I really really wanted to work at a presidential library for some reason, so I am happy that I was able to have such a great opportunity and experience the wonder that is working for the federal government. Also, I'm glad that I made twice as much $$ per hour than ever in my life.  

After about two weeks in, I was pretty sure that I was not cut out to be an archivist, so I'm glad that got figured out. At least not an archivist for the National Archives, which is a bit different than a "normal" archivist. BUT I got to do cool things like wrap up Nixon's gifts- mostly paintings and scrolls and other artwork- to prepare them to be shipped to his birthplace in California, and peek at Nixon's papers (but not the top secret ones). In the vault where we kept his gifts, his oval office chair is also stored, as well as tape recorders labeled as possible evidence from the Watergate trial!

During my little stint in DC I had the HONOR of packaging gifts sent to the current President Bush. Supposedly I am not supposed to talk about the items I worked with and saw in the gift vault, but I will tell you this: whenever any sports team of any level wins a championship, they visit the White House. And they always give the president a Jersey.  All of these jerseys go to the Archives.  After the next prez swears in I will have much more interesting things to say about that.

As for housing, I used the services of craigslist and was able to find a fellow future librarian as a roomate!  We lived in an apartment which is technically part of University of Maryland housing, which I was technically not supposed to sublease. OH WELL!  I'm glad that I had a nice roomate, though she annoyed me at times, because besides a few people at work, I didn't have many people to talk to this summer. I got pretty good at hanging out with myself, which is important.

These days, I am taking three classes at Wayne, most of which are online. I am having some serious motivation issues with this class format, as I get up at 8 AM every weekday with the best intentions, but end up spending way too much time on lolcats, facebook, and YouTube. Because of this, interjections of talking parrots, project runway clips, flight of the conchords, interviews with Jesse L. Martin, Sam Waterston, and Ryan Lochte, and other various non-school entertainments make my school work last all day when it shouldn't.

I think that another reason I am lacking in motivation is that I don't have a job.  I am now up to seven applications and one interview, with still no job, and it's driving me crazy. It was nice at first, sort of relaxing, but I don't do well not working on a somewhat regular basis. It's been especially rough after having developed such a nice schedule working 40 hrs a week this summer.

Now I'm off to get ready to go OUT.
 

current mood: okay

At the beginning of my senior year of high school, I got a part-time job at the library.  Sometimes I would have a shitty day at school, and then I would work 3:30-8:30 and come home happy because I loved working there so much.

Even on the most boring or most frustrating days at Park library up at school I at least felt like I accomplished something or learned something or helped someone. 

There were WAAAAYYY too many people at Greenfield Village today.  Selling train tickets inside a southern cooking fast food restaurant at a historical tourist attraction (especially on a holiday)  is clearly not my calling.  I miss working at libraries, and it hasn't even been 2 months.

current mood: drained