A New Apartment (sort of)

So Jake is finally here! Yes! He got here last Friday, and it's been a whirlwind ever since (kind of). On Saturday, Jake, my classmates, and I went to Howe Caverns to explore...considering I organized it, I felt like Jake and I had to go, even though I knew he'd driven about 12 hours the day before. It was really cool though, and although the guide's stories and jokes about rock formations were less than thrilling because her deliverance bordered on awful, and the car trip was a blast...Speeding up before going up hills was also a thrill, everyone in my car, including myself, sat in constant fear that the Dragon wouldn't make it...thankfully, it did.

Other than Howe Caverns, Jake got all of his things moved into the apartment, so it's looking great and finally has some personality, which was apparently lacking, which I realized when he moved in all of his things. The bathroom is also more "manly" now...I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, haha. I guess as long as it means he's here I can't complain!

Lovely sink and knives...

On Saturday night we went to the bar with some of my CGP classmates, and Jake somehow got talked into running a 5K the next day, so he was a trooper and followed through while I had to work. Apparently he ran pretty well, he was even surprised with how he did!

Like I said, the apartment's looking good, but if anyone has an empty knife block they'd like to contribute to our cause, it would be more than welcome! If you see the picture below of the popcorn box, don't worry, we're not popcorn hoarders, we just needed somewhere to keep our knives...

Part of the living room

A Stinky Halloween

Hi all,

So, I ended up deciding to be a skunk for halloween. Classy, I know. But hey--you have to take into account a grad student budget, sheer laziness, and reality. I'm no longer in college, and even when I was, I didn't get into the whole super-skanky Halloween thing, so that part was easy. Unfortunately, I'm used to living with other ladies, so this year when I didn't have Aubree helping decide on a theme, and then guiding me towards a costume, I was at a loss. (Aubree is also the reason my apartment has very very white walls, and not much decoration...)

See, museum kids are fun!

Anyways, a few of us first years hung out, then we went over to the house where most of the second years live, which was awesome. Lots of great costumes. Jake had originally suggested I be a Chilean miner, but I was glad I didn't go with that because I wouldn't have been good competition for the guy wearing only an orange vest and looking very mine-dirty..he pulled it off a lot better than I ever could have. Instead, I wore black leggings, a black hoodie (courtesy of Walmart, $12), and got a tail and ears which I decorated with a white stripe. I was actually shocked by the packaging of the ears/tail ensemble--all that were left were kids costume parts, and the 8 year old on the cover was posing a bit seductively for my taste...anyways.

Below are a couple pictures, courtesy of my friend Eva's facebook, one is from the day we went apple picking and bought pumpkins. I hate to admit it, but I never got around to carving my pumpkin this year. Sad. It's still sitting in the backseat of my car, waiting for me to cut it open and bake those seeds. mmmm

Some awesome first years

Eva, Julie and I apple picking!

Well, no big news, I just finished interviewing Rebecca for our practice oral history projects...got to love those all girls school ladies!

Besides homework, life is pretty much normal, I'm just counting down the days until Jake gets here! Tomorrow's a busy day, class, meetings, assistantship, homework, dog/house sitting..whoo whoo. If anyone has an idea for my Halloween costume, PLEASE let me know! There's a party on Friday and I've got NO idea what to be...

That's about it for now, sorry I don't have anything more interesting to report!

xo

UPDATE: I've decided to be a skunk. Pictures to come...

A Month Later

Hi All,

Sorry it's been so long, talk about a busy month. First, my friend had to go to the hospital which led to a bit of a tumultuous week, then two presentations and reviews due, school school school then this week my class and I went to Boston with our material cultures professor.

Boston was great--Met up with my college friend Pat, and had a great time catching up with him. It's crazy how no matter how not-often you talk to good friends, seeing them again is just like you saw them hours before. I guess that's how good friendships work...

Matt (Fellow CGP-er), me, and Pat

Other than seeing Pat, I got to visit the USS Constitution with our class, meet the previous president of the American Association of Museums (AAM) Carl Nold, and meet other various museum professionals. Of course, at the luncheon with Mr. Nold, I sat next to him and my stomach growled the whole time, welcome to my life!

The only other big news is that my parents got a new dog which I'm DYING to see...they decided on the name Roxy (though I think they should spell it Roxie), and she is absolutely adorable. Here are some pictures my mom sent to me last week:

It's almost like they have a new child...haha


That's all for now, enjoy the pictures, and I'm going to go crawl into bed and watch The Mentalist on tv before I fall asleep and head to work again in the morning. Oh, and I need to re-stock my kitchen tomorrow, ugh.

It's all relative

As I'm writing this I'm listening to a super relaxing song that Jake put on a CD he made me before I left...if only I knew the name, I could complete my album!

View from the boat

Anyways, it's been a good, yet busy week. Classes all week, a professional seminar on Friday, a full day of shopping Saturday, and work all day today. The professional seminar was interesting, but it could've been over in 3 hours, instead of the 7 or so we were there...you can only talk about technology and oral history for so long before minds begin to wander. Afterwards though, a few first and second years all went on a ferry ride on the lake, and it was beautiful! The leaves in the mountains are changing, and it's so incredibly picturesque.

 One of these days I'm going to try and make time for a hike, though I have absolutely no idea when I'll actually find time. I think part of the problem is that I always over-think how long things (aka homework) will take me, and I don't take time to enjoy the smaller things. Point taken, self...

So, another big thing (this is pathetic) was organizing my shoes this week...I finally bought a shoe rack, and it's changed my life.

Before...

After! 

So besides my unhealthy excitement with my shoe rack, life is pretty low key. Mad Men will be on in about 40 minutes, and until then I'll probably hang out in the apartment with my chocolate and sit on the couch: see a typical post-homework life below. Chocolate, unhealthy amounts of tea, candles, and crime dramas...living alone and watching crime dramas probably hasn't been my best life choice. Lately, my door creaks at night, so I've put a chair against my bedroom door. Am I 5 years old?

More soon,
Much love.

It's been awhile

Hi all,

Sorry it's been awhile since the last post...I thought there was a lot of reading to do in college, ah!

Everything here is going well--I've been really sick the past few days, but other than that things have been going well. I'm lucky that my boss at Savor NY here is a sweetheart--I went home from work yesterday and she called to make sure I didn't need anything! It's nice to know I have "parents" away from home :)

Upside down street sign...on Main Street...

Other than that, another week has gone by in a blur. Class all week, worked all day on Friday, then was "voluntold" to work at Harvest Festival at The Farmers' Museum, so I worked with kids on playing old-time games and trying to get apples off of hanging wooden pegs. Watching kids with no front teeth trying to do it was hilarious! After that, we had a "game night" at someone's house, so a bunch of us got together there and went out for a bit afterwards. Kind of cool--while at Cooley's we me the owner of Ommegang Brewery--a local brewery, so that was neat.

Tonight, we have a class meeting about our semester long project. We're working with a local historical society to figure out if they should work to get their own building for a museum, or if they should be a program-oriented non-profit; kind of a consulting thing. Great experience, but lots of work!

Tomorrow, Glee's second season starts, so I think Emily and I are going to make some more vegan cupcakes and enjoy them during some singing and dancing...here's a picture from last week when we made some cupcakes for a class garden party--we made "Elvis" cupcakes, with banana cupcakes, peanut butter frosting, and banana chips, which were SO good! On to chai this week perhaps...

Anyways, on to finish my museum leadership paper, then do some more reading. It's been so nice out here that I have a couple windows open, but I wonder how much longer I'll be able to do that...

Labor Day

My apartment building

Well, no real holidays for grad students apparently--this morning I went to the library to work on the endless amount of American Cultures I reading, and learned all about the Native American museum in D.C., and all the controversy it has had.

Other than that, went on a short drive and took a few pictures, hope you enjoy! For all those who know and love the dragon, note the duct tape holding my glovebox up. UGH!!

Sad face for my glovebox

Driving into town--the black fence means it the Singer/Clark family property

weekend musings

Hello,

It's been quite a low-key weekend...I feel like an old woman, but I went to bed by midnight each night this weekend, even though there was a Sugarland (who are they anyway?!) concert here at Double Day field last night. It's been a great weekend too, though. Last night, Rebecca, Emily, and I all made dinner together and then watched The Graduate on TMC. It's interesting eating with Emily, because she's a vegan, so we always know exactly what's in everything, which is actually kind of refreshing!

On another note, I bought a bowl yesterday at the huge craft fair at the Clark Gym grounds. This is the Clark as in the family runs everything in Cooperstown because they were the people that helped start up the Singer sewing machine corporation...we're talking they started the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Fenimore Art Museum too...it's intense.

The Craft Fair 

My new bowl

Anyways, that's about as exciting as my weekend has been. Today, I'm going to a barn sale(?!) with Rebecca, then off to the NYSHA library for more reading, then Mad Men tonight!  Low key, but it's what I'm here for.

research week = I need to figure out my thesis topic? WHAT?!

Hi all,

Haven't written in a few days--it's research week, which means class and research and reading and listening to how to research (wait, didn't we ALL learn this in undergrad?!) from 9-5 everyday. Then we have about 100 pages of reading to do for the next day, in addition to filming/editing our class orientation video that all of the NY State Historical Association heads are going to see on 9/15. Joy..

Anyways, it's been a pretty good week besides the longevity of it all, and besides the fact that they're pressuring all of us to find a thesis topic. Unfortunately, my idea for my thesis doesn't work for the research prospectus we have to do right now, so I'm having trouble finding inspiration for the project I have to work on right now. Thankfully though, I did start thinking of a topic for my thesis: How effective are different methods of "forcing" or coercing people to assume identities or understand the experiences of the people(s) depicted such as those in the Holocaust or Civil Rights museum? A little ambiguous still, but I'm working on it.

Other than that, Emily's moving into my building for sure now, because there are mice in the house she's renting, and there's mold and the oven's broken and the landlord won't fix it...interesting. Anyways, it'll be nice to have a friend in the building, though I have started to REALLY embrace my alone time.  That could or could not be a good thing for Jake, haha.

Miss everyone, and love,
Elizabeth

oh boy

Well, today has been pretty low key...read four chapters in a book called The Craft of Research...exciting stuff. Actually, I have to admit that it was borderline exciting for me, and gave me a few pointers I hadn't thought of recently that may help me develop some thesis ideas.

Other than reading, I went on a run, intent on making it to church on time with my friend Emily, but alas, when we arrived we found out it started an hour earlier than it said on the website. Better luck next time I guess!

So, that was fun, and tonight Emily and I are having some wine and watching Mad Men. There will be some other people downstairs in the other apartment where we might stop in, but I have no idea how the landlords feel about guests, and I'm not trying to make them mad...call me respectful?! Ha.

Below are some pictures of the apartment--pretty exciting stuff!

the apartment

Hi all,

I was going to put up some pictures of the apartment, but the internet's being REALLY slow tonight so I don't know if it'll work-I'm not totally moved in yet, but it's a work in progress!  I'm off to work on some class stuff then go out, so I don't have time for a long blog, but a quick overview of my day was that I picked up my (new) friend Emily, went to the farmer's market and got some produce, then drove to some garage sales (unsuccessful), and then went to Oneonta to buy some things at Bed Bath and Beyond and Walmart...I REALLY wish there was a Target.

Miss you all,
Elizabeth

work work work work work

Well, today I both found out about my assistantship AND I got a job--all within two hours! Turns out that all these hours that I feel unproductive aren't the end of the world. Instead, lots of good things happen in short bursts of time...

For my assistantship, I'm working for the collections team at the Iroquois Storage Facility, and will be helping with the cataloguing of a Native American collection which has artifacts from primarily the twenty and twenty-first centuries. Exciting! I'm looking forward to it because it's something I really don't know anything about.

As for the job, I'll be working for Savor New York--the owner of the Bed and Breakfast I'm currently at (only until tomorrow!) owns this store and online company, so she offered me a part-time job. Easiest gig I ever got.

I'm excited about all these things, but am getting a little worried--in addition to all of this I'm overloading with a 1-credit mini course in Museum Leadership. Hopefully, the business will keep me very, very productive. At least that's how it usually works for me...wish me luck.

Tonight, I'm hanging out and packing up before I stuff everything in my car tomorrow morning, and then I get to move in tomorrow evening after 5! AHH! I am SO EXCITED to have a place to go home to (apt 3), my own refrigerator, bed, and bathroom, and simply a place to call my own. The breakfast nook won't hurt me either :)

A Long Day of Leadership Training

Hi All,

Today was a long one--my class started with a security overview at the Fenimore Art Museum, getting our access cards to the museum and library and all that, then met from 9-5 with a leadership or group consultant that graduated from CGP in the 1970s. He was super interesting, and I learned a lot about leadership techniques, but the day felt really long! The things he talked about were interesting--there was a lot about allowing people to think out the questions you ask before putting them on the spot, and he said introverts were often the most disenfranchised people because, while in meetings and whatever else, the thinking processes are very on-the-spot, and don't allow for time for people to think things out before they volunteer their ideas. For people like myself, this time to think things out and write them down before volunteering is crucial, thus I felt pretty validated when he sang praises of the introverts!

Other than the obligatory leadership training, the day served as a great opportunity for me to meet more of my classmates! It's so strange starting over somewhere so new, but it is convenient that all of us are interested in basically the same things, but it is funny to see how type-A most people here are! Everyone's early to everything, everyone takes copious amounts of notes, and most people seem to strive to take on leadership roles! Speaking of which, yours truly was one of 2 people elected as the Social Coordinator Co-Chairs...It was especially flattering because it was at the end of the day, after we had been talking about leadership qualities, and I beat out a few other people! Ironically (or not), it was me and another sorority alum who were elected...

Anyways, enough for now, I just got back from dinner and a beer with some of my classmates, which was nice, and now I'm off to read and sleep before we head off to the home campus of SUNY Oneonta tomorrow morning! By the way, I'm counting down the HOURS until I can move into my apartment--I'm SO sick of living out of my suitcase!

Until later,
Elizabeth

...long days...

Today started out early. You know that feeling when you're afraid you might accidentally sleep in, and you have something important early in the morning? I had that today, and instead of waking up at 7:30 as planned, my internal clock chimed around 6:15. Glorious.

Orientation went well today--lots of the same conversations, but that's just how it goes on the first day in a new place. It's weird, because everyone's really friendly, but it's not like college where, even if you get along really well, you hang out right away. Here, since everyone lives in separate places, (or at least some of us do), it's all a little more disconnected, and at the end of the day, at least in my experience, we go home and relax. If only my "home" was actually my apartment. I can't WAIT to move in already!

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the end of the week when I can move in and start my routine, but until then I have lots of class bonding to do!

xo

A new experience

The past few days have been many things--hectic, tiring, emotional, exciting, and hilarious at times. Driving across the country with my mom was anything but boring, though there were moments where I think both of us would have loved stopping off at a spa, if not only to give the Dragon a rest, to rest our own eyes and get some TLC....

I suppose that many wouldn't feel too sorry for us--we had more than three days to complete roughly a 22 hour drive, and we only had to go about 8 hours a day. At the end of the day, we would unwind with a refreshing glass of white wine, a (hopefully, but not always) good meal, and a tv show or movie while laying in our hotel-room bed. These beds, however, tended to be in less-than-satisfying rooms in random places throughout the eastern US--I think both of us have agreed to never stop in Horseheads again, or to stay at Christopher's Lodge in Oneonta. Though I love me a king size bed, I dislike stained duvet covers and antler chandeliers. Call me crazy, but...

Yesterday, after finally arriving in Cooperstown, my mom and I walked around, and she got to see most of the town. It was crazy busy--these baseball fanatics are hardcore! I dropped her off at the airport today, and after a tearful goodbye, I headed back towards Cooperstown.

During my long drive, I had a lot of time to think and unwind, and it was interesting because not only was it pouring rain, which would potentially make it hard to concentrate any other time, I realized that the haze was almost a metaphor for how I felt.  It would get hazy, then clear up, then haze up again... it seemed that during those brief moments of clarity in my head, it would get easier to ease the Dragon up a hill or work my way through the rain. When my clarity subsided, it sometimes felt like driving was impossible.

Thankfully, I made it through the weather, and now I'm relaxing in a beautiful little bed and breakfast in Cooperstown. Despite the slight awkwardness due to the fact I'm the only person staying here beside the family (Monday thru Wednesday they usually try to take time away from guests), the owners have been wonderful and I'm loving my room. It even has a bed that looks exactly like mine from home.

Sorry for the long post, but I figured that since I'll have all these things to say to people while I live alone, I might as well share...hope you don't mind.

Much love,
Elizabeth