I work tomorrow and I’m sort of stressed out about it. It’s a closing shift and then I have class in the morning. But it’s my second to last day so I think I’m just gonna suck it up. (Real last day is Sunday.)

It is SO CLOSE to the end of the semester. My three big papers for the semester are finally all in decent working shape, even the French one, though I have to admit I have been messing around with fonts for that one. Bookman antiqua: huge. Cambria: bigger than normal. Garamond: tiny. Uselessly, uselessly tiny.

I’ve started doing pilates and everything hurts. I didn’t know I had muscles in some places that now hurt. Like the front of my shoulders.

I’m still waiting for official word from the university that I’ve been hired. Until I do I don’t even want to ask when I’m supposed to arrive so I can’t really prepare much.

it’s supposed to hit 95 degrees today. I know this is temporary (it’s supposed to be back in the 80s the rest of the week after) but it’s making me feel all summery anyway. I’m remembering Texas summer priorities:
1) shade
2) wear as little as possible
3) shade
4) sunscreen all over

I smell like Neutrogena body mist sunblock (it is the best sunscreen ever) which reminds me of ACL last September (I guess summer in Texas is sort of 5 months long). I was wondering if summer was ever going to come since we had bizarre 60-degree temperatures a week or so ago.

I went to the shoe store today and bought a pair of Naot sandals where I can take the insoles out. I bought two other pairs of shoes (in green, $100 off) too. I’ll probably just keep two of the three. But I can’t wear any of them till I go to my orthotics appointment next Friday. I guess my feel will just be toasty till then.

Monday afternoon and the cedar bumps are still there. It’s like cedar bug bites.

Obama Seeks High-Speed Rail System Across U.S.

I think they are going to be serious things. The orthotist (am learning new words every day with this foot adventure) asked if I already had orthotics and I showed him the ones from the French podiatrist and he asked if I’d gotten them from a chiropractor which I thought was comical. Anyway when I get these things (that cost $400 because they have some sort of extra support in them with some technical name, I don’t remember what it is because they took my prescription from me) I may need some new serious shoes. Orthotist says though that sandals do exist that you can wear with orthotics which gives me hope for the summer. These (in black), these, and these are all things I could see myself conceivably wearing.

For the next couple of weeks till I get these amazing board-stiff orthotics, I think I’m going to have to resort to tennis shoes. Anyone who knows me and shoes should realize that this is sort of an identity crisis for me. I hate tennis shoes. I think they’re really, really ugly. (Of course there are probably some cute ones out there that I have never noticed because I have refused to wear tennis shoes for so long.) I may have to wear my MBTs out tomorrow. Fortunately everyone (and by everyone I mean the 45,000 UT undergrads who also walk around in gym shorts and leggings with UGG boots) here wears tennis shoes so I at least won’t stand out.

Anyway, it just seems like a lot of money to spend when they may not do the trick and I might end up having surgery anyway. But I guess it won’t exactly hurt to have some high quality shoes (if I do get some) and heavy duty orthotics around.

Also am trying out this grocery delivery service thing. There is of course less selection but more importantly less walking (to carshare car, from carshare car, etc.).

thinking about October or March was like looking into a big black hole where I couldn’t believe I would still be in the U.S. and couldn’t imagine what my life would be like, except that it would still not be France.

At the same time I was so astonished at how sad I was to be leaving Reims (it was so pretty in the summer, like a completely different town) that I figured that I would get attached to pretty much any city I ever live in, including Austin.

It’s not at all the end yet (one more month of spring classes, one very full month of summer classes, and two months of probably hanging out in San Antonio, thanks Mom and Dad), and yet it’s easy to see that this year has been a good one. There was no heartbreak, no loneliness, no boredom, a few good friends made, and lots of friendly acquaintances.

I still can’t imagine staying in the U.S. for the moment. I consider it now and then and it just feels like there’s unfinished business elsewhere. But I think what I’ve learned is that how I’ll feel about all of this in the future is sort of unpredictable.

It doesn’t hurt that Austin is a multicultural, environmentalist, progressive, live music center. But I want somewhere with more history and more population density. At least for now. (Also I’d have to buy a car and get allergy shots if I were to stay in Texas.)

I didn’t do anything drastic after all. I’m just not quite ready to part with it yet. But I did get it layered and she did straighten it for me:

Here it is back to normal today:

I don’t have a flat iron and I’m way too lazy to straighten it myself. But it’s pretty fun every once in a while. Plus it looks inches longer when it’s straight. I think maybe that’s why it feels like my hair takes a while to grow out.

I think my masters report is going to involve some sort of curriculum design. Anna gave me that brilliant idea. I may also be randomly and unsystematically surveying you people on how to use certain words in English and in French. That’ll probably all happen this summer and fall.

I’m working today 4-10 and sort of uncertain that I’ll get anything done before then. Tomorrow is Easter and we are going to the Stubbs’ barbecue Gospel Brunch which I’m pretty excited about.

Oh yeah, my parents are in Paris this weekend. I told them they should go eat at the cafe at the top of the Centre Pompidou. And then I realized I have no further advice about Paris for people who’ve been there nearly as many times as (maybe more than?) I have.

cutting my masses of hair, to something chin-length and diagonal. Maybe longer in front than in back. Am not sure. I wanted to keep it long till I went back to France but now I’m having second thoughts.

1) Did not lose iPod yesterday
2) Locked self out of apartment today and did not have to pay a locksmith $100 to get in (climbed in through window which was left unlocked from a smokey kitchen a few weeks ago)

Feeling very upbeat as result.

Going to surgeon tomorrow. I hope he says these things:
1) Your feet are indeed crap
2) I would LOVE to operate on you
3) EXACTLY during the window when you want it (which is to say, the second or third week of May)

They are feeling worse and worse. Yesterday I was feeling it in my ankle since I turn my feet to the side all the time now to walk. I took my shoes off at one point and realized that doesn’t help because shoes ARE actually shock absorbing. Even my Danskos hurt now (but in a different spot, is sort of confusing). Want to know soon so that I can firm up plans such as:

Told assistant manager I am leaving at the end of the month, since, well, hope to have feet operated on, and after, hope to take classes pretty much 6 hours a day for a month. Have to be sure to tell GM soon.

Am actually waiting for official confirmation on the job for next year. Would like that sooner rather than later.

a 2br apartment in Paris November-December? It’s in the 12th. It’s charming. I’m not sure what they charge–if you’re interested I’ll ask, I believe it’s the 1200-1800 range.

In other news, my feet hurt.