Life lessons from my grandma i
Since my parents have become European jet-setters (for 3 weeks, anyway), I've started calling my grandma more often, just to get advice. I just like talking to older people about my problems, because I feel like my friends are just like me- kind of unqualified due to inexperience in the world: we mostly confused ourselves even more when we try to figure something out. Anyway, my grandma doesn't sugarcoat anything. The answers to most of my dilemmas are followed by the qualifier, "But that's life, sweetie." Grr...there are still answers, right? She's too existential for me! I want hopeful suggestions.

So her main piece of advice for me, raving about car insurance woes, complaining about my loan bills, and generally confused about my future, is...to have a plan:) Alright, grannie, this is my plan:
1. I'm going to get my Masters Degree this month. I'll pay for the classes I'm taking this month with the small increase in my salary b/c I now have a Masters Degree.
2. I will start writing my novel (the new career plan instead of Law School, which, according to my grandma, would suck the life out of me and we'd no longer be able to associate). I already have the major plot points, so today I'm going to start character research. And this is not going to be another one of those ideas where I can only see the end product. I already have a cute little notebook.
3. I will work harder to emotionally compartmentalize my life. During the school year, I put my social life on the back burner because I didn't feel I could deal with that and be a good teacher (which was my excuse for all of college, too). There must be a way for me to turn off my neurosis and just get back to work after a semi-traumatic relationship situation. I need to harness my chi and make a bigger social circle.
4. I will run everyday.
5. I will eat one healthy meal a day. I'm going to keep it at that because it's manageable, and most days I will do better than that (self-empowerment!) but if I forget sometime, it's not defeating.
6. I will go to Edward Jones and invest money.

My two-year goal (which would make God get the giggles) is to be engaged to an kind, intelligent, handsome man who will go to church with me, have a bigger group of loyal friends, be a healthy, financially sound, less neurotic, M.Ed. after my name girl-about-town, and have a best-selling children's book.

Okay, that's my plan.

Here's what I've done in my first week off from work:
I've started a book sprint. I'm a very impatient reader, so I'll buy a ton of books, and then either read them each day-by-day, or cast them aside if they're not initially fascinating. This week, I reread "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Enrenreich, then "Almost French" by Sarah Turnbull, part of "Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell, and "Any Place I Hang My Hat, " by Susan Isaacs. The last was the smartest relationship novel I've ever read! Very good. My next book is "The Bookseller of Kabul" by Åsne Seierstad.

My graduate class is kind of fun, because I get to see my friends from last year's classes, but also tiring, because some of them are so tangential when they discuss what they've learned from teaching. While I love writing papers again, educational theory can be so fluffy and seems to be mostly common sense (when something doesn't work, reflect on why, and help that form what you try next), but which only through repeated drillings is actually put into practice.

So I'm going to try to spend my morning walking around Uptown, mysteriously jotting down notes in my journal, while sipping an (inexpensive) coffee drink. It's time to put the plan in action.