DreamGirls

Saw it last night and it was fantastic! I could definitely see that one again. The good company of Thomas and Twisha helped :)

careening through the universe

I can't believe that i've been in chicago for 8 months already because it has flown by. If ya'll remember, my contract with the Field Museum is only for a year, so come the end of may (a short 4 months away), I'm done. When I accepted the job, I thought, yeah, a year...that's a good amount of time to be in chicago and a good length of time to have my first job. Well, like I said, it's absolutley FLOWN by and now I'm faced with a dilema that I'm not ready to face: Should I stay or should I go??

I've been thinking about this decision for a long time, I dream about it, I pray about it, and I definetely cry about it. Why does this job that I love more than I can express have to be so far from home?

I had a really good convo with a friend last night about growing up. She says there comes a point in your life when you realize that you're your own person, your own little life, and you can make decisions that are yours alone to make. Before you get to this point, all your decisions are affected by how your parents, siblings and others think you should live your life. It's a part of growing up that hopefully everyone is faced with at some point...if not, are we really growing up?

I think I'm facing that point in my life right now. I'm trying to decide where I should be right now, with a strong arguement for me to move home and a very strong arguement for me to stay in Chicago. My family has always been and will always be influential in my decision making process, but I need to make decisions that I can live with myself, and even though I LOVE my family more than anything, my decision may not be what they're hoping I decide.

That being said....I'm staying in Chicago. My boss is going to hire me as a permanent employee as soon as this exhibit is finished. I'm going to be in chicago until God tells me to re-think this decision. Isn't that awesome?! God is allowing me to make this decision for myself...and I know he'll be with me the whole time.

you can't kill soul

Yeah, so, it turns out I didn't have time to think, (see previous post) as I'm just now getting a chance to update my blog. Work has been a whirlwind the past 2 weeks, but things just started to settle down today. I worked 121 hours in 2 weeks when I normally work 70. The amount of graphics my team has sent to the printer is staggering, i don't even know how many, but for sure more than 2,000. That's probably a very modest guess, but whatever.

Time for some serious R&R. I'm sleeping in tomorrow, babysitting tomorrow night and relaxing on Sunday afternoon. I hope to read an entire book this weekend.

I've been in a funk these past 2 weeks due to the stress at work, but I think i'm finally out of it. I began thinking creatively again on my commute to work today, rather than just blanking out for the hour and 15 minutes it takes me to get to work. I like thinking creatively, and i'm very excited to know that I still know how too....work hasn't completely exhausted my creative spirit. When i fully regain my creative story telling, i'll be sure to post something of some interest. but for now...time for bed!

wide awake it's morning

I can't sleep. I've been up for over 2 hours now and it's only 8:30 on a Saturday morning! I have no where to be, no reason for being up this early...I just can't sleep and it sucks.

Well, I guess I do have somewhere to be today, I have to go into work, but not til 1 this afternoon. I know, what the heck am I doing going into work on a Saturday?? Let me just TRY to tell you how crazy busy things are at work:

• In a mere 12 days (including the weekends), we have to have ALL remaining graphics ready to be sent to the printer. This may mean nothing to you, but there are a lot of things that have to be taken care of by then. Whole components of the exhibit are in flux right now as we work to finalize sizes, colors, materials, images, copy, etc.

• Even though the exhibit doesn't open to the public until March 9, we have to have it finished by the 1st. Thats when the VIPs (the directors, board members, president, and the press) all get to walk through and do whatever it is they have to do...critique it, film it, write about it, I don't know. Whatever it is, we have to have the exhibit finished by then.

• Proofing/printing of graphics takes upwards of 3 weeks, installing the graphics into the exhibit takes an additional 2 weeks, which puts us right at March 1.

• Artifacts can't be installed in the cases until all graphics for that case are finished and installed. This puts a time crunch on the production crew who have to pull all nighters to get the cases installed and closed up.

• I've already worked 55 hours this week, not counting what I'll work today.

Needless to say, the next 7 weeks will be interesting, tiring, and stress filled as we wrap up the Ancient Americas. I'll try keep you posted if I have time to think...

The year of james bond...007

Good things are in store for 2007 if New Year's eve was any indication. I went out with Jen and Becky to ring in the new year at a favorite bar of ours. here are a few pics.