Nice.
I love being back in California. Screw Seattle.
Being away from the history department is good. Granted, I like the people there, both students and faculty, but it was also eating away at my motivation. I was pretty much running on empty there at the beginning of January.
Now? Totally reinvigorated. I spend usually around 4-5 hours in the archives each day, although I tend to take one or two days off during the week (and I never go into the archives on weekends). I ordered a laptop computer - a slightly used G4 iBook - last week, and it's already proving its value. Now on the ferry trips to and from SF I can actually get work done instead of just stare out the window at Angel Island.
Spent lots of time looking through mayoral papers - John Shelley and Joe Alioto in particular. Their staffs did a good job of collecting stuff from grassroots activists during their terms in office (together, 1963-76), everything from letters to publications to leaflets. It seems that these mayoral papers are the only place many of these items can be found, which helps me out immensely.
I'm going to a graduate student seminar at CSU Northridge later this month where I will present the first part of my research. I'm looking forward to it. A few months ago I'd have been nervous as all hell, lacking confidence, but now I have good feelings about it.
Will I get all my research done by June? Maybe, maybe not. Might fall between 2/3 and 3/4. But this is a productive time. Rekindling my love of history. Still, I do look forward to a Seattle summer, teaching again, and the prospect of a permanent return to California. I ought to enjoy Marin, I'll never afford to live here...
Being away from the history department is good. Granted, I like the people there, both students and faculty, but it was also eating away at my motivation. I was pretty much running on empty there at the beginning of January.
Now? Totally reinvigorated. I spend usually around 4-5 hours in the archives each day, although I tend to take one or two days off during the week (and I never go into the archives on weekends). I ordered a laptop computer - a slightly used G4 iBook - last week, and it's already proving its value. Now on the ferry trips to and from SF I can actually get work done instead of just stare out the window at Angel Island.
Spent lots of time looking through mayoral papers - John Shelley and Joe Alioto in particular. Their staffs did a good job of collecting stuff from grassroots activists during their terms in office (together, 1963-76), everything from letters to publications to leaflets. It seems that these mayoral papers are the only place many of these items can be found, which helps me out immensely.
I'm going to a graduate student seminar at CSU Northridge later this month where I will present the first part of my research. I'm looking forward to it. A few months ago I'd have been nervous as all hell, lacking confidence, but now I have good feelings about it.
Will I get all my research done by June? Maybe, maybe not. Might fall between 2/3 and 3/4. But this is a productive time. Rekindling my love of history. Still, I do look forward to a Seattle summer, teaching again, and the prospect of a permanent return to California. I ought to enjoy Marin, I'll never afford to live here...