The very bad, no good, absolutely terrible week

This week was full of dissapointing stuff. After doing a lot of math last month, I realized I wasn't going to have the time or funds to visit the South again until Christmas. I had planned to visit everyone in May, after classes were out, and drive my stuff up here with Christy Ford. However, she had other stuff in May to do, and so graciously brought my things from storage up here early - meaning I'd have to fly back if I visited in May. I can't afford another ticket right now, with the new apartment and all.

The other reason I can't visit is that I'd have to take off from my two part time jobs, and that's just no good because I'm trying to convince one of them to give me more hours this summer, and traditionally, asking off all the time is not the way to convince your employers to give you more hours and benefits. So I'm not going to get to see a lot of people in May the way I said I would. I'm really sorry. That's just the way it is right now. It bums me out because I really miss a lot of people. Also, I'm not going to get to go to the beach to see my Grandma, which I've managed to do almost every year no matter how broke I usually am. Nope, it's just me in Boston until Christmas.

The second really bad piece of news is that I found out Simmons doesn't hold Winter graduation ceremonies. So I'm going to have to walk for my diploma in May of 2002, five months after I get my degree! Can you believe that? I am really sad about this because I walked for my BA from MTSU - which I hardly cared about - and now that I'm getting my master's, I have to wait to walk. I wanted to invite everyone up here and have a big party or something, but if I do, it'll have to wait for next May.

I also think they give you some sort of sash thingy for your graduation gown when you walk. I've never had any of those fancy hoo-do cords or whatsits on my gowns for High School or MTSU for two reasons: a) I didn't qualify for many and b) those decorations are, like, $25 dollars a pop and I never wanted to shell out for them. Most of those special cords and sashes look silly anyway. But I want the one for my Master's of Library and Information Science.

Other bad stuff happened this week. I had to break a protest line in front of the Plaza Hotel downtown when I went to get my airline ticket to Nashville changed over from May to December. I was totally with the service people striking, but I had to change my ticket. That sucked.

My beloved bicycle was stolen. My bike sat safely in storage in TN for almost a year, and then was in Boston 9 days before it was ripped off. This was a 2 year old Wal-Mart special bike with no seat, chained to a rack. And still it was stolen. This happened on the same day someone took my almost new box of Tide from the laundry room where everyone keeps their detergent.

My boyfriend and I had this huge fight and I went to bed Tuesday night convinced that the best relationship I've ever been in was over. Yet still, somehow, we made it through the week - and I think we're going to be Okay if we can move forward from this point. But the whole thing was just emotionally and physically exhausting, and I thought of nothing else until the argument ended Wednesday night. I was pretty useless there for a couple of days.

I'm all stressed out because there's only 3 weeks left in the semester, and I have all the projects due soon that are associated with that.

The good news is that I'm pretty sure it's Spring. The bitterness has gone out of the cold, although the cold's still around. The sun has sort of something that's associated with its light now...what's it called again...oh, yeah, WARMTH. Boston is testing me again. At least the city was nice to me this week, with everything else so bad. The sight of the Prudential Building and the Hancock Tower standing tall against a cloudless sky perked me up a couple of times. I'm ready for the trees to have leaves again. The flower shops all have daffodils and tulips, but here in the city the green shoots from flower bulbs buried for the winter are just starting to show themselves. No matter how bad it gets, I just have to look out my window and remind myself how lucky I am to be here.

I called in sick to my internship today not only because I'm getting sick, but also because I have a ton of homework to do. So I might as well get to it.