Truancy is defined by Webster’s as “being too lazy or preoccupied to update your web page which you really ought to do more often, you know, instead of running your nerdy little video-game armies roughshod across a virtual medieval Europe”.

Anyway, I think that what it means. Might be wrong.

But I have been truant and by that I really do mean “wayyy delayed in updating this little corner of the interweb.”

So, where have I been?

Busy, that’s where.

I have been taking a class on Wednesday nights. The fact that it’s in DC means I have been getting to work early on Wednesdays so that I can leave work early so that I can make it to class on time so that I can sit in a swelteringly hot room only to leave two and a half hours later only to get home by about 10:45 wherein I promptly scarf down a “dinner” that hopefully is comprised not entirely of lard.

So yeah, Wednesday has been pretty much zombifying me for Thursdays too.

Related to class I’ve been busy writing two papers regarding historic preservation: a 4-pager on making preservation relevant to its community and a 10-pager on conflicts between preservationists and religious groups. Good times.

Oh, and there’s also the four grad school apps I was scrambling to get out on time. Which, surprisingly, I did. Mostly. There was some confusion/delay surrounding one of my letters of recommendation, but I don’t think that turned out to be a big deal.

The big deals are bigger and much more potentially spirit crushing.

Ball State University has denied my application because my undergrauate cumulative GPA doesn’t meet their minimum requierments. This does not bode well for the other schools.

And, after applying for federal finincial aid, I learned that my federal ‘expected family contribution’ is 28,570. That is, based on what Emily and I currently make, the feds expect us to kick in twenty eight thousand five hundred and seventy dollars – annually – toward my education. Keep in mind that, should I actually be accepted anywhere, my annual income will drop to approximately zero dollars. I will be a zeroaire. But the federal financial aid app doesn’t take that in to account. I blame the republicans. Or maybe the liberal whackos. Anyway I blame someone and that someone isn’t myself.

It’s all so disheartening. I feel like I’m fighting this huge uphill battle to even get in anywhere and then if I do I may have to eat a slice of “ha ha just kidding – you can’t afford it” pie.

Emily’s been wonderful and supportive and helping me to feel as hopeful as I can.

But I feel like the universe just likes to kick me in the balls.