Today�s project is dredging up information on the 1893 Chicago World�s Fair. Although many of the articles themselves are fascinating, I�ve been dragging my feet on this section because it�s well-trodden ground. It�s pretty impossible to write a dissertation that deals, even in part, with Chicago in the early 20th century without talking about the world�s fair. Even if you don�t think you need it, someone will call you on it. But even if it�s necessary background for my diss readers, it�s not my project and it�s not especially creative work, so I�m finding it tedious. Nothing like a bad attitude to make work take twice as long as it should. I have been enjoying the Bromo-Seltzer ads at the bottoms of many of the newspaper columns, however. E.g:

�When pain and anguish wring the brow
A ministering angel thou� � Bromo-Seltzer

AJ has been terrorizing K. all morning. He even staged a break-in to my office and attempted to wheedle me out to play with him. It�s hard for him to know that I�m home but won�t play with him. Every time I start feeling like a guilty mommy, I try to think about the fact that if I don�t finish this project I will be a depressed and impoverished mommy and won�t be much good to anyone. I think AJ�s attempted coup today stems from yesterday when he caught his father and I trying to *gasp* go out to lunch without him � our first date in months. Now he�s convinced that he�s missing out on something.

It�s almost time to go rescue K (did I mention that since the 4th of July, each of her toenails is painted like a little American flag? Or that she's lately been sporting an enormous rhinestoned letter K, at least 3 inches tall, around her neck?). I think I�d better bang out a few more sentences of chapter.

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