zzzzz….

Kind of a long-time with no writing. The thing is, I’ve cheated on this blog with another. I decided, after all, to do a more anonymous blog for school. Hopefully most of you received an e-mail from me with the new link. I can’t post it here and keep the anonymity thing going, so if you want to know the address of my new site, either a) email me or b) leave a comment with at least your first name and e-mail address (when you try to comment it should prompt you for that anyway) and I will send you the new link. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this site. There are so many memories, interesting discussions and (for me anyway) meaningful writing experiences that go along with this blog. I guess for now it will be sleeping…. nighty night.

orientation

I’m here. Waiting for things to start, sitting with another girl who also feels uncomfortable with the level of simultaneous schmoozing and social discomfort in the room. It’s good people-watching, but it’s bizarre to think I will spend the next 3 years with these people. Gah!!?

Monday came so quickly

Well, my time off is officially over. I’m off to Madison today to get organized in my apartment before orientation starts tomorrow.

Last night I lay awake wondering how I was going to live off this loan check for the next four months. That is probably the scariest part of this whole thing for me. Those of you who know me in real life probably realize I am not naturally thrifty. I’ve been trying to prepare myself for the adjustment to not spending money but it’s really hard for me. I just have to do it. No shopping, no eating out, no lattes, etc.

Once I get in the swing of classes I’ll likely be too overwhelmed with reading to even consider spending money.

On that depressing note, off to get ready to leave!

hump day of week off

Weeks off are a thing of beauty. Monday morning I biked to the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum downtown to meet my friends Sara & Matt, Adrianne, Adrianne’s mom Patty and her sister Suzanne and their respective children, Avi, Aaron and Montana. I considered bringing my precocious nephew Carlos but thought I might be too out of breath from chasing him around for three hours to actually talk to my old friends. It was really fun to watch the kids interact though. Great museum too….

Monday afternoon I ran some errands and went to the beach. I don’t think I have ever been to Bradford Beach, or any Milwaukee beach for that matter. Lake Michigan is still polluted, and the water didn’t look (or smell) too appealing, but they’ve cleaned up the beach and it was quite pleasant to hang out there reading “A Civil Action” and banishing a tiny bit of the whiteness from my legs.

I’ve spent many hours reading “A Civil Action” which is required for my Civil Procedure class. It’s actually quite an interesting book, and I’m rather enjoying all this reading. It’s been a while since I had hours and hours to devote to a book. Usually I read my books slowly unless I am on vacation, when I will tear through several novels in a week.

Yesterday I started sanding those pesky stairs, which really didn’t take so long with my trusty sanding mouse.

Then I went to get primer for the stairs. Painting the front of the stairs is way more annoying than sanding. I estimate I will finish this job a day or two before classes start. Not so fun.I also played around in my garden. I have a lot of spotted leaves on two of my tomato plants, which makes me very sad, but I don’t have time to worry about it besides trying to remove all the spotted parts.

Today I slept too late, read some more of my book, signed up for university health insurance (shockingly quick and easy) went to get my hair cut and made chicken nachos for dinner. Today I was pretty lazy actually.

Tomorrow Fermin is taking off from work. Besides the day he threw out his back earlier this summer, he has not called in or missed a day. He just told me that he told his supervisor, “I have stuff to do tomorrow.” Hmm… normally, this might make me nervous, but I’ve heard that at least two other employees there have repeatedly no-call, no-showed for days at a time and still kept their jobs. At least he was honest and gave a day’s notice?

The whole idea of him taking a day off happened when we ate at our favorite Thai restaurant the other week and heard our favorite waitress mention their lunch buffet to someone. Our ears perked up, then we realized we have jobs and lives and can’t lunch together on the south side. Then I realized it was almost my week off, so I could indeed lunch. Then he decided he would take a day off during my off week. All in the name of lunch. The buffet at the Thai restaurant better be good. Well, it will be good to spend the day together too.

So, just wanted to check in. More news later this week.

countdown

Well, this is a pretty lame countdown because tomorrow is already my last day of work. It’s exciting and a little scary, mostly because I have worked, with a few traveling breaks, since I was 15. I am required to take 17 credits first semester, so no working.

In any case, I am really looking forward to next week off. I’ve already planned a day in Madison with my sister on Sunday, a trip to the museum with old friends and their kids Monday, salon and possibly beach day Wednesday (I’ve got to go see the renovation of Milwaukee’s Bradford Beach at least once this summer) and another day in Madison with my dear friend Sara on Friday.

In between, I’ll be packing, cleaning, sanding those pesky steps shown a few posts ago, and doing other annoying administrative tasks like signing up for classes, health insurance, law school deferment and maybe 401K transfers… super fun! I’ll also be attempting to sell more books on half.com, get my 1L books as cheaply as possible and purchase a whole new set of personal items (make-up, shampoo, etc) for my apartment life in Madison. That will require a trip to Target, which will actually be fun.

Sometimes my thoughts trail to some random memory, and then suddenly I think, “Wow, I get to go to law school in Madison in a few weeks.” It’s so exciting and I still feel somewhat inadequate and unprepared. At the same time, I am confident that I am mature and determined enough to handle it all well. Once I start, I know I will figure out how to proceed with all the reading, note-taking, briefing and outlining. I hope the lack of brainpower utilized in my last few jobs have left plenty extra to manage law school.

So here I am. Halfway through my second last day. It will be sad to take down my Lonely Planet Adventures calendar, pack up my breakfast cereals and say my last goodbyes to the sales reps and customers I have met here during the last two+ years. But much sadder is knowing I will miss the fun banter among my department-mates, and the random antics of other people that work at this little company. I will miss our conversations and chats, but I also know we will keep in touch. I occasionally complain about this job, but overall it’s really been great. The actual work came somewhat naturally, and that has allowed me to think about what would really be a more suitable and challenging career.