September 8
"if I’m not careful, the best years of my life could be behind me"
1977
Hmm. Summer has come and gone. The new professor of historic costume is here. I am again a student and TA. At times it feels like I will always be a student!
My classes are spinach-y. No, worse. Large, amorphous vitamin pills. Not unpleasant, just necessary, and mostly boring.
The new hire is a pleasant surprise. We have hit it off rather well. In some ways she its grating (a bit lofty and pretentious, very critical) but I am adjusting to those traits and discovering that she is actually, beneath it all, a nice person. (And awfully middle class, despite her prestigious education)
I have had great trouble Getting My Ass in Gear so far this semester. The other day, while wandering around, the thought occurred to me that, if I’m not careful, the best years of my life could be behind me. I mean, it’s all a matter of choice and determination, and if I am determined to be bored and procrastinate, that’s what I will do.
Ah, yes. And I bought “Passages”. Strange how two months ago I felt I didn’t need it. Growing pains, I guess. Said goodbye to my librarian friend Jan today. She’s moving to Minneapolis this weekend. We had the beginnings of an excellent friendship and I hope we can continue. Even long distance.
Comment 2023
In order to earn my PhD in historic costume and textiles, I had to take two semesters of undergraduate chemistry, basic statistics, microeconomics, and a whole bunch of textile science classes. I managed to squeeze in three American Studies courses and one in history, but the rest was - spinach.
Oh, and don’t you just love my worrying about the best years of my life being over? I was twenty-eight. The best is yet to come, sweetie. And for all I know, that’s still true at 74.
Tried and failed to stay in touch with Jan. The story of my life.
1981
Promises to be a stink-o day: warm, gray and rainy, before cooling off and clearing up.
I spend an awful lot of time on introspection. Too much? I write to myself, think about specific situations (real or imagined) and replay them endlessly. As a result, I get very little done on other work. There’s the encyclopedia article, the AHEA article, the review for Choice, and lots more.
However, all is not lost. I do spend more time on housekeeping and the place looks better for it. It will never be fully spotless. There is a point of diminishing returns, after all. But there are fewer pieces of forgotten mail, fewer leftovers moldering in the fridge. Dusting is still really low on the list, as is vacuuming. Also washing the floors and cleaning the bathroom.But tidying! Menu planning! Cooking! There I am improving. The desire for guilt-free leisure is a great motivator.
1985
So far my classes are good. I’ve been unusually excited about them, and the new daycare situation has me more relaxed. I no longer have to rush around in the morning as much, and the afternoon rush has been eliminated. Great idea to switch!
The first class with the church youth group went o.k. I felt like I was 15 again, and that’s not good. Nervous, scared, inclined to blab, and likely to make a fool of myself. Nice to know that time hasn’t changed me too much, I guess.
Also…I’ve decided to apply for the position at VPI. Does this make sense? I’m not sure I’d like to be a department chair. I’m not sure I could ever get the hang of the politics. At the very least, the leverage might help my situation here. Hate to have to fly there for the interview, though.
Cuban food with BR tomorrow. What fun.
Right now, I feel very good and very much in control. I swear that it’s the cooler weather.
1997
A full day, lived in several different places (two meetings, two offices, a classroom and home). But there were great bright spots, like a long conversation with my officemate.
2017
Today is Friday. Franklin’s Day!
It is also the day I accept that I will never have smooth, shiny hair, except in the shower. I will always have a nimbus of tiny fibers sticking out from my head for the first few days after a shampoo, a couple of days of presentable waves, and then it’s time to wash my hair again. My head, my hair.
Comment 2023
Yep. Time for a trim.
2024
Yikes! September 8 already, and life just keeps getting busier. Thinking about taking a drawing class this fall, even though it would destroy my writing time on Wednesday mornings.