After working 12 or more hours a day for the last year, I suddenly find myself with nothing to do. And by nothing, I mean nothing. Yes, summer vacation is something that every teacher looks forward to, starting in March. Don’t get Jealous, but I only work 185 days out of the entire year. But I am the sort of person that needs to be somewhere-I lose all sense of meaning and purpose to my life when I don’t have to get out of bed to go to a job. I decided not to teach summer school, because I had such a harsh year, what with first year teaching and writing my thesis on the weekends. I thought I really needed to relax-because I’ve been on edge all year and only sleeping six hours a night, three of which were on the couch because I fell asleep while watching the daily show-because I was just that sad. I’ve only been on break for two and a half weeks. Really, the first week doesn’t even count because I was very sick with the flu, so really this is only a week and two days.
This is what I have done
1. Re-Read entire Harry Potter Series.
2. Googled Harry Potter, b/c I was bored and felt empty when series was over-just like the last day of school.
3. Discovered “Wrock” -Which is wizard rock. That is music made about Harry Potter and characters by bands with names like “The Parselmouths” , “The Moaning Myrtles”, “Remus and the Lupins” and “Harry and the Potters”
4. Downloaded a variety pack of Wrock from internet for free. Convinced two friends to go and see a Wrock show, becuase I just have to see it now.
5. Was made of by friends who saw what i was listnening to on my messenger status-learned never to show itunes as my status update again.
6. Began to read a variety of wrock blogs and watch a variety of Vlogs on youtube-by earnest nerd fighters and people in Harry Potter bands. I became fascinated with the intermeshing of nerdom-for example-the girl in the parselmouths is dating this guy in England who is in a band about Dr. Who. It’s like sci fi/fantasy worlds collidng-like if star trek people suddenly got together with Lord of the Rings people. It’s like those people who think it’s funny to go the Renassiance Faire in their star fleet costumes, only successful.
7. Realized that I needed to get out of the house and so went and drank Mimosas on Tuesday night, then came home and watched “Meet me In St. Louis” because I saw someone that reminded me of Judy Garland.
8. Had Birthday Party.(Actually, this comes before the Wrock, but Yes, I am another year older. Did I mention that?)
8.1 What was funny about my party is that a whole bunch of graduate students came and had a rousing discussion about the declination of nouns-or something. I don’t know, I wasn’t paying attention. Honestly, I don’t even know what declining nouns are, I was going to google it, but decided against it as it would probably be too boring.
My friend K sent the following twitter messages during the party:
1. Phrases i hope to never hear at a party, part one: ‘oh but she’s a mediavalist.’10:05 PM Jun 20th from txt
2. Part two: ‘did you know german and latin are the only two languages in which you can decline nouns?’10:07 PM Jun 20th from txt
What is even funnier is that K is such a good friend that I have her twitters sent directly to my phone via text messages-so I knew she was talking smack about my party. You can’t really blame graduate students for having boring conversations at parties, it’s just what they do. All I could do is ask K what she had contributed to the conversation. And then I went and drank more Sangria.
8.2 At some point, I went to Borders with Monica- they were having a huge sale. Monica bought “Dirty Dancing: The Game” and I bought a puzzle of Gone with the Wind. I haven’t done puzzles in years, but ti seemed like a nice way to pass the time. The puzzle is really hard and frustrating. Monica has done it all. I pulled out all of the edge pieces. There are 1000 pieces to the puzzle. K. came over and made fun of us, because it’s like we’re retired.
8.3 This is the last week or so that Monica and I will live together as I am moving out into my own place, and she is getting married to Paddy.
8.5 Went to Mall to buy lingerie for Monica’s shower.
10. Subscribed to Vlog feeds to watch earnest young twentysomethings ham up on Camera.
10.5 because of oppressive heat and heat wave, went to target for hours and bought a bathing suit, then went and purchased yarn from craft store.
11. Began Knitting Scarf. Made Monica play “Life with me”
11.5 Had wedding shower
11.6 Did I mention I am reading my very first self help book? It’s boring.
12. Reached an all time low on Sunday, when I ate a bunch of chocolate cake and found myself crying whilst watching “The Parent trap” And not even the old parent trap, but that awful one with Lindsay Lohen. Here’s what no one tells you about your early thirties-you cry all the time, and not because you are depressed or sad- but because you see something lame, like a hallmark hall of fame movie- basically, anything you made fun of when you were younger for being overly sentimental, something you’d dismiss as a symptom of a saccharine overly consummeristic culture in decline, devoid of any true meaning or emotion. I realized that a. there must be some new hormone. b. maybe I had pms or c. really it was a sympton of my emotionally repressed youth. Also, did I mention there is an oppressive heatwave and it was 106 outside and it was too hot to leave the air condtioneed house?
13. I then came home to my mothers house, because she is very sick and needed to be goaded into going to the doctor. It is not hot here, in fact, I am wearing a jacket and had to turn the heater on in my car.
Tomorrow:
I am hanging out with my friend Ava and then the day after I am baby sitting my friend’s children whilst she gives a presenation.
I am in a horrible cycle of going to bed late, like now and then getting up at 11.
I am thinking I am going to volunteer, afterall, I am an English teacher, there must be some sort of summer literacy program I can help with, or maybe I could reshelve books at the library or go and walk dogs for the spca.
