My freakin' awesome day!

Every once in a while the universe conspires to just make everything click into place ... today was that time for me. I apologize in advance for the gloating ... but today has just been too awesomely perfect not to share.

To begin with, I had my first day on the job as a new associate at the Stephen S. Clark Map Library at UM. Turns out this library is a much bigger deal that I originally suspected; it is combining three different smaller areas of the graduate libraries (Maps, Government Information, and Data). Their mission is to make all this information freely accessible to the public so the new space they are building is front and center right across from the main reference area. We'll have digital display areas, a lab area, and a designated teaching space all beyond just the collection. It will be epic ... and I'm the new data person. LOL! Meaning, I'm the only one working there (as a graduate student) that isn't specializing in Library Science ... so I get all the neat data visualization, analysis, and GIS (geographic information systems) projects. SCORE!

Then I had an impromptu meeting with the resident Information Technology and Communication for Development specialist at my school. I'm taking his class, but I wanted to ask him if he'd be interested in some of the research projects I'm working on ... including some collaboration I'm doing with a former colleague on Social Impact Measurement for non-profits. I laid out my plan for how I want to take advantage of all these networks that are working in tandem around me at the moment: my colleague, Alibeth Somers, looking at Social Impact Measurement; the Data Without Borders team that is trying to connect non-profits in the developing world to data scientist in the developed world to help solve their information flow problems (through Contextual Inquiry to all my SI501 friends* out there!); and all of the student groups on campus that are focused towards improving NGO performance through better data implementation, like the Community Informatics Corp. He was a little skeptical at first (mostly because my project sounds enormous) but once I showed him some of the work I did at Agribusiness Systems International in Lucknow, India he said "That! I want you to write a report on that!" Cha-ching! Finding a faculty advisor: check!

I was already planning on picking up my amazing bike today (the shop put a kick-ass basket on back so I don't have to wear my backpack when I'm riding). But just actually having it was squeal worthy!

And THEN (!) my friend Gina (of moving-in fame) finished her preliminary exams (qualifiers for her PhD candidacy) ... and so we celebrated with an early happy hour! Huzzah for excuses to drink beer at 4:30pm on a Monday afternoon!

And THEN (!!) I got an insane 4 missed calls from Allen. I called him back worried that something had happened - and something had happened: SOMEONE MADE AN OFFER ON OUR APARTMENT!!!! YEAH! We haven't decided if we're going to accept (they offered lower than our asking), but we have begun negotiations! Someone liked our apartment! Hope is not lost!

And THEN (!!!) nearly 20 minutes later Allen calls to tell me that someone else is coming to see the apartment this evening! WE ARE COOKING WITH GAS FOLKS!

I don't know if anything will come of these prospective buyers for our apartment, but it takes a huge weight off our shoulders to know that there is interest ... and that Allen might finally be able to join me in Ann Arbor before Thanksgiving!

So you see, I couldn't NOT tell you about this crazily-awesome-amazing-fantastic-joy-filled-crazy-freakin'-day I had today.

Have you ever had a similar type of day? I hope so.

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* SI501 is the required course that MSI students at UM have to take. It is essentially about project management, but done through the lens of contextual inquiry (ie seeing how users interact with their information/data and to see if there are any outsider perspectives they can give on how to improve flow/process). It is apparently the class everyone suffers through (crazy amounts of busy work and you're working on a team, who you apparently want to murder by the end of the semester). I feel pretty fortunate that my 501 group seems really awesome and I'm hoping that we all make it through this class alive.

Getting Settled in A2

So last week I give you a pretty pathetic picture of what my life in Ann Arbor is like ... but really ... it isn't all that bad.

All the newbies at orientation

I started classes this week at the School of Information and am excited about what I'll be taking this semester: Statistics, Java Programming, Information Technology and Communication and Development, Community Informatics Seminar, and a fundamentals class that all MSI students have to take to graduate. The workload is a little heavy, but it is a good mix between technical and reading classes ...so at least I won't be completely overloaded using just one side of my brain.

Fingers crossed, but I also think I've found some students and professors on campus that I might be able to collaborate with on my interest in Social Impact Measurement (what brought me to SI in the first place).

I also start my new job at the Stephen S Clark Library, the new maps and government data library, on campus tomorrow. I'm looking forward to working in this space not just because of what I can contribute given all my experience working with government data but because of what I'll be able to learn about new mapping techniques and software.

And last, but not least (I certainly have been a busy bee this week) ... in the spirit of becoming a true Ann Arborian I got a bike to get around town in. Really, this town is nuts about bikes, which is great and horrible all at the same time. It means that there are tons of bike lanes and drivers are more conscious of bikers ... but it also means that many of the bike shops in town cater to higher-end clientele ($6000 for a bike! yikes!), which doesn't really jive with my student budget.


She doesn't look like much, but she's a comfortable ride and I'm actually really digging the retro look. Now all she needs is a NAME! Got any suggestions? I'm open to audience participation!