I have half an hour until Ali and I are walking to the going-out-of-business Camera Shop downtown. Should I nap? Or read? I realize that blogging about this will not bring about a swift solution, but the dilemma is present in my mind!

Last Friday, I successfully defended my thesis. Lasers! Horns! Sirens! Life since has been pretty sweet: I finished sorting through my schtuff and have a fresh batch of clothing to donate, made some Zucchini Pecan muffins, and went to the Sox/Twins game in Boston. The game was pretty badass: Sox fans, diverse as they are, are the rowdiest group I've ever encountered. (I realize that my past experience has not brought me into contact with many rowdy groups, but still.) The weather was a little crappy - drizzly, low 50's - but we had seats in the grandstand and were sheltered. AND, I had a Fenway Frank, the most delicious hot dog of all time. Mmmmm, stadium food. This August/September, I will also be going to some Brewers games...
We like sports!

Aside: the Zucchini Pecan muffins were no less badass than the game.

Leaning in the nap direction.

Who will cut our hair when we're gone?

Friday, I entered a new life phase: Life After Thesis. Yes. At 3:30 pm on April 3rd, 2009, I distributed my manuscript to my committee (via campus mailboxes, of course). I guess I shouldn't put the cart before the horse: I have yet to send my committee my introduction, and I haven't done my defense yet. Still, not having to work on/think about/dream about/obsess over my thesis is the best feeling ever. True, I still have to finish an independent study and write my screenplay for the Fiction to Film class, but both of these tasks seem straight-up undaunting compared to the Behemoth. All right!

Um, I don't have much news, mostly because I've been filled with pure joy and subsequently frolicking in the fields, skipping down the lanes, etc. Sort of. Actually, I have been applying to many jobs, as I was not hired by the (previously-considered) Dream Employer. This was a major letdown, and I know I shouldn't reasonably have expected to be hired by the first company I applied to, but I made it through three rounds of interviews. I mean, they flew me out there, for chrissake. The worst part is, they would not even tell me why they hired someone else! So I've decided that this company is no longer the Dream Employer, because they obviously do not consider me the Dream Employee - which I am.

On the plus side, E and I have started apartment hunting. (Maybe this is a plus? It's a plus because we need a place to live, but apartment hunting just blows.) We've found a few cute, reasonably-priced places near the Capitol, and his dad and sis are going to check them out for us tomorrow. The bad news: most leases in Madison start August 16th, and my lease here ends July 1st. I do not understand this 8/16 lease policy! I guess it could be convenient if you're already living in the city, but it's absolutely asinine if you're living elsewhere & moving in. Plus, I don't think it would actually be that convenient - everyone in the metro moving on the same day? Doesn't that spell total pandemonium? E says people sleep in the streets??? I suppose it must work, else the policy would have been scrapped...