft done in less than four hours. I even impressed myself. The train pulled into the station at 11:30, and I caught the subway back to campus with no trouble. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but there was actually a good number of normal people out at that hour.

The rest of the week has also been a big push to get through homework, but I'm glad I took the weekend off to go to Jersey. Breaks are essential, and spedning time with family and time on the water was a great restorative for my soul. Being back in the city on Tuesday, I was struck again by how loud it is here, and the fact that it often smells funny. I guess I had just gotten used to it, but spending time in a rural area for a few days had reminded me what the world can be like if it isn't all paved and crowded.

-Kim

I see dead people...online

It may be bad form to write a post about something random before posting on my weekend trip to New Jersey, but this simply had to be shared. In my reference class we're focusing on different types of reference sources every week, and right now my assignment is focused on biographical sources. Most of them are generic and straightforward, but one is rather unique. Here's what it says about itself:

"The Dead People Server is a database of interesting celebrities who are long dead or newly dead. They may be "retired" or spaced. DPS tells you who has really Rung Down the Curtain and Joined the Choir Invisible, and who's Just Resting. To help the terminally confused, I've built a Quash Those Death Rumors page."

Our assignment was to browse through the lists of who had died in certain years, and list five who we considered "famous." A few of the entries I chose made me sad, because I was reminded that so many amazing authors, artists and actors are no longer with us--Isaac Asimov, Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss. But the longer I searched, the more names I recognized, the more I wanted to keep searching. It became morbidly fascinating. Check it out--you'll see what I mean.

Dead People Server

I think the most interesting part of this whole thing is that this site was given to me as a credible source for research. I suppose it's pretty accurate, but the way the site is built, they really don't take themselves that seriously...

-Kim

I love getting mail

Twice this week I have been blessed with surprise packages from people. I think there is nothing better for making a person feel loved when far away from home than taking the time to send something. Phone calls are great, too, but packages take planning.

The first one came on Tuesday. It was from Kevin, but I wasn't able to determine that until after I found the packing slip with the gift message, as the box had been shipped from ThinkGeek. He sent me a bookworm! A yellow, plush bookworm that is adorable. In fact, it falls into the category of "so ugly it's cute." I don't know if you've ever seen anything like that, but trust me, there are a lot of little animals that belong in the category. My bookworm, Skushi, is one of those creatures.

The second package came today. I was incredibly surprised to see the email from the mail room telling me to come pick it up, especially since there was no indication of the sender, as there sometimes is. This box was from a group of amazing USF-ers (pronounced "us-furs"). So Ashley, Dustin, Lauren, Liberty, Liessman and Sherwin, thank you! Even more than the chocolate and other munchies inside the box, seeing those names on the return address label really made my day.

It's good to have friends.

-Kim

Mushroom Princess

I have joined the ranks of the mushroom people. After traipsing around last week in the rain and getting very wet and almost sick, I decided to order rain boots from target.com. Today, they finally arrived. Now that I'm prepared, it probably won't rain again for a while, but I am so ready!

Behold the awesomeness of my rain boots!



-Kim

recent distractions

For your reading and listening pleasure, here are a few things that have entertained me in the last few weeks and either kept me from working or maintained my sanity, depending on how you choose to look at it.

Some of you may have already read this post from Stuff Christians Like (a site linked on the sidebar, if you hadn't noticed), but it's worth sharing again. I know USF isn't technically a "Bible College," but as a Christian institution, it has a similar stigma, so the idea should resonate with all of you.

#403 Stuff Christians Like/Stacey From Louisville Cooperative for the Preservation of the Integrity of Bible College Love Super Quiz 2008

And for the library nerd that I am, I couldn't read this entry on Timothy McSweeney's without sharing.

Dudes, Did You See the Library They've Got Here?

And I found new music I like, by a Scottish singer-songwriter named Ally Kerr. I actually found him because they use his "Sore Feet Song" as the theme song of an anime I've watched a few episodes of online. It's good music. You can check it out here.

My morning, Stuff Christians Like style

Have you ever choked on communion wine? It's pretty much the most awkward thing that can happen in church. Well, maybe not the most awkward, but it's pretty high up there. Well, it happened to me today. You wouldn't think it would be possible to choke on the tiny amount of grape juice they put in those little finger cups, but somehow I managed it. I'm pretty sure it just went down the wrong pipe.

It probably wouldn't have happened except that I was trying to hurry. I know, I know, the Lord's Supper isn't supposed to be about speed, but when you're in a large church service and you suddenly realize that sitting in the middle row has backfired and made you the last to receive the elements because of a weird process that involves passing the plates in the front and back at the same time, you tend to panic and worry that you're holding up the service for everyone else who has already finished communing and wants to go home for lunch and a football game. Maybe this means I'm too self-conscious, but the pressure to be quick is there. So instead of sipping politely my thimble serving of juice, I quaffed the blood of Christ like people take shots in the movies and passed the plate as quickly as possible. Maybe that fits under partaking in an unworthy manner or something, because it didn't work out so well.

But what could I do about it? The whole church was quietly reverent, and I had the irresistible need to cough. It's bad enough coughing during any other part of the service, but at least then people assume it's because you're sick, not because you got communion juice down your windpipe. But the coughing was unavoidable. At least I didn't notice any of the ushers giving me weird looks. Next time I'll try to make sure that doesn't happen.

As long as we're on the topic, is it bad that I was temporarily distracted by the form of bread they gave us? I've had communion at several different churches, and they all do it slightly different, but this was a first. The break came by in rounded cubes about the size of sugar cubes and was kind of chewy. It was also sweet, and i spent most of the time waiting for the cup to come trying to figure out what it tasted like. The closest thing I can come up with is a scone, like the plain ones Dianna made last year.

You know, the whole service today kind of baffled me. The text was Zechariah 8, but he kept going back to chapter 7 and not really covering anything new. Now the pastor's position on fasting is more clear to me, but we didn't really cover any new ground. Apparently he felt the need to recover the material in response to congregational comments after his sermon two weeks ago. Well, they can't be winners every time.

Next week I'll be at my aunt Myrlene's church in Bayville, NJ. I'm really looking forward to that trip. I'll only be with them for a couple of days, but time spent with family is always well spent.

-Kim

Orchestra

Last night was the first rehearsal of the Colleges of the Fenway Orchestra, of which I am now a member. I had my audition two weeks ago, and it took all of one minute for the director to make up her mind about me. Everyone got the same treatment, I'm pretty sure. But she must have been impressed, because I am now playing first violin for the first time since high school. Granted, I've only had one year of playing in a real orchestra between high school and now, but it still feels rather odd to suddenly be one of "them" again. I'm sitting at the last stand in the section, but I'm the outside player, which means my stand partner has to turn the pages (good for me--I hate that job) and I am completely exposed to the audience.

It took forever to get rehearsal started, what with sorting out music and seating and all of the complications of a first rehearsal. We've apparently double in size from last year to a nice 70 member group. The music is going to be tough to get ready for our November 20 concert (take not Katie, are you free that day?). We're playing Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito, and Georges Bizet's "L'Arlesienne" Concert Suite. I think our spring program will be a little lighter--I've been told last year they played the theme form Star Wars.

Of course, now that I have a group to play in again, I need to look at taking better care of my instrument. Apparently the trip out here and change in climate was not good for my bow--I lost five hairs last night alone just in tightening the bow to play. And I lost two more the last time I had it out to practice. But, there's got to be a place in Boston that can re-hair it for me. I just need to do a little research. I also dropped my rosin on the floor, but there's a big enough chunk left that it should last me quite some time, so I don't think I'll be replacing that just yet.

Rehearsal felt long, even though it was almost an hour shorter than it will usually be, just because of our delayed start. I haven't played that much all at once for a few months. I guess I'll have to work on getting my stamina back if I'm going to make it all the way through Beethoven. At least it's fun. Last night we pretty much just read all three pieces without going back to work on the trouble spots. The point was just to get a feel for the music so we can practice on our own. Our director even took it all pretty fast, even though we were sight reading. There is no "tempo de learno" here, apparently. Still, since we've only got six rehearsals before the concert, it makes sense to just push forward. It'll be hard work, but it will be worth it.

-Kim