Spring thaw

Last week, I traveled to Penn State for an annual architecture recruitment fair. Our company is doing pretty well, but we’re not currently hiring. It’s kind of depressing to have to tell that to all of these kids, particularly when I know they’re hearing the same thing from all of the other firms as well. It’s just a bad year to be graduating from college and looking for a job.

Aside from disappointing scores of college students, I got to watch the Terps upset Cal in the tournament. Luckily they showed almost the entire game on TV, since the one they started out airing (UConn) quickly became a blowout. I was watching in the bar at my hotel. There were maybe three other people there, until some rowdy, grizzled old Maryland fans appeared. Their TV was lagging about five seconds behind mine, so every time something exciting happened, I could expect a sharp, delayed whoop from across the room.

Friday was the first day of Spring, and when I woke up and looked out the window, it was snowing State College. The snow continued to fall throughout the morning, but it didn’t stick. One on one interviews with students were fine, but still kind of a bummer. Lunch at Jimmy Johns was ok, although I feel as though I could've found something better in pedestrian friendly downtown. And because nothing goes with snow like ice cream, I bought a half gallon tub of “Mint Nittany” flavored deliciousness to take home with me, packed with dry ice to survive the four hour drive.

Yesterday it was beautiful outside. It was the first day in months that we were able to comfortably sit on our sunny front porch. Wearing a t-shirt and sandals, I napped, read the newspaper, and feasted on farmers’ market bread, fruit, and cheese. Flowers are beginning to grow in the garden. Ivan, the potted ivy sitting on the railing, is looking less dead. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Samia and Yolanda. Today is colder, but I am very, very excited about the inevitable spring weather to come.