Update-

The stomach flu does not help you write.

Glasses- check
Super hipster coffee shop in trendy neighborhood- check
Bad music that I can't stand- ... regrettably- check
Over caffeinated over priced over acidic coffee -esque thing- check
Writers block- check!

Why does this keep happening! I will be at work shelving books and all the brilliant ideas will run through my head. I will be asleep and wake up with the most creative ideas and write them down.
I set aside an afternoon to work on things like my personal statement or essays for school or whatever I am supposed to be working on and I wind up eating tomato soup and shopping for new sneakers. Even with the aid of my "handy dandy notebook" I've got nothing. It's like every intelligent thought I have ever had has turned to mush and run out of the side of my head. Granted I have had a stressful week but I could use that excuse every week. I have a stressful life. I admittedly like it that way.  There has to be a cure for the minor road block of, well, writers block.
One True Sentence, that's what Hemingway says right? Just start there...

My world is expanding!

I spent the afternoon in special collections at UWM. It was part of my research methods class homework. I can't lie, it was the most amazing homework I have had to do!
Not only is our amazing librarian also from Long Island, He doesn't make us wear gloves. He wants us to smell feel and get to know the books. This is my kind of guy.
After a 20 minute chat on Ulysses - Did I mention I am pretty much going to build a shrine to this guy- we got down to business. He was able to send me to a whole new source of research.
John Woolman.

Well who is this new guy! Someone new for me to research and learn about, Anti-slavery Quaker pre Revolution! I am so excited. Not that I have a lot of time to do a lot of research but it's someone new. Something I don't know about. When I get more time I can dig deeper in to this. As I am getting the information I need for my homework, I flip to the opening page of the book and what should I find- Lo and behold! Printed by B. Franklin!! Well of course, I had to stifle my yips of delight. This lead me to start talking to our librarian about my love of all thing Franklin- ok let's face it, my obsession.  Turns out we have a copy of Poor Richards Almanac as well as several other treasures in our collection. Right there, in our library. I would have never known!

Lesson learned from this, search don't stop. One little thing can lead to so much more. You never know what you are going to find. There is a treasure behind every turn. Something that may surprise you and shape the course of your research, your paper, your writing, your thinking. Even outside of history. Search, learn. Think of things differently. Look at something for something more than it is. Ask questions and learn. The library has always been the library to me. I am there all the time. I work in one, I study in the university library, I am comfortable there. Apparently too comfortable because I don't explore. Go outside of your comfort zone and explore!

Funny note, When I got home I hit up the "card catalog" and found this:

 Um, I don't know about anyone else, but I really don't think Ben Franklin is the guy I would have gone to for lady advice, just sayin'.

oh little blog, I haven't forgot about you. So much writing. So little time. I promise an update soon.

Where are the cards!!

My 18 credit load is killing me, I do not like digital card catalogs, I do not like trying to find things using magical keywords in search engines that get rejected. I would really like a room like this, a little golf pencil and to be left alone to do what I need to do.

-Sorry, I will push my glasses back up on my nose, re-pin my hair up in it's bun and go back along on my merry little librarian-esque way. Just needed to vent that.