In which I bitch about work and geek out over architecture…

I got kicked out of my office today. The reason: I had stayed to the unconscionably late hour of 5pm. Yes, I do work for the government.

This has never happened to me before. To be honest, my illustrious 9 year professional career can’t be totally characterized by diligence and initiative. But, of the times I’ve shown such positive traits (like, well, now) I’ve never had them countered with cross armed intransigence. You need me to leave because you need to lock the door? Rotate the knob ninety degrees and firmly pull shut; I think I can handle that – thanks.

Ok, yeah, the above comes across as whiny and petulant. That’s because it is whiny and petulant. I’m grateful to have an internship and I like the people I work with and think it will both be rewarding and look good on a resume. But still. I’m not good at acting like an intern. I’m thirty fucking one years old for the love of god. I know how to act in an office setting. I am a professional. And for the first time since entering grad school, I feel like a college student. And not in a good way.

The internship is a great opportunity and the overall goals are totally worthwhile and the people I’m surrounded by are as intelligent and professional as they are friendly. I just feel confined. And I don’t like it that much.

But talk to me again in a few days. Who knows, it all may be better. That’s the way my life rolls.

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In other news, nice try to both Jenn and Pete, but you are both sadly wrong. Although, two things….

Jenn, the library wasn’t a bad guess. It was designed by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, & White and is considered a great example of Renaissance-inspired design. And Pete, I didn’t even make the connection between the reflected building and the Bromo Seltzer Tower, but you’re totally right. It does look like it. An interesting side note is that the tower was a later addition to Boston’s Customs House that was built in the 1830’s-1840’s. The designer of the Customs House was a guy named Ammi. B. Young who also just happened to design Wheeler House, the home of UVM’s Historic Preservation Program.

No, my favorite building can be see to the left of the large glass tower. (is that the Hancock Building?) Trinity Church, designed by larger than life, debatably crazy, and my favorite architect – Henry Hobson Richardson. Nuance is a challenging word to throw around when talking about Richardson’s designs, but I will anyway because I’m pretentious. Trinity lacks some of the nuance of Richardson’s later designs, but it’s an unapologetic lacking. Trinity is massive, it is textured, and it is decorative. It is both fanciful and real at the same time. Richardson’s influence was such that he is considered the developer of the first true american architectural style – Richardsonian Romanesque. Instead of an adaptation of european styles, Richardsonian Romanesque was exported from the states and influenced tastes and designs in europe.

Anyway, I like the guy, I like the church, and I got to take a tour and see it from the observation deck of the Prudential Building. Lucky me.

Now it’s time for dinner where the pasta sauce will substitute soy crumbles for ground beef.

Lucky me? To be determined.

A beautiful spring day.

Ok, I must now officially quit at least 50% of my bitching. Until the heat of august, I have nothing to complain about.

Spring has come to Vermont.

It’s really a gorgeous temperature today, and not too bad on the humidity front either.

There is, quite literally, not a cloud in the sky.  Perfect.

Campus is crowded today. For a month’s worth of Mondays and Fridays it’s Accepted Students Visiting Days or some such. Right now, the university is overrun by highschool seniors and their parents, looking all around at the place where the kids will spend the next four and the place that will quite probably change thier life.

It’s funny to walk around and see them and remember when I was in their place… thirteen years ago. One thing I’ve noticed is that a good portion of the parent/child groups have one member appearing to be totally scared out of their minds. Sometimes it’s the kids, and sometimes it’s the parents. Regardless, one of them is thinking “Oh my God, what did I get myself in to?”

Other than that, One of my major papers is done, leaving two to go. Oh, and the internship is starting to firm up a little.

This weekend we get to play VT tour guides to Emily’s aunt and cousins. It’ll be good to see them and I do love playing tour guide. Maybe that comes from my days as an undergrad orientation leader.. who knows?

Regardless, the weather will be beautiful and the company will be good.

And that’s what life is all about.

In which I go a little nuts with bullet-pointed lists

This wasn’t so bad of a week.

On Tuesday I found out that I got the internship I wanted, which is great for three reasons:

  • I have an internship and will fulfill that portion of my degree requirements thus bringing me that much closer to the Master’s.
  • The internship I wanted is in Vermont, which means that I won’t have to leave for the summer which means that Emily and I can run around and play in our new state in the summer time and all our loved ones can come and visit and all will be right with the world.
  • I. get. paid. (Objectively, not a huge sum of money, but subjectively anything higher than my current wage of zero dollars an hour will feel like a fortune.)

I’m still a little jumpy about it, because even though I know I’ve been hired, I don’t have much in the way of specifics. I know generally what I’ll be doing, but I don’t know where or what the start date will be or what a typical day will look like yet.

And, as we all know, “not knowing” is my least favorite way to feel.

So I’m happy about that, but still a little apprehensive at the same time.

Other than that, I have three big assignments hanging over me:

  • A continuation of a paper I wrote earlier in the semester about the history of railroad grade crossings. (This one will be specific to their age of automation – the 2nd half of the 19th century.)
  • A portion of the nomination form for a property whose owners want it on the National Register.
  • A 20 page report (with 15 minute presentation) on my spring break research trip.
    • This is the big one. It scares me.
      • A lot.

So that’s where I’m at. Good times, and I’m happy. But also slightly scared.