3-2-1…Interview

3 States

2 Countries

1 Continent

I feel as though I have been so far removed from blogger-dom that I have to explain where I have been.

Life has been so crazy busy as of late. I have had between 3-4 papers due every week for the past month+ and so much reading. Last week was especially bad, one of those

“I am going to quit right now…I don’t need this degree” kinda weeks.

I turned in a 9 page paper on the history and literary comparisons (of 7 different versions) of The Emperor’s New Clothes, which interestingly enough, may not have been originally written by Hans Christian Andersen; but may have come from a varied versions of a tale told centuries before in Italy and Spain.

I turned in a “Book talk” and “Notecard” for All quiet on the Western Front.

And most horrible of horrible, I had to give a presentation of my research proposal (this is the big final paper I have to write–though only 10 pages in length–and it sucks because what is the point of writing a paper about how I would write a research paper…why not just write a research paper!?!? Argh…don’t get me started…I may start to hyperventilate…again…

Thursday night Mom and I took a little road trip. I had gotten a call the week before from a small library in Southeastern Massachusetts and had set up an interview. Insted of flying I decided to make a mini-weekend break; Mom came along for company. We struck out at a little after 8pm, leaving Michigan for Canada, shooting over Niagara Falls into New York state via Buffalo (woot woot B1 & B2), and finally into Massachusetts at 5am.

We arrived at the farm (that I used to work at) Friday around 5:30am, and snuck into Mummy Dearest’s house and that is where Mummy’s Hubby and chitlins found us at breakfast time. I woke up to Big Bro looking at me–too cute!

Friday was a whirlwind of mental preparation for the interview the next day and sheer exhaustion. I was fortunate enough to see friend Christy (who had a half day from teaching) and visit a little with CJ, though I could not seem to keep my eyes open–so tired! Many friends were already on vacations for Thanksgiving, or had the day off. It felt odd to be at the farm since:

A. when I was there last, I had to leave to head home for my father’s eventual funeral, etc.
B. TSOldtimer was still there when I left, and he has since left and moved to Spain for the time being. TSO you were missed! The farm doesn’t feel the same without you!

Saturday, after breakfast with Mummy, Hubby, Big Bro, Little Sis, and CJ, Mom and I headed in a southeasternly direction for the little town of *Hogsmeade (*yes….yes…I am a lame Harry Potter fan…but this will be the name I use to keep the library annonymous) It took us about two and a half hours from the farm to reach this cute, quiet, little city of @14,000 (reminds me of Fenton, where I grew up).

Met with the Director and Chair of the Board of Trustees for my interview–which lasted nearly two hours–and found myself not nervous, but rather excited at the possibility of the job and interested in what the Director had to say about her experiences there, the city, and the library world in general. In my experiences of interviews, there have been those moments where you think, “ok, I could work here for a while…but just until something else comes up, and then I am out of here.” This interview was quite the opposite. I found myself eagerly excited and thinking that I could see myself working there for quite a long time.

I am not getting my hopes up–but I really want this job. Out of the 5 interviews they did last week–the Director told me as I left–the position is between myself and another person. Should know by (hopefully) next week.

After hanging out in Lawrence, MA. Saturday night with Mummy’s family and her sister Heidi, Mom and I headed home Sunday morning; setting out for another long drive. We arrived home last night at 7:30om, utterly exhausted, and almost a little glad for the end of the weekend.

So, if you have made it through this terribly long and boring expose into why I have not written in a while, wish me luck…and who knows?…maybe I will be writing to say that I got a new job SOON!

Birthday wishes Mummy Dearest!

Happy Birthday Mummy Dearest-Life in Avalon !

You inspire me daily with the beautiful, graceful way that you tackle being a good wife and parent and working, and still find time to admire the beauty in every day all around you. I can�t wait until we are neighbors again!

I dedicate this poem to you on your b-day Mummy Dearest! I love you!

At Great Pond
At Great Pond the sun, rising, scrapes his orange breast on the thick pines, and down tumble a few orange feathers into the dark water. On the far shore a white bird is standing like a white candle —or a man, in the distance, in the clasp of some meditation —while all around me the lilies are breaking open again from the black cave of the night. Later, I will consider what I have seen —what it could signify —what words of adoration I might make of it, and to do thisI will go indoors to my desk —I will sit in my chair —I will look back into the lost morning in which I am moving, now, like a swimmer, so smoothly, so peacefully, I am almost the lily —almost the bird vanishing over the water on its sleeves of night.
~Mary Oliver