time flies when yer stuck on the outer drive express

Wow, this week has flown by! I have had an interesting and exhausting week. It has been difficult getting used to a new schedule. Getting up at 6:30am is not my bag. So, it is going to be a challenge to get a new schedule in place, and give much needed time and attention to rest, health and care.

The commute from door to door is about 2 hours. I am trying to readjust my attitude towards it. I have generally considered commute time as a part of "work" and I am trying to think of it more as a time of "leisure." I have time to read, knit, listen to podcasts, and relax. I am still trying to find the best way to get from the Metra station downtown to work and back to the station. So, it's going to take a little while to knock the kinks out of my routine. The Outer Drive Express bus broke down three times while I was on it on Wednesday and yesterday morning I waited over 40 min on Michigan Ave for one to arrive. Very frustrating. I may just stick to the Red Line and have a little extra walking in my day - which is a good thing!

I know some of the work will be a bit dry, but some of the materials we work with are fascinating.

Above is a photo of Mollie West. She is fascinating. That photo was of her on her first trip to Russia, at a labor union rally/demonstration. She emigrated to the US from Poland as a child, was politically active at the age of 12, and a member of the Communist Party into the 1960's. Most of her items and paperwork have been catalogued, however there is an addendum yet to be processed and I am going to have the honor of working with it. I am very excited about this. I will share more about Mollie as the days pass. She is still alive, though in her mid nineties. Beth (my boss) and I have talked about going to meet her. She is in a nursing home just down the way from Loyola. We aren't sure what the proper protocol is, but we would like to visit with her and enjoy some of her company. Beth wasn't sure of her lucidity these days, but maybe we can try and visit sometime soon.

I enjoyed a quiet day at home today. I plan on relaxing as much as possible over the weekend, but have an orientation at IPS tomorrow. I am looking forward to it. Next week will be my first full week of both work and class. It's going to be a challenge, and I hope to be in a good routine within the next few weeks, so I am better able to enjoy my time at home.