The week, and with it my time in Chicago, seems to be ending quite rapidly. Today is my last day working at the school, once I actually get out the door (setting my own hours: disaster) and last night was the final MAPH social hour. Drinks, stiff and expensive, at the Checkerboard Lounge a few blocks from me.

Most of the people I knew flaked, but thank the Zombie-God for Joel. Well, and at this point I'm acquainted with almost everyone in the program.

I tried to avoid being all "Dan of the Blogs," but last night everyone seemed to be revealing some fascinating store of hidden knowledge. Apparently two hours isn't a long drive in Florida, custom tuxedos should never have notched collars, and Schlitz switched back to its original recipe in 2000. Needless to say, I also engaged in a lengthy discussion of how best to survive a zombie attack. We need a better term for hidden expertise – "trotting out your show rats" captures the situation perfectly, but that Frasier allusion is a lost cause.

The plan right now is to move everything to Brainerd, stay for a day or two, and drive down to the Cities with the stuff I'll need to live in Jenna and Markie's apartment. I'll wave my hands in the air one last time as I note that this is all what will probably, most likely, almost definitely happen, and that one phone call could change the situation drastically.

This may be why I'm so reluctant to leave the apartment these days.

That sounds whinier than I mean it to be. I'm sure I can find a job in the Cities, albeit maybe not in my field, and after living in Chicago, rent for this sublet looks cheap cheap cheap. Thankfully Jenna lacked the malice and/or wherewithal necessary to take advantage when naming her price.

I just dislike this waiting, knowing that after I send out the apps there's not much more I can do to influence my future. I've been reading more copy-editing blogs and I'm anxious to get back in the game.