Professional Adventurer/Archaeologist (Desk Based)

So, a lot to talk about this time - it's been a busy week. The flat is sorted - the supervisor sent me a beautifully printed Durham University reference, and so as of this week I have somewhere to live! It's incredibly exciting - just the thought of having keys again to somewhere I can call my own! Not that living with Alice hasn't been lovely - it certainly has - but I'm sure she is ready to get rid of the clutter that my belongings are causing, not to mention the general air of charcoal smoke that pervades some of my clothing...

Let's face it, on my budget the flat isn't up to much on my budget... but it'll do for now. It really has the feeling of a struggling artist's hole...

More good news, I am no longer merely a struggling unemployed graduate hopeful, I'm now officially a freelance environmental archaeologist! OK so I only have one client - the Nevern Castle Excavation, but it's good work - essentially continuing my masters for payment. Not bad eh!? I also have a second job as a tutor for students with disabilities, something I'm actually really excited about - I've always wanted to do some teaching - I think I was made to be a mad professor...

So things are looking up. In other news, my wonderful girlfriend got me tickets to London to see Avenue Q last weekend so we had a wonderful time seeing the sites - though it feels like we've walked miles. Definite recommend for the show - just go see it before it closes!

I'm writing this in the sun beside my floatation tank watching the mud break up off the stones and the charcoal spill into the sieve... it isn't a bad life. I'm poorer than the proverbiable ecclesiastically inhabiting rodent (sp. Mus musculus), but I'm outside in the open air, gaining data about a specific environment, and all seems good. I just hope I get paid soon enough to pay the rent......

Will Dig For Food...

Just a brief update on what's going on...

The Dissertation is printed and goes for binding tomorrow... it's very exciting, and fairly nerve wracking - I have to force myself not to look at it because I'd be sure to find many small mistakes...

I found a lovely little room to rent right in the centre of town for an absolute steal...unfrotunately they need an employer's reference. Supervisor/employer has said he'll give me one, but nothing yet. Also I need another job. The CV has been distributed all over the place, but no response yet. I'm sitting by the phone and computer refreshing my inbox over and over. It's all very tense. I have one interview on Wednesday to work as a disabled tutor/note-taker at the University. Which would be cool - very worthy, lots of interesting lectures (it'll actually be interesting to go to not Archaeology ones for a while), it'll keep my academic brain in good working order (like it ever was) and the pay's good. The downside is that the pay is not secure... don't know what I'll get week to week.

Sometimes I understand why graduate schemes are (were...) a good idea.

Keep Smiling!