Grad School Grumblings (8/19/05)

Oh boy...how quickly things can change!! One minute, you're partying like a rock star with your friends in NYC...the next, you're clipping coupons and deciding between a Whopper and the new Chicken Fries at Burger King. Yup, that's what I've been reduced to here in Evanston, during my first week as a grad student. And by the way, I got the Chicken Fries. Not bad except I had to eat them in the company of five random people chain smoking in the restaurant...disgusting! Oh how I miss the smoking ban.

As you may have guessed, I'm poor. And by poor I mean I have no money. Like zero. Turns out that my tuition and rent are due the first week of September but my loans don't get deposited into my bank account until the first day of class, which is a month away. Not sure exactly how that's going to work out. I'm looking for some sympathy (at least a little bit) or better yet a loan. Somehow I'm guessing I won't get either after spending all of the last year on one continuous vacation while the rest of you suckers were slaving away. LA, Santa Fe, Miami, Mexico, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Peru (next week)... no wonder I have no money. Did I just ask for a loan?! Don't worry, I'll smack myself for you.

So cash is probably a stretch, but maybe you'll consider sending goodies? You know, food or maybe even toiletries, hair/skin care products... especially the ones that I can no longer afford such as Aveda Curl Cream (cough cough, JD) and Burt's Bees Carrot Lotion (cough cough, Mom). Also, I saw some of those Ugly Dolls in a store window and decided I'd really like to cuddle with one at night. Either one of those or a body pillow (cough cough, anyone that's still reading). Actually, I'll take pretty much anything you want to send. And no, I'm not kidding.

UPPERS
I got my student ID and it's a HOT picture! (Now if only someone beside me and the dude at the gym could see it!) Not that I've actually been to the gym yet.

DOWNERS
The bars close EARLY here... like 1am early! I'm not sure what's worse, the jet lag after flying from Hong Kong to New York or adjusting to Evanston Everyone Is In Bed Really Early Time (EEIIBRET) from NYC Crack Time (NYCCKT).

There is not a decent slice of pizza to be had in all of Evanston and certainly nothing after 1am when I'm walking home from the EEIIBRET bars. For the love of God, how do these people live without pizza?

My shit still has not arrived from NYC which means I'm sleeping on an air mattress in an empty room. Granted, the room is 3x as big as any bedroom I ever had in NYC, but its still an empty room. Now you know why I want one of those Ugly Dolls to cuddle with!

Alright, that's all she wrote. I gotta hit the beach. Lata!