So, one of the coolest things about grad school is doing research. I wish I was being sarcastic. It’s a little embarrassing that I love this shit so much. Undergrads don’t get many opportunities to dig through collections in archives. So, naturally, doing so was something that I was looking forward to upon starting classes this fall.
For one of my classes we have been assigned a document project in which we must locate at least 15 primary source documents from an historical collection. Like a good student, I chose a topic that interests me (the Sex Wars) and started searching early for primary source documents in the U of L archives. I found nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Jack Shit.
Okay, don’t panic. Positive self-talk is as important as taking good notes and getting enough rest (all of which I absolutely do). Just need to widen the search.
Hells ya. There it is! The perfect collection on a group that worked on anti-pornography legislation in the 1980s. That will be awesome. It has everything: mission statements, meeting notes, brochures, speeches, papers. Wow.
For one of my classes we have been assigned a document project in which we must locate at least 15 primary source documents from an historical collection. Like a good student, I chose a topic that interests me (the Sex Wars) and started searching early for primary source documents in the U of L archives. I found nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Jack Shit.
Okay, don’t panic. Positive self-talk is as important as taking good notes and getting enough rest (all of which I absolutely do). Just need to widen the search.
Hells ya. There it is! The perfect collection on a group that worked on anti-pornography legislation in the 1980s. That will be awesome. It has everything: mission statements, meeting notes, brochures, speeches, papers. Wow.
FML. It’s in Minneapolis.
Road trip? I look up the drive on Google Maps. 12 hours, 700 miles. Hmmmm. Oh shit, why the hell not. It’s what I want to study. It’s a great project and I love visiting new places. Plus, SPOCK might be convinced to go with me. How bad could it be?
I am glad you asked. Here are some random thoughts I felt needed to be recorded from the LONG day:
Hour 2: What a beautiful day! The leaves are turning colors and it’s just gorgeous. I am just the luckiest person in the world to get to do something like this…following my dreams and passions. Love it.
Road trip? I look up the drive on Google Maps. 12 hours, 700 miles. Hmmmm. Oh shit, why the hell not. It’s what I want to study. It’s a great project and I love visiting new places. Plus, SPOCK might be convinced to go with me. How bad could it be?
I am glad you asked. Here are some random thoughts I felt needed to be recorded from the LONG day:
Hour 2: What a beautiful day! The leaves are turning colors and it’s just gorgeous. I am just the luckiest person in the world to get to do something like this…following my dreams and passions. Love it.
Hour 4: Wow…my butt hurts, maybe I will stop and grab a snack and drink.
Hour 6: Oh fuck, oh fuck…I have to peeeeeeee and I am stuck in the middle of Chicago’s toll hell. I am rapidly running out of money.
Hour 6 and ½: Whew! I feel better, I can handle this. Halfway there. Uhhhhh, how the hell do I get back on the freeway? There is no entrance going the right direction. That’s okay, Maggie (my GPS) will get me there. Get back on the freeway going the opposite direction and turn around. Good work Maggie.
Hour 6 and ¾: Fuck you Chicago. I don’t have any more quarters! I can’t get off the fucking freeway and turn around without 50 cents. Are you kidding me? What asshole thought of not letting people drive off a freeway unless they pay? Actually, that’s kind of goddamn brilliant. From now on when people come to my apartment, I am not going to let them leave until they pay me a dollar. Oh good, a place to turn around. Only lost about 30 minutes.
Hour 8: Stop for gas and text SPOCK (who did not come with me—for good reasons) the following: In the future, when I come up with dumbass plans like, “how about if I jump in a car and drive for 12 hours today, alone, without any of my own music, through the Chicago area (where all the toll booths in the world went to die),” please do whatever it takes to stop me, up to and including beating me into submission.
Hour 10: Driving sucks. It’s dark. I can’t see to change CD’s and I almost got in an accident trying. Best to just try to find a radio station. Thank god for NPR.
Hour 10 ½: Oh god I am an idiot.
Hour 11: Stupid, stupid, stupid. Hate life. It sucks ass.
Hour 11 ¼: Headache, heartburn, stomach ache, blurry eyes…
Hour 11 ½: Must be almost there. Must be close. Must get off my ass.
Hour 11 ¾: Fortheloveofgodandallthesaintsinheaven. What the fuck was I thinking???!!!!
Hour 12: Finally arrived at hotel and showered. Bed is soft and warm. Maybe life isn’t so bad after all.
In case you were wondering...the rest of my trip went really well. I found all of the information (plus more) that I needed. Here is a picture of me digging through the archives:
In case you were wondering...the rest of my trip went really well. I found all of the information (plus more) that I needed. Here is a picture of me digging through the archives:
6 comments:
That is hilarious! I can't imagine doing a road trip like that by myself. Well done. One of my sisters is an archivist with our state historical society. It would make her very happy that you found what you were looking for. : )
Obviously you are awesome, because seriously? I get twitchy driving more than 2 hours at a stretch. Good for you, glad you didn't die on the highway.
The research she's doing is awesome. The road trip is not, since she's a terrible driver and I fear for her life whenever she gets behind the wheel.
But listening to her talk about porn all day is pretty awesome...
I am not going to lie--I am already thinking that the Sex Wars is a great topic for my thesis which is the only way that this road trip will have been worth it.
Patty and Maresi - I am glad you understand my pain. All Spock said was "nut up--I used to drive 22 hours without stopping."
And Spock - I talked about porn even before this research. =)
I miss you so much. My daughter and i are laughing so hard. Just incase people think it is strange that my daughter is reading this, she is old enough too and know alisha. My oldestdaughter loves your writing. I love how open you are. I love it!!! LOL the nun??? that is what the oldest daughter said and then laughed so hard. xoxo
Too funny, I can relate to the Chicago tolls, when I first moved here I couldn't believe that there were so many tolls the first one I went through I took a handful of pennys and tossed them in and hid my face so they couldn't get my picture but of course they had my license plates pictured too! HA I thought I was so smart! Now that I live here I am used to it and I use an IPass it's attached to my husbands company card though so I don't pay the tolls and of course in great Illinois fashion their raising them again in January ugh!!! Next time you decide to drive through Chicago stop by and take a break for the night it may lessen the frustration!
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