And so it goes...

The title seems rather melancholy for welcoming in May, a month that I love. But the past week has been bittersweet, grad school-wise. On the one hand, I'm thrilled to bits that classes are over, that I'm two papers (and a thesis) away from a masters, but on the other hand, endings are hard for me. Monday I spent several hours in the grad lounge, 'reading,' just so that I could hang out with people up there, knowing it would be one of the last times. Tuesday-- my LAST Tuesday, finally-- we had an exhibit gala of our tobacco projects for Material Culture. The exhibits turned out much better than we had anticipated (my case was called "Peddling Poison," about advertising and the tobacco industry), and the gala was lovely. Zan came to see it (!), and Dr. and Dr. Mrs. Whittenburg were there, and they had those good brownies from Ukrops/now Martin's. Wednesday was our last ever Comparative Race Relations class, thank God. Just have a paper left for that. Afterwords we went out for our last Wednesday Grad Dinner at the Leafe, and I had two pints of Strongbow, then went to Ben's and watched Amanda Lee battle Amanda Scott and her boyfriend at billiards. Then I completed my last assignment for my Independent Study-- watching Shakespeare in Love. Thursday, at the Reves Center, Amy gave us a big cake that said "Thank You" on it, and I fell asleep in the grad lounge before I had my last class ever, EVER, at William and Mary. And Friday, I wanted to start a paper, but instead I had lunch with my usual group, then hung out in the Sunken Gardens with Amanda Lee, Jeff, and Amanda Scott, partaking of the free food and bouncy obstacle courses, but not the traditional alcohol. Friday, too, Stephen moved out and into his new apartment, so the house seems a bit empty. And Friday evening I spent with Zan! We made dinner and watched an episode of Gilmore Girls (we alternate between that and DS9) and discussed our next mini-golf outing. That night we (the grad students + me & Zan) had our last real hurrah of the year-- karaoke at Bourbon Street, where we went one of our very first nights in Williamsburg. Zan and I sang a reprise of our "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and added to it Britney Spear's "Toxic" and Simple Minds "Don't You Forget About Me" (i.e-- the Breakfast Club Song). We make the best karaoke team-- he's an amazing singer, and usually knows the songs much better than I do. I also sang Celine Dion's epic "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." I drank rum and coke, and took pictures, and laughed, and made plans for the summer with the people who will still be here, and wanted to cry because Amanda Lee was leaving the next day and nothing will ever be the same again. Saturday we had our very, very last grad school event-- the HGSA picnic. And now I just have two papers and the year is really, truly done.

Saturday night was fun, though, and not a bit bittersweet. Zan and I drove to Woodberry for Mike's The Fall of the House of Usher, and I wore my new polka-dotted dress and we listened to 1776 and a CD I made him and Barenaked Ladies and Pink Martini and we sang along. And once there, Mike's musical was really good, better than when I saw it this summer at the Fringe, I think (though that may have been the quality of the performance space). We didn't get home until about 2:00 AM!

Today I'm getting lunch with Kacey, working on papers, and hoping to hear back about a Research Assistant position. And so one thing goes, but more is just beginning. I will look back fondly on this year, but I can't wait to see what the future holds!

And, for tradition's sake, "Tra-la, it's May! The lusty month of May!"