As it turns out, I did have to submit some slight formatting revisions. I missed the requirement for all headings to be triple spaced, and my cover page somehow got slightly misaligned. Those were fixed, and I got final approval within a few hours of resubmission. Official university work is now complete. I think/hope.
I have started on my pile of recreational reading, but it will take some time, especially since I keep finding new things to add (for this, let us blame-praise/blame Boswell Books). Goodreads is fun too, but in a way I'm glad I'm not reading quite the same things as most everyone I know, because this would only result in a maddening number of additional things that I would want to read. With all this stuff to read, my Netflix streaming cue, which has been neglected, may continue to see little attention. Then again, little is better than none.
Job hunting continues. In addition to the previously noted job board, MilwaukeeJobs.com and JobsInMinneapolis.com have a good set of listings. LinkedIn has not been as helpful as I would like so far, but we'll see. Over the past two weeks, I have sent out nearly 20 applications.No news other than submissions continue. We'll see. I hate this part (mostly the waiting).
Places to Work Off-Campus (aka coffee shops) Review 1: Anodyne
I'm pretty sure that I did between a third to half of my actual dissertation writing at the original Bayview location. I have never tried working at the new location, so comments here will be restricted to the Bayview cafe. I will say though that I miss having the roaster around.
I have decided to divide discussions into 4 categories: space, Internet and computer accessibility, coffee, and clientele.
Coffee: Over the years I have devised a theory/test. If one plans on frequenting the same sort of establishment (such as a coffee shop) but not necessarily the same place, there should be a standard order that one uses to judge the place upon first visiting. For me at coffee shops, this is a medium skim mocha. Anodyne's is the best espresso and, and best mocha of the three places (the other two being Stone Creek and Colectivo which will forever be known as Alterra-no-wait-not-anymore-now-its-Colectivo) in my head). I think the espresso win has to do with the advantage of having a very local roaster that operates for only one (now towo) shops. The mocha here also uses powdered cocoa, which I think pairs better with the taste of coffee; using chocolate syrup of bits of chocolate only covers up the espresso.
Space: Anodyne falls in the middle in terms of space size. I think it's the best in terms of tables since it has many small ones and two long ones, and lots of natural light. Combine these two elements, and you get a friendly but still semi-private area to work.
Internet-computer accessibility. Anodyne is the only place to place a wi-fi restriction on users in terms of time. You have to make a purchase for every two hours of internet use. This was never a problem for me, but if you wanted to do some serious web-based research or read web-based texts it could prove problematic. Being able to plug in a laptop is also important, since I don't always keep track of where the charge level on mine is. Although it's best if you can get a seat right next to a plug, all seats in the main area can be reached with a standard cord. The newer seating area (left by the removal of hte roasting equipment) has less access to plugs.
Clientele: Anodyne has the least pretentious atmosphere and clientele. There is a pretty good mix of families, students, business, and regulars (those who come to hang out; often retirees). There is a buzz of conversation but most people appear mindful that they are in a public place and do their best to keep the sound of conversations, electronics, and children under a reasonable degree of control. Sadly the buzz of the roaster is no more, but the radio background is also pretty decent background stuff, although depending on the station, sometimes you do have to pause and listen.
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