Jen – Page 36 – Snark on the Side

Rejection #1

They don’t even dignify it with a paper copy of the letter.

Dear Mr. or Ms. Postal Delivery Worker, a.k.a. Mailman/Mailwoman: It is February. It can’t be a pleasant month for you. Riding in a vehicle whose heat-holding powers appear relatively low, and then repeatedly opening the window to let in more cold air cannot be fun. Delivering perfumed pink and red cards dripping with glitter mustContinue reading “An Apology to the USPS”

Reflections on Visit #1

Well, it’s over. Round one, anyway. The interview was less painful than I expected. However, there is something about visiting graduate schols before they decide to admit you that makes me sympathize with the little frogs in a biology laboratory, except they might be more fortunate, because they’re dead and don’t have to hear peopleContinue reading “Reflections on Visit #1”

Why Me? Interview #1

Next Wednesday and Thursday, I have my first official grad school visit and interview, at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia, for the Masters of Letters in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature in Performance. That’s a mouthful. Step one of interview prep: remember the program name. I’ve done interviews before, and I’m not bad at them, butContinue reading “Why Me? Interview #1”

T-minus How Should I Know?

It’s January. Happy New Year. Month of writing-the-wrong-year-on-checks-and-other-dated-items-like-tax-forms-but-we-don’t-think-about-those. Etc. AND…I can no longer pretend that the applications I mailed in November have no impact on my future plans. Drat. I should start hearing back from graduate schools somewhere between the end of January and the middle of April, if last year is any indication. So,Continue reading “T-minus How Should I Know?”

Crashing Parties, Crushing Pedestals

I love random and awkward life lessons. One of my friends, who shares my love of dancing, recently heard about a dance that was much closer to home than weekend dances tend to be. When she arrived, she was surprised to find that the boy at the door was not charging an admission fee. OnceContinue reading “Crashing Parties, Crushing Pedestals”

New Resolutions’ Year

In my book, …Resolve is a carpet cleaner. …The word Re-solution means having another go at a solution you tried last year. …If you see the email subject line Re: Solution, you know a lecture is forthcoming. I’m not the New Years Resolution type. My carpet is past help, and I’ve heard carpet cleaners are veryContinue reading “New Resolutions’ Year”

Christmas Letter – Revisited

December, 2008 Dear family and friends, After Jen hit “print” on that 90-page honors project in May, I thought life would be easier. Right. We moved back home, and three days later, it was business as usual. Most days, Jen has three to ten web pages running simultaneously. We also spend excessive time fixing commas inContinue reading “Christmas Letter – Revisited”

Would you like a "Sno-Cone"?

So, if you ever thought God didn’t care about the little things…like your personal nutrition…think again. I was making eggs for lunch yesterday, and after beating them, I was about to sprinkle a little salt on top. Apparently, either as a warning about the dangers of sodium intake or a hint that I’m not eatingContinue reading “Would you like a "Sno-Cone"?”

Black Friday: an Ethnography

I’m generally a shy person. I need a break after extensive large group time. But inexplicably, I really like going shopping on Black Friday and Christmas Eve. I am not the 6 a.m. doorbusters type of girl; instead, I enjoy rambling around the mall in the afternoon, silently smirking at the exploits of my moreContinue reading “Black Friday: an Ethnography”