That is to say, the time to do all of these things... and none of the money necessary to do any of them.

Here's what I tend to say to people in SA's situation: What you have in the bank right now is Freedom. That's what you should spend. If you don't have the money to go backpacking in Europe, then scrape up the bus fare to San Francisco where people will gladly host you. And San Francisco is very fun on the cheap.

I'm eating Italian Wedding soup for lunch. It makes me think of Maria.

Loved your recent pictures, btw.

Thanks! Hey, if anyone else wants to see my New Zealand photos, you can find them at [link]

I love italian wedding soup.

What you have in the bank right now is Freedom. That's what you should spend. If you don't have the money to go backpacking in Europe, then scrape up the bus fare to San Francisco where people will gladly host you. And San Francisco is very fun on the cheap.

That's my goal. I just want to do something, you know? I'm not even sure I can live a life without an institution behind me anymore, though.

I'll admit to being completely baffled by the squick-reactions to the breastmilk page. I really don't see what's wrong with it.

SA! I got your phone message yesterday, right before I went to bed. (The cell phone lives in the depths of my purse, which was itself in the depths of a tote bag, which itself was in the kitchen. So I definitely didn't hear it ring. When I got ready for bed, I happened to hear a beep, and lo, you had called.)

I should be cleaning right now, but if you have time, I can call you right now. Check one: yes/no.

Also, want to come up next Saturday night for a Halloween party? A Halloween party with....errrrm....I should probably call you. But you should come up for it!

I really don't see what's wrong with it.

I don't think anyone's saying there's anything wrong with it, per se, just that they couldn't see themselves doing that with their leftovers. I know I wouldn't have, had I even enough to breastfeed my own kids, but that is because I'm lazy.

Check one: YES

Check one: YES

Okay. Incoming as soon as I find my phone. (Cleaning is a messy process for me, in that it generally creates more debris.)

I think you should go to grad school. Or they should.

I have considered re-attempting the PhD, but the fact that they want money for it usually dissuades me.

I do not think the school would still be standing if I sent them.

but that is because I'm lazy

Laziness, I understand. It was the initial chorus of "EW!" that made me wonder if I'd clicked on the wrong link.

I'm not even sure I can live a life without an institution behind me anymore, though.

This was me eighteen months ago. And then I got used to having a a forty hour week, and a steady income, and now it's killing me being back in college.

The best thing about my year off? Not feeling guilty. For the first time in my life, if it was the evening, or the weekend, there wasn't any work or study that I could/should be doing. My time was my own, and I had actual, honest-to-God money to do things with it.

The main goal of my year off was to save money for my post-grad and get some field experience, which I did, but I probably should have taken another year and travelled. Maybe next year.