TGIF

Like it being Friday matters when you're in grad school and already behind and it's only the first week. Sometimes life is so complicated. Some part of me wants a simple, straightforward life, but I create a zigzag trail wherever I go and that can be interesting because it blends a lot of ups and downs, quiet times and chaos, laughter and tears. Right now I'm on a path that seems to be heading toward a cliff; I guess I'll find out if I can fly when the time comes. 

My dog Kodiak was an adventurer, always on the sniff for a new place to explore. Even in his old age, when he could still walk, if I left the gate open while parking my car in the garage, Kodiak was out and down the street, following the whims of his spirit. So different from my other dog Sully who used to venture only across the street on the rare occasion when he meandered outside the yard. But now, since Kodiak is gone, Sully sometimes travels down to the corner, sniffing the plants like Kodiak was wont to do. It's as if he assimilated a touch of Kodiak's personality. He's even humping the cats now, an activity that Kodiak used to enjoy.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm adventurer too but I don't know it. In my heart I travel the world, hiking across Antarctica, risking my life by climbing K2, boating down the Amazon, dog-sledding in the Northwest Territories, exploring Hong Kong and China, trekking through the wilds of Africa, RVing across the U.S. If I had the money, I would do all of those things (except climb K2 - I would hike the 330 miles from Askole to gaze at its magnificence but that would be as far as I would go). It's been said that money is the root of all evil. In recent years that can certainly be said to be true, but I believe also that the lack of money keeps people from realizing their dreams. After awhile, people just stop dreaming . . . and that is the death of the spirit.

So, even though I have to read many textbook chapters this weekend, as well as begin to think about what to do for all the upcoming projects, I like that it's Friday. I don't know why it matters, but somehow it signifies an end to the workweek that I no longer participate in. Friday means the beginning of fun, even in a grad world filled with work. On Friday, and the ensuring weekend, I can lazily dream about harsh and beautiful places like Antarctica and K2 while I'm safely ensconced in my house with the leaking roof, reading about MARC and AACR2 (library science stuff). I continue to dream because one day -- you never know what the future will be -- I just might make my aspirations a reality. Hey, those hardy souls living on Antarctica could be looking to hire an archival librarian in 2013. Hmmmm . . . .