I am so glad that, despite the minimum wage pay, I decided to take the job working at the library this summer. I am working directly for Susan again, but instead of doing data entry on the Manuscripta database, like the last time I worked there, she's got me doing a bunch of different projects, ALL OF WHICH I'm tickled to death about ( Read more... )

I received this email this morning. While I am very sad to be absent from these meetings, I can't wait to participate in the conversation some way via email or skype, and hear the results of these discussions.

Dear all ( Read more... )

The last two days have just been reading renaissance art and social history. It's been hard work, but hard work that doesn't make me stressed and anxious, so it's been a welcome change of pace. I'm actually looking forward to meeting with Dr. Gavitt tomorrow to talk about the stack of ten books I somehow covered in three days. Not somehow- I know ( Read more... )

Yesterday Casey spent the afternoon and evening coming up with the idea for a history studying board game to make flashcard work more fun and memorable. I was blown away by how sweet it was that he wanted to help me and make the whole process of studying again less horrible. And it was actually a lot of fun! We started with a set I knew well(ish) ( Read more... )

Today I'm learning about the political development of the Kingdom of León-Castile.
Things that have amused me during this kind of boring process:
1) Google Translate of Spanish Wikipedia (which is WAY BETTER for Spanish stuff than the English). I love that Google thinks "Rey de León" is best translated "Lion King." You are Correct, Google.
2) Sancho I ( Read more... )

I learned a lot today reading through the most important battles of military history, but the coolest thing I read about has GOT to be the 2010 recovery of the mummified head of Henry IV of France.

In 2010, a multidisciplinary team led by Philippe Charlier, a forensic medical examiner at Raymond Poincaré University Hospital in Garches, confirmed ( Read more... )

Today I remembered that I hadn't checked mySLU for my course evals yet, and I'm so glad. This batch made me feel GREAT, because for the first time I didn't have a single bad review! That's especially sweet because I really do think this was my best semester of teaching yet and that I was on top of my game for Spring 2012 History 112. I'm most ( Read more... )

Yesterday was rather up and down. In the morning the school sent me an email that I'd be getting my own class, and in the afternoon I heard back that that was a mistake and I was not getting my own class next fall after all. I was elated and then crushed. SLU giveth, and SLU taketh away. Oh well. Casey pointed out that I'm still going to Spain, so ( Read more... )

Today was a relaxing Saturday of doing laundry (god I love the smell of my new fabric softener), drinking hazelnut coffee (dunkin you really are the best), straightening up the apt., opening all the blinds to let the afternoon sun in, watching Battlestar Galactica on the couch with my little family, savoring Casey's slow cooked pot roast dinner, ( Read more... )

Up at 1am reading about the history of the Capetian monarchy. Yuk. I truly dislike political and military history, and this book has 420 pages of one king after another, who they made alliances with and warred with and battles they fought and lost and nobles they had spats with and popes they offended and their heirs and UGH, it's just one boring ( Read more... )