Library Work
It's Sunday afternoon and back to the horrifying reality of endless lines of angry library patrons!
Actually, I've checked in one book from the overnight drop and put money on a printing card for one patron since getting here an hour ago. Other than that, things are about as relaxed as can be. I've *so* needed a job that doesn't stress me. I feel like I am good at, or will soon be good at, all the tasks involved, and I have time to myself for reading or studying if I start school again.
Getting here on Sunday is a little weird because not all CTA L lines are running. Instead I took Metra to downtown Chicago and biked the two miles to the library. A short ride in the morning and a long one home in the evening make me happy. I'm not even stressed that I'll be home at 10:30 or so and up again at 5 to work opening shift on Monday.
And I read a book over Wednesday and Thursday. I read voraciously most of my life, but I hadn't read a book since leaving grad school. Trying to sit and read gave me anxiety; I felt like I had to tear through it as fast as possible. But on the commute, I was able to relax and read "Freakonomics". I've heard the radio show on the way home from the shelter on Thursdays, and I'd picke dup the book at a thrift store because the interviews and discussions were so interesting.
I liked it a lot. Levitt has some really interesting insights. Of course, it's all quantitative and speculative. Very insightful speculation on quantitative data, but still speculation. I'd like to see some qualitative work based on some of his hypotheses.
Anyway, today I'm staring on Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions." It's not as popular-audience oriented as "Freakonomics," but it's not a thousand-page door stop either. If the whole book comes down to 'sometimes you break your scientific paradigm and have to build a new one', it at least won't take me more than three or four hours to find out.
Actually, I've checked in one book from the overnight drop and put money on a printing card for one patron since getting here an hour ago. Other than that, things are about as relaxed as can be. I've *so* needed a job that doesn't stress me. I feel like I am good at, or will soon be good at, all the tasks involved, and I have time to myself for reading or studying if I start school again.
Getting here on Sunday is a little weird because not all CTA L lines are running. Instead I took Metra to downtown Chicago and biked the two miles to the library. A short ride in the morning and a long one home in the evening make me happy. I'm not even stressed that I'll be home at 10:30 or so and up again at 5 to work opening shift on Monday.
And I read a book over Wednesday and Thursday. I read voraciously most of my life, but I hadn't read a book since leaving grad school. Trying to sit and read gave me anxiety; I felt like I had to tear through it as fast as possible. But on the commute, I was able to relax and read "Freakonomics". I've heard the radio show on the way home from the shelter on Thursdays, and I'd picke dup the book at a thrift store because the interviews and discussions were so interesting.
I liked it a lot. Levitt has some really interesting insights. Of course, it's all quantitative and speculative. Very insightful speculation on quantitative data, but still speculation. I'd like to see some qualitative work based on some of his hypotheses.
Anyway, today I'm staring on Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions." It's not as popular-audience oriented as "Freakonomics," but it's not a thousand-page door stop either. If the whole book comes down to 'sometimes you break your scientific paradigm and have to build a new one', it at least won't take me more than three or four hours to find out.