Occupied Day

Dear Coley,

     Sorry I haven’t written in a while, I have now entered the ‘there is at least one test and something else due each week’ part of the grad school journey. I have not started counting the days or anything, that would be way to depressing, but I did look up flights home for Christmas (fyi: Dec 13^th folks…. that’s what I am aiming for).  Anyway, with all of the school work, and exhaustion I have had recently, the city life has taken the back burner. That is, until yesterday.

     I had an interview for an internship in the City Hall area of downtown. The actual building I interviewed in was right beside the, well one of the many, Opera houses of Philly. Even though I live in Center City….. the office was in, what I call, center Center City (a nice 12 blocks east of my place).  I haven’t completely mastered the bus system, other than knowing what bus to take to school, so I opted to walk in the morning….. in interview attire and heels….. bad idea young lady!  I look down on those women who walk in suits and tennis shoes, but they are swiftly becoming the smartest women I know.  So, I got the internship (yay), and then had to head to get my urine drug screen for my background check. 

    So, I walked the lovely 9 blocks north toward, what I now refer to as, the ghetto lab place. Sat there for a nice hour, and then finally got drug tested. (Ironically there is an article in the New York Times today about mandatory drug testing of welfare recipients, and how recipients think it is discrimination and unfair, saying that the government is implying that they all use drugs). Well my loves, hate to tell you, but I guess it also means that the government thinks middle class, white, grad school-going, southern ladies, also use drugs.  I had to put my big girl panties on (or the reverse actually) and take the test, so get over it, and pee in the cup the same way I did….. Wow…. I am becoming more “Northern” everyday….. did you hear that attitude?

     After that lovely event, I decided to walk to where I knew a bus stop would be, so it could carry my tired self home.  Little did I know that I would have to walk through City Hall which is currently being occupied.  Not occupied by the normal homeless people that sleep there all day, but occupied as in “Occupy Philly” aka the cousin to “Occupy Wall Street.” It was a little awkward to walk through the tent yard they had set up, in my dressy attire, and hear all the chants and rants. I don’t know exactly how I feel about the “Occupy” movement.  All I know is, the homeless people were getting a little restless and tired of those smartphone yielding, constant picture taking, ipod toting squatters, taking up their normal benches, haha….. at least they gave out free food. I think it is safe to say that no one is going to be occupying North Carolina any time soon, so that was interesting to see.

     I finally made it to the bus stop, and took the right bus home (small victory), to change and then head to the library for a night of studying. Oh the life of a city grad student.

     I hope that you are doing well.  I miss you so much. The other day I was so excited because I got a lot of mail….. just to realize that it was actually for my neighbor, and the mailman had accidentally put it in the wrong box, haha.  So far you and my grandparents have been my mail supporters, so thank you.

Talk to you soon,

Courtney

Oh, the internship- I will be working with The National Nurse Center Consortium, a group of lawyers and grant writers who work to lobby Washington for increased Nurse Practitioner scope of practice (pretty much to make insurance companies grant us privileges and make the state governments quit narrowing our rights).  My job will be to do legal research, write law makers, and support whatever campaign the office is currently working on.  They gave me a little desk, with a computer and phone.  That’s all I know so far, will start on Halloween.(I figured this year I will dress up as…… a real professional).