New Excitement and Same Old Grind

While I was at the school library last Saturday, prepping for the semester, Liz, one of the librarian assistants, who I think is cute, was working the desk. When saying "bye" on my way out, I found out she had an hour left before her shift ended. She's always seemed sweet when I've talked with her, so I spent the next hour realizing I could ask her out and unsuccessfully trying to think of valid reasons I hadn't. Right as her shift ended, I arrived back at school and must have been delayed just a bit too long in the restroom, which I decided to visit because of the cold outside and nerves and thought collection. A library tech whom I hadn't met but who's been working there two months already (no, really, I go to the library regularly) let me know I'd just missed Liz.

Well, not losing heart, I went back the next day to study and hopefully to just happen to run into her. Over the course of a couple conversations, the head librarian let me know Liz wouldn't be at work again until Tuesday, that email would indeed be a poor way of asking her out (hey, I wouldn't have even asked if I thought it was a solid idea), and that, officially, the conversation hadn't taken place in case there was some policy against staff/student relationships. I had already ruled out the potential for conflict of interest situations, but spurred on by the librarian's last comment, I looked through the relevant sections of the faculty and employee handbooks without seeing anything forbidding me from asking out Liz (though, a lot about faculty/student fornication). Still, I wanted to be sure everything could be above board, so I talked with the heads of HR and Student Services on Monday to see if they could think of any impeding policies I hadn't found. They gave the all-clear, with the small caveat that we should maintain gossip about our fellow university denizens at a minimum.

With my carte blanche filed away, I made a point to set up shop in the library Tuesday afternoon. After a while of partially-successful studying, I decided to visit the restroom to empty the nerves out of my bladder then make my move. Apparently adrenaline causes amnesia, but I think after asking how her weekend went and if her cold was any better, I inquired about her dinner plans before asking if I could take her out sometime this week. She said, "Yes"!

She got off work at eight, so we decided to go to Noodles and Company for a late dinner. Though students have a lax dress code, business casual is still required for staff, so I went home and changed out of my jeans and T-shirt to more closely match Liz's apparel. We talked about work, school, family, and interests and it was really fun getting to know her a little bit more. She's a self-proclaimed nerd and likes Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and the like, and she was an English major, so maybe she'll appreciate my strange fondness for grammar (I consider it a matter of personal growth that I can include split infinitives in this post).

I was really happy about not displaying my usual ineptitude with conversation. However, when I dropped her off at her car, I showed my lack of dating experience by not getting her number, nor making any future plans, nor whatever people usually do after a date, but she mentioned she would be working Wednesday, so I figured things would sort themselves out somehow. I made another stop at the library the next day and did what I hadn't the night before, so I now have her number and we're going bowling tomorrow afternoon (actually, later today, by my clock). I'm excited about the potential in the relationship: someone to have fun with, a girl to whom I can apply the first person (I've never been in a "we"), life less lonely, a look into whole new aspects of life by finding out about her interests and activities.




Regarding this semester, while starting well, it has already turned into another sleep-deprived exercise in deciding how best to manage falling behind. It helps having three passed (no, not past, but that's true, too) semesters of poor sleep and study habits to reassure me that staying caught up is not the end-all of med school. It's also helpful that I'm more motivated now than I have been for most of the passed (wait, that should be past) year and a half. Anyway, speaking of poor sleeping habits, it's way past (or is it passed) my bedtime.


Scott