Every morning

I've started going to bed significantly earlier than I'm used to - 11 pm instead of 1 am - which has led to me waking up at 8 am. And by waking up at 8 am I mean actually getting up and ready for the day instead of turning off my alarm and hiding under the covers for an hour or so extra.

Today I woke up at 7:45 (15 minutes before my alarm went off) and decided to chill in bed until it was actually time to get up. I have now read all the email accounts I check daily, the comics, and Dear Abby and now I have France24 streaming on my computer. Why is that France24 and BBC and Reuters are just so much better than the crap news shows here in America?? The only good news in America is broadcast on NPR :(

Speaking of, the EU is going to discipline France over the Roma expulsions? Wow, when was the last time that happened??
But seeing France on the news is hard. I miss Europe, and wish I knew French or Portuguese so that I could spend a few years over there, in a magical land where socialism isn't evil and people drink good beer. I need to study my German...in all of my free time :(

I have 14 books to read by the end of the semester, not to mention online readings and assignments. Plus when you're studying sometimes you have to read chapters more than once...or twice...or three times...

I got my contract yesterday and it seems I will get 20 hours a week, but I really need to meet with my professor and get everything hammered out - because I have to work on that project for the Society of American Archaeologists (SAA) that I'll have a poster for at the meeting in spring. That'll take up a lot of time too. I need to get keys for the labs too, I'll probably end up jingling like a janitor!!