Dear Diary

Here are things that have happened recently:

1. Had a lovely research writing class today. We headed off on a library field trip, where they were forced to actually find books on the shelves. We reviewed things like subject headings and reference materials and my personal favorite: "quick-and-dirty" evaluation of sources.

2. Received an actual letter, in the mail, from Dr. Paul, currently residing in the wilds of Jersey City, New Jersey. Dr. Paul strives to preserve the gentlemanly arts, including thank-you notes and proper etiquette. As a naturally crass person, I miss his company and, of course, his influence.

3. I have received much reassurance regarding my ongoing job search. And I've heard from a couple of schools whose searches got off to a late start to see if I'm still interested in being considered.