What I did on my Thanksgiving break

Thanksgiving turned out to be different than originally expected. My grandma went into the hospital with a Staph infection. It was touch and go for a while, but she’s home and even went to the beauty parlor today (she has to have an IV bag on antibiotics daily). She’ll have surgery for a condition related to the infection on Wednesday, and hopefully that will be that. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed. I’m not mentally prepared for her to die. I mean, she taught me how to make blintzes and other Jewish specialities. But, I don’t know if I’ve heard all her stories. And I’ll miss her love and support.

So, we didn’t have a big-family Thanksgiving. Instead, I drove home to Madison where we had a intimate nucular family thanksgiving.

I also didn’t get my hair cut or tromp in the woods. I did, however, go bowling, giggle with my sister, and play with the puppy. We took a few walks and I almost lost him on the second one. He’s a wonderful cuddle bug. I was happy to stop in at Starbucks to say hi to a few old co-workers. And, I ran into another one at Trader Joes.

I stocked up on diet coke, dried fruit, and pretzals for finals week. Coming up!

Tomorrow, I’ll spend the day at the library tackling Hebrew.

Sixth Annual Operation Gratitude

Last year, I posted my 5 things that I am thankful for on here. And I’d like to continue the tradition.

Here’s the explanation:

What you do:
1. Name five things you are thankful for this year. You decide the
scope and level of seriousness/silliness/both: something that made you
smile today, people, activities, anything! Please don’t be a smartass
and say, for instance, you’re grateful that something annoying didn’t
happen to you today. We all have those days, but this isn’t a forum
for complaints.
2. Resend to the person who sent it to you + anyone else you want to
be part of the Operation.
3. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving remembering what you are grateful for!!!!

I’m happy this tradition grows every year. However, if you choose to
participate, I ask that you be deliberate in who receives your list -
I love reading your responses but others may not want flooding in
their inboxes so let’s be aware and respectful and avoid using ‘reply
all.’

My Sixth Annual Operation Gratitude (in no particular order):

1. University of Chicago: and to the other grad schools who accepted me. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to move on in my life to something that I truly enjoy. And thank you, University of Chicago for providing me with a new challenge. And thank you for reminding me about the diversity of the academy. Not everything/everyone is going to be a Smithie!

2. City of Chicago: I’m so glad to be back in this thriving, interesting city. I love being able to visit your coffeeshops, restaurants, and streets. I thrive on your diversity and vibrancy. And I relax at your lake.

3. Old friends: Thank you so much for listening to me and making me laugh. I would not be where I am without all of your support and stories.

4. New friends: Thank you for making this new, strange, and sometimes unfriendly academic environment feel warm and fuzzy. And for all the laughter.

5. Congregation Sinai 8th grade class: you are the most amazing 8th graders that I have ever met. You meet each challenge I hand you with aplomb. You ask hard-hitting questions. You challenge assumptions and intolerance. And you behave, most of the time.

Plans for the week

I just saw someone else’s plans for their week on their blog. And while I did many interesting things this weekend, some of them (well most of them) are mundane in their interestiness. Mostly interesting to me and others involved.  Instead,

This week I will:

Hang out with friends and laugh, a lot because it’s good for you!

Get my hair cut so that I will look less shaggy for my grandparents/family

Eat turkey with 20+ people in the ‘burbs.

Play with the puppy

Giggle with my sister

Visit my old ‘bucks to see friends

Tromp in the woods

Come back to Chicago ready for week 10 Aaaaaah!

*at University of Chicago, week 10 is the end.

Registering for Winter Quarter tomorrow

Tomorrow (Monday) we get to register for winter quarter classes. I love planning, of course, so it was delightful to sit down and look at the time schedules and plan out what to take. I am so glad that registration is positioned late in the quarter, because my experiences thus far have focused my needs as a student. Because of my experiences this quarter I’m taking a course that looks at religion and politics using case studies. Because the course I’m in now is completely theoretical and I feel like I’m spinning in the air without any foundation. I honestly still don’t know what the point it. And the students are so into spouting their own theories, it’s ridiculous. Although, that’s not ALL the students, some people say intelligent things. I can’t even talk.

The intro class has also showed me what professors NOT to take classes from. After Smith, where excellent teaching and interesting classes were the norm, I’ve been unimpressed. The professors may be excellent scholars, but  for many, their teaching style leave something to be desired.

I’m not unhappy, I’m just transitioning and easing into this unfamiliar academic environment. At least I like the people!

So, here are the titles of the courses I plan on taking:

Media Matter (cultural studies)–He’s seems really fun and dynamic, but since it’s kind of “extra” for me–not in my itnerest area, I’ll be taking this pass/fail

Jewish Thought and Lit. 2: Rabbinic Judaism from the Mishnah to Maimonides–will provide important background and uses primary and secondary documents to provide historical context. Yay!

Religion and the State: uses case studies. Yay!

Intermediate Biblical Hebrew: Well, a necessity. And he’s a nice/good instructor.

Please. Let it be January 5 already!

Grad School strikes again

It’s getting hard to keep this up. I’ll keep on going, but with grad school and battling a rough sinus infection it’s sometimes tough.

I’ve been fascinated by the fascination that quickly developed about the Obama family’s private life. Here in Hyde Park, the only difference is is that you can’t get all the way through 51st without taking a street around the barriers. If I want to take a walk past Woodlawn (haven’t recently), I have to show ID. There are Obama streetlight signs, and apparently a whole bunch of entrepeneurs selling Obama gear. At school, in my Religion and Democracy class that mostly focuses on theory (blech!), the empirical topic of Obama’s rhetoric came up and was discussed.

Everyone seems to be happy about the election (ok, the liberals, at least). People have hope. It’s a good thing, but it’s already faded for the people I know in relation to the current attention paid to quizzes, exams, and papers.

It’s grad school.

Big Event

I’m working on my first grad school paper. This is a big event, because it’s been 4 years. It’s due at midnight tonight, and I have 2 pages of notes. ‘Nuf said. But, I’m not worried. It’s short. Wish me luck!

Feeling the City

Saturday I spent by myself. It was really good, since it’s become more unusual in the past few weeks. After so many months of being a big-ole loner, I’m not used to this continuous social thing. So, on Saturday, I did things with myself. I drove a little ways further down Lake Shore Drive in an attempt to find the Wooded Island. But, I didn’t bring a map with me, so I was on the wrong side of the Drive. Instead, I had a lovely, although windy, walk up to Rabida Hospital.

Afterwards, I decided to drive to Chinatown to buy some Chinese buns and do a little grocery shopping. It felt so good to be out and about in the city. I have felt kind of isolated and stuck in Hyde Park, as it is South of downtown. I was so used to my convenient Logan Square location before. I bought a few buns (perfect for a snack!) and a couple sesame balls. I was able to find some potstickers at the grocery store to buy, as well as some other cooking supplies.

Today, Sunday, I did not go back to Hyde Park after Sunday School. Instead, I picked up S in Ravenswood and we drove to Evanston for lunch and hanging out. We had a lovely time, just doing that. I used to drive to Evanston and hang out before. It felt good, doing normal Chicago things.

Halloween 2008

I don’t remember what I did last year for Halloween. I haven’t the slightest. I bet that I worked though. But, that’s all I can remember. This year, it was actually commemorated semi-appropriately.

A couple of friends and I went to Lincoln Park’s haunted sanitarium which is in Theater on the Lake. I was kind of nervous because I scare easily, but it actually wasn’t that bad, since I was prepared to be scared. And the haunted sanitarium was quite cool. There were some very elaborate, interestingly artistic touches. I hadn’t been in a haunted house in a long time. It was fun.

Afterwards, we went to Bucktown to Margies Candies for ice cream. I hadn’t been back in the neighborhood in so long that I kept getting turned around, but we eventually got there. If only I had a compass…

It’s strange going back to the “old” neighborhood, because it just seems so much more familiar to me than anywhere else.

And now, it’s back to being all about school…