SO, after much moaning and groaning and gnashing of teeth, I think I have decided what I want to be when I grow up. My new venture is made up of half what I really want to do with my life (academia in literature) and pragmatism (actually being employable). I have decided to start the application process for a Master of Arts in Education.

If I went for Elementary Ed., I would have to get a second Bachelors in Education before starting the long and arduous Masters program. With a Masters of Arts in Education, I can get my Masters in about the same amount of time it would take me to get that second Bachelors in Elementary Ed. I won't be certified to teach when I am done, I will be qualified to be a Reading Specialist. Reading Specialist are in HIGH demand so I should have no problem getting a job when I get my degree. I will be dealing with literature, just at the most basic and accessible level-pretty much the opposite of my intention when beginning my literature degree- but still. And I will have the same schedule as Henry and Kyle. And I will be employable anywhere in the country should we decide to move someday. And, should we ever (don't hold your breath) decide to ahve another baby and I am jerked from the workplace again, I will be qualified to do part time tutoring privately-also in demand.

So what's next? I have to take the GRE. Yikes! Henry is at babysitting co-op right now, so I took the opportunity to go to the bookstore ALONE (!!!) and got a light GRE prep book. I went online and bought the heavy duty/with CD ROM prep guide from Half.com for $8. It was $41 at the bookstore. Score! I took a couple of practice "analogy" sections just to scope it out and I got around an 85%. Not too shabby for someone 6 years out of any kind of school. It is the math that has me worried. Since I somehow managed to test out of math in college, I haven't had any math instruction since 1993. Scary. I am really going to have to study the math before I am comfortable even attempting the GRE. I think I am going to give myself 3-6 months to study as a rought timeline. We'll see.

I also need to scrounge up 3 letters of recommendation. Who the hell am I supposed to get to write those? Bam can write one since I was technically her Research Assistant and a guest lecturer in on of her classes. And she has a fancy professorship and will write nice things about me. I can try to track down Craig Dionne, the always supportive and far too good looking smartypants Shakespeare prof., but will he even remember me 6 years out fo school? That still leaves 1 more. Do you think they'd accept a letter of rec. from my mom? I was thinking about the law firm, but the one lawyer who I really liked and clicked with is no longer with the firm.

Ah, thoughts of school, how I've missed you so.

Now I have 27 minutes left until I have to get Henry. In the 2 hours and 33 minutes I've had Henry-less this morning I havemanaged to: go to the shoe store and try on tons of shoes so I can order them online with the gift card my oh-so-thoughtful-brother got me for Xmas, go to the bank to deposit a check and cash in $57 worth of rolled change (where the roof of the drive through had collapsed and was laying on the ground!!!), go to the yarn store, go to the post office, call the Medicaid office to get Henry's pediatrician situation worked out (and then emailed to harass them further when she didn't answer her phone. Again. Yup, it might be obnoxious, but she emailed me back and I got it worked out.), called Neighborhood Housing Services to see if the Office Manager had a timeline for me (she wasn't in the office today), and have the above mentioned lingering bookstore experience. I rock.

Now I have just enough time left to order shoes and get an OB/GYN referral from Dr. Rob. Woot!