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15May
2006

don’t you look beautiful

maura @ 9:17 pm

The cat’s been out of the bag for nearly two weeks now and I’m not quite sure why I haven’t told you about this sooner, o internets. So I’ll tell you now. One of my Top Secret Projects has resulted in a Big Decision: tomorrow night is my first class at Pratt’s School of Library and Information Science. I’ve decided to get my MLIS so I can become an academic librarian (and finally put that PhD to good use).

I’m going to take 2 classes over the summer while still working my standard 25 hrs/wk and having Gus a few afternoons a week (and hopefully not succumbing to the ravenous dust bunnies as I clearly will not have time to clean the house at all). And then at the end of August I will stop working altogether so I can go full-time to school for the fall and spring. At that pace I’ll have the degree in hand and be on the job market this time next year.

Yes, my head is spinning too!

I’m really, really excited. I’m also a little bit nervous, as is to be expected. I did lots of research and I think I will lurve being a librarian: the ultimate nerd (is that a video game? maybe a very dull one! watch as she shelves books and teaches undergrads how to do research!). I’ve been sort of treading water at my job for a while now and it’s good to have a plan. I’ve enjoyed my time working for corporate internets, but I miss academia and am ready to go back.

I feel lighter for having these goals and for having told everyone at work about it already (har, only the OCD-ridden give 4 months notice!). But I’ll miss my coworkers terribly. I’ve never worked in a place with so many great people. I’m not one for crying at work, but I can already tell that my last day will be sniffly. Luckily one of my fall classes is at the NYPL, only a block from my job, so I can go visit often (esp. when there are cupcakes, see below).

We had a fridge full of weird leftovers last night, the result of which is that today I had a total Uncle Buck lunch (“would you like to talk about a possible lunch trade?”). I packed my standard trail mix (peanuts, pumpkin seeds, raisins and dried apricots) for mid-morning snack, but beyond that the normalcy ends. Braised purple cabbage and carrots, cut up pieces of roasted pork shoulder (the latter was left cold and mixed into the warmed cabbage), strawberries and a half a peanut butter sandwich. Luckily our (now former) intern graduated last week so there were cupcakes at the dept. meeting, since that nearly carb-free lunch left me totally starving. How so those crazy Atkins folks do it?

Ack, I have to go now, I have a ton to read and won’t have any time to do so after classes start tomorrow. Bye!


2 comments on “don’t you look beautiful”

Anne (3 June 2006 at 9:22 pm)

“Some of my best friends are librarians!”

Beverly Cleary, best author ever, was a librarian.

also–“Uncle Buck, The Killer!” now playing @ Doc. :)

maura (5 June 2006 at 7:50 pm)

I am really loving this nerdly class, seriously! Though I am chugging the coffee because it is so much work. We go to Indiana the day after the class is over and I am going to sleep and sleep and sleep.


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