Hil, at least you're distracting yourself in a productive way that will help you later to study, right?

Night, sort-of, Perkins!

I'm awake! And trying to convince myself that I don't have to go to a job interview tomorrow if I'm 75% sure I won't be here in the fall.

Hi, Nilly!

Hi, Emily!

Not being there in the fall means a possible job somewhere that is else?

That's the idea. I'm thinking West Coasty thoughts.

Hil, at least you're distracting yourself in a productive way that will help you later to study, right?

True. So far, I've gotten the piles of papers and stuff off my couch, desk, and the little table by my door. Still need to deal with my kitchen table and the clothes that are strewn everywhere. But I have free desk space! Lots of it!

In totally unrelated news, I'm reading a story about how the military is keeping mentally ill troops in Iraq, sometimes putting them on antidepressants but not giving them real counseling or support, and certainly not sending them home, and it reminds me of the story I read recently about how no state has met the requirements for having "highly qualified" teachers in every classroom by this year. In both cases, my response is, "Well, DUH. Actions have consequences, people."

I'm thinking West Coasty thoughts

Anything specific in that coast, or just a general direction, if that's OK to ask? Either way, good luck! And that means you've finished with all your school duties?

Hil, how was the exam for the students that you tutored?

Too many specific locations, that's the problem! I haven't ruled out any of the major cities on that coast yet.

I haven't ruled out any of the major cities on that coast yet

Oh, how wonderful - all the possibilities. Remind the sieve-brained, please, which grades will you be teaching?

Hil, how was the exam for the students that you tutored?

OK, I think. I'll be helping grade it tomorrow, so I'll see then.

I've also accomplished one more productive thing today: I've got this lamp that used to belong to my grandmother. I think it's from the 1940s, maybe a bit earlier. It's a gorgeous lamp (well, I think so; after my grandmother died, when I said I wanted this lamp if nobody else wanted it, the reaction from the rest of my relatives was, "Really? You want THAT?"), but the lampshade, which I think is the original shade, is really badly stained and ripped. I'd figured I could just buy a new shade anywhere, but it turns out that nobody really makes this kind of lamp anymore, and therefore none of the regular home furnishings stores sell this kind of lampshade. And I could never quite describe it to the people at the stores in a way that would get them to understand what I was describing.

This morning, though, after a bit of idle googling, I've found out a name for this kind of lamp ("bridge lamp"), and found several places online selling the shades -- they've got them in all kinds of cool colors and textures, too. The original shade is plain white, but I think something colorful would look cool.