Employed!

For the first time in six months, I have a job again! I wasn't planning to work while in graduate school, but I realized I really like having an income to guard against the constant outflow in my checking account. This week I started my new part-time job at the Smart Museum of Art on campus, working as a gallery attendant.

Glamorous, it isn't, but the perks are really great! The building is right across the street from the coop, my badge gives me free admittance to art museums all over the city (and rumor has it, the world), and I get to spend even more time in the quiet of art galleries, which I truly enjoy. As long as I still have time for lots of research/writing/facebooking/other grad school related activities, I should be set!

The museum is really interesting. Established by a grant from the founders of Esquire magazine, David and Alfred Smart, its galleries house over 9000 objects. (The Esquire connection is yet another sign I am meant to meet Chuck Klosterman soon.)

The temporary exhibits, which I've been guarding closely, are a traveling exhibition of master drawings from Yale University and "Looking and Listening in 19th Century France." Both are genuinely interesting, which means the three hours I spend perusing them at a time is well-spent. I haven't had to approach any patrons to warn them of "accidental vandalism" yet, but I'm totally ready to, when that time comes. Best part, my uniform consists of a long sleeve shirt labeled "Smart" perfect for dispelling any lingering doubts about my academic prowess.