Freedom, for a week or so

I am back from the depths of grad school...

I turned in my last two final papers of the semester today. It was a great feeling to be done with my first year of graduate school, but it happened with little fanfare. Everyone else is still writing their own papers (the two that I turned in aren't actually due until tomorrow). So, sadly, there is no one around to celebrate with me. (I still don't actually know very many people here - and the few people I do know outside of the department aren't really *friends*... more like acquaintances, at least thus far.)

So here I sit...

I'm leaving for Cape May on Saturday morning! I'm so excited!! I know I ramble on about tropical islands and Disney World, but I honestly can't say I'd rather be going anywhere by Cape May at this point.
It will be a difficult trip though, too. We're spreading Dad's ashes on Monday - off the Jersey shore in the Atlantic Ocean, just like he requested. He's finally going home...
We're having a second memorial service for him too so all of his friends and family out east have a chance to pay their respects.

I went with Dad to Cape May last August. It was hands down the best trip I've ever taken. Now I'm going back, I hope this trip will bring me some closure on what I've been feeling since he left, but I do realize that grieving is a long process.
It will be a good trip. The seashore will make everything okay... :)

In other news, I'll be working at the office of Applied Gerontology this summer and most likely into the fall. I'm not quite sure what I'll be doing - a lot of different things, but mostly things with data and statistical software (who knew I'd ever have a job like this!! statistics!).

Things are going well at the house. We have a lot of plants now. I like the green. The landlord's gardens are all blooming, and there's a rhubarb plant the size of Rhode Island in the back yard. We have a new roommate moving in next weekend, so that will be interesting. It has basically been Steve and me here since... well since he moved in. Erin was out of the country, and then when she came back, she basically lived at Elena's house anyway.

I should be outside. It's 80 degrees. I'm trying to bring myself to sit out on the porch with a book... but after a mad dash to the semester's finish line, reading and writing like my life depended on it, I don't really feel like reading anything for at least another few days. I do feel like drinking margaritas. I wish it was okay for women to go out to bars and drink alone... not a lot of drinks, just one or two... That'd be nice.

Until next time...