Brain Break. Brain Brake. Brain Broke. Broke Brain.

Yesterday was a big fat brain day.

I knew it would be. I knew that after yesterday, I would blink and it would be mid-term, I would blink and it would be Christmas. Seriously.

Leaps and bounds were made in the name of Progress, however. I do love that.

My first class is going to be amazing. Five minutes into it and I was already wishing that I could take more courses with her, that she had taught my Southern Women class, and that I wanted to ask her to be on my thesis committee. She is the former dean of our Liberal Arts college and she stepped down in order to get back to doing what she loves, which is teaching students. This was her first class and man, she was in sync! LOVE! I have a huge break from 1-5:45 on Monday and Wednesdays and I will be using that time to do work on campus and meet with my thesis prof. I went and found him, Professor Hayes, in his office and we set up to chat a little later.

That meeting was awesome. I enjoy him so much. We settled on a thesis topic. Did you get that? WE SETTLED ON A THESIS TOPIC!!!

Should I post it here? Is it a secret? I don’t know. I’m writing over the works of Flannery O’Connor. And we set up a plan (I do love a plan) to meet every Monday. I have a reading assignment before our next meeting. We laid out the timeline that I’ve initially sketched out and both agree that it’s going to be a bitch, but whatever. I’m not here to get my nails done, I’m here to get my degree. If it were easy everyone would have one. (do you even RECOGNIZE ME from the girl a year ago??? I laugh. It’s crazy.) So, that felt good. Progress. A Plan. An assignment. Boom.

We also spoke of ph.d programs, and finding the right one, and the GRE exam. I feel anxious about the timeline for this. But whatever. It will either work out, or it won’t. If it does then hurray. If it doesn’t then something will happen that will put me on a path. Hurray again.

I think I got a glimpse of my online prof. I was talking to another student (remember when I went days w/o talking to anyone? I talked to LOTS of people yesterday! I knew them and talked and sat next to them…Ahhhh) and we both just looked at stared openmouthed. It was kind of like a Bigfoot sighting. “He’s real” said my friend, awe in his voice. I’ve got so much reading to do for that class that my eyes may cross. I’ll be cracking that book after paying bills this morning.

While I was sitting in the common area, organizing, reading, ordering extra books, someone plopped down beside me at the table. I looked up and it was my prof from the first class! We talked and talked, I explained about my impending trip to San Diego and that I just made the choice and would miss two of her classes, and we arranged a way for me to work online while out there. Then Prof Hayes plopped down and we three started chatting. I could weep. It felt the most like USAO in that moment. A student walked up to our table and asked “us” if we could show her where the bathrooms were. It was a small thing, but in looking back, another sign that tells me that community is the place I want to be.

My night class is Literary Criticism. That in itself sends shivers down the spines of every student to walk the halls in the Liberal Arts Building. The reputation of the professor and the class and the tests and the lectures have a life of their own, so large, so fearful, so negative that  I was really shaky  before class. (also I’d only had two Cliff bars all day long. that didn’t help) The class, I’ll tell you, is what I thought graduate level classes would ALL be like. The professor reminds me of my friend Brad. So I’m no longer fearful of him. He runs a tight ship. That’s fine. It’s an all graduate level class. That’s good, too.

I don’t remember what literary theory, if any, that I’ve had. So, I ordered an extra introduction book that he mentioned in lecture. This is going to be one that bends my brain in ways heretofor unknown. I’m ok with that…but it’s a little scary. If I lose the 4.0 it’ll be because of this class. I’m determined to work that much harder.

This morning I’m paying bills. Tax bills, house bills. Reading. I have to go up to campus and buy another book. Do more reading. Get prepped for tomorrow’s classes.

First, I’m going to go for a walk. It’s beautiful outside. And I need some fresh air.

Happy Tuesday, yall. I love your support and I love George Clooney.