Saturday, what a day..

So, I started this blog and then promptly got so busy in such mundane ways that no second post seemed worth it. But that's no way to run an internet communication! Lack of time? Bah! Lack of titillating events? Pish! Just write something, eh?! That sentiment is my motivation today. It's a gloomy, cloudy Saturday morning here in Edinburgh, something I have become used to, even in the month of June.

Ya know, everywhere complains about their weather. No population ever truly admits their weather rocks, or at least not for very long. Buffalo, NY, has fantastic summers but everyone always complains about the snow in March. The Carolinas have the most gorgeous springs, but their summers evoke rants and raves about the humidity, the temperature, and the horrific UV index. Even still, both those places are willing to take their nice seasons as times to forget the bad ones and just enjoy yourself. Scotland can have sunny days and Fall's not so awful here, but it pretty much takes the cake when it comes to miserable weather. What's even better is that people have just come to accept this and, moreover, have turned winging about it into a national past-time. An entire popular psyche has been formed around the fact that the weather will, inevitably, let one down. On a sunny day: "It won't last." "I'm in the office today and damnit, on my day off it will no doubt be raining." "Ugh, the sun is too hot!" On a rainy day: "It's just not worth getting out of bed sometimes." "Ach, it's no different from any other day." (For the record, all direct quotes from Starbucks customers.) On a gloomy day: "At least it's dry." That's as optimistic as it gets. "At least it's dry." To be fair, that's usually my response to a Scottish customer's characteristically gloomy statement. Oh my.

On a more uplifting note, I have nothing official to do today! No ghost tours, no barista-ing, no meetings. I do, however, always have research. Academia is the kind of job that follows you around. People in offices talk about constant projects and such, but those are usually short-term bursts that end in a couple weeks and then a new one comes along. Turnover is pretty good. People who work shift jobs generally take nothing home with them and just enjoy their lives guilt-free until the next shift comes along. Not so in academia. There is always something massive looming over your horizon. (Wait, is this a Scottish weather discussion or what?) A dissertation doesn't write itself and even in a week where I've been to the library five times, I feel as though I should use part of my Saturday to get that little bit more read. After all, it's past mid-June (eek!) and writing must commence in July. MUST. You may be detecting a hint of resentment in this explanation, but the truth is that I love this. True, it can weigh you down and you have to learn to actively let go in order to truly enjoy a nice time, but in the end it is so much fun. Research is a bit of a drug for me. Writing is a bit of a drug for me. Getting a degree is a bit of a drug for me and I enjoy every enslaved moment in the library, sifting through sources for great quotes, fascinating ideas, or simply the satisfaction of saying that particular historian had his head on backwards when he thought that theory was a good one. More immediately and less ephemerally important, perhaps, is the fact that I have a meeting with my advisor this coming week. So goals must be met, progress must be made, and Saturdays cannot be devoted to snuggling with my giant stuffed hippopotamus in my Little Mermaid sheets. To the library!

P.S. In case you thought the hippo was a joke: