I VOTED.

It was pretty emotional! I felt so...American! There were hundreds of people voting, and it was efficient and organized and just plain EXCITING. I choked up a bit. After I voted (ps. A family friend is running for state attorney general! It was funny to see his name on the ballot. I love him dearly, but I didn't vote for him.) and put my ballot in the box, an elderly man shook my hand and said "Best of luck to you. Congratulations on your accomplishment." Dramatic? Perhaps. But I think that he understands what a privilege it is to cast a ballot and participate in (a version of) democracy. It felt pretty cool.















Plus, then when I was running back to work (I did this on my lunch break - I ran there and back), the streets were cordoned off and cops were directing traffic. Why? Because the circus is in town! There were elephants marching up E. 9th Street! It's the best of both worlds - India and the US!















This is me and my friend Hubert who works at the Rock Hall! Behind us on the left is Rock the Vote - complete with Bow Wow!

Busy Bee

OK, so work has been completely NUTS lately. I've pulled a few 12-hour days at the Rock Hall in preparation for a teachers professional development workshop that we had on NEOEA Day (NorthEast Ohio Education Association). But it went well. Hard work paid off, and I actually got praise for a job well done. Who woulda thunk? It was fun, too, and I met some interesting teachers.

I'm not necessarily happy yet, but I'm less unhappy. Being busy helps. I cleaned the house today, ran errands yesterday after a hard run. I leave on Friday for Connecticut for the SEM conference and I really can't wait WAIT to see everyone. I just need my peeps.

Nik is coming up for my birthday (hopefully) and (well, our birthdays) I'm trying to plan fun, Cleveland-y stuff. Apparently it often snows around that time of year (late November) so we might even be able to squeeze in some sledding or some such nonsense. But then again, if global warming keeps, well, warming, we might be tanning on Lake Erie. You never know.

This election has me TENSE TENSE TENSE. Just as I believe vehemently that women have a right to choice and that I will never change my name if/when I get married and that air is partially composed of oxygen, I also feel that Sarah Palin is a bad, bad person who should not be in any office at all, let alone in the VP office. I can't shake it. Icky. Aaaarrrggghhhhh!!!! I think I'm going to vote early to save myself the undue heart attack.
















This is the coffee shop where I have been going lately to work on the diss.

Unhappy?

My counselor suggested today that I might be unhappy. I didn't think I was unhappy, exactly, just not that happy. Cleveland has yet to grow on me, and it probably won't at the rate that I spend thinking about the dissertation and feeling guilty when I'm not working on it. So not too much exploring has gone on. Running is about the only thing that keeps me sane these days. I don't think I'm unhappy, I just think I'm not content. I'm antsy (what else is new?) but it's kinda going to a new level. I'm super antsy, and anxious. What drew me to this exciting field that involves work that will never be finished? Oh yeah, the glamor. And the riches. Intellectual riches, that is. Work is crazy busy and then I get home and...I stare at the computer. Former professor and kind of friend John Hartigan had some words of wisdom when I ran into him at ACL Fest a few weeks ago: "It doesn't have to be award-winning. It just has to not suck completely. Who reads the dissesrtation? Six people: you and your committee. No one gives a shit, so get it done. Do it and call it a day. It just has to be passable, not genius. Worry about the genius for the book." I'd like to latch onto these words and take them with me every time I hit the computer, but the stupid perfectionism gets in the way. Plus I just miss Austin and everyone in it: friends, boyfriend, brother, the FAL, Barton Springs, the trail...I feel antsy here like I'm just waiting to go home. Boo.















The plus side is that my sanity (aka running) took me to the Cuyahoga National Park where I ran a half marathon on Sunday in 2'3" under arches of autumn leaves and next to babbling brooks and all that naturey stuff that is good for the soul. And the soles. Nice and cushy. It was a great race and made me feel really, really good.

Slash! Richie Sambora! Billy Gibbons!

Ok, so this is shameless self-promotion and "dude! I work at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum!" Les Paul is our 2008 American Music Master and...we're getting some badass guitarists to celebrate his life (he's 93!) and legacy. Check out Cleveland.com for one of the press releases! Kinda fun. Sometimes I forget I work here. And then my office mate is shooting the bull with Slash. Whoa. Should be fun! And then I turn 30 just a few days later! :)

I have a half-marathon on Sunday and I am really excited. It's the Towpath Marathon/ Half-Marathon and it's the only marathon run in a national park. The weather is supposed to be lower 70s and sunny all weekend, so it should be a perfect run. I did my last long run (just 11 miles...not as long as training for a marathon!) on Monday and although I was tired, it was good and I felt good. I'm ready for my first race in Cleveland.

I'm crazy busy right now and Genevieve's friend's band is in town and staying at our place. They are so sweet! It's fun to play rock and roll hostess.

Things at work are nutty but great. Teaching is good but exhausting. So exhausting, in fact, that I will finish this post at a later date.