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jazmin_firewing reminded me today that it's That Time Of Year Again, a time when schools are starting up and adorable tiny freshmen are starting university.

I wrote The Alum's Guide To University about three years ago as a handbook to student life, and I like to think it has helped people navigate the baffling, bewildering first year of higher education. I'm a bit late in linking it this year, but hopefully it will still be helpful. I will warn that it is mostly focused on American higher ed in the humanities, though there are links to guidebooks on the sciences as well.

Also, please enjoy The Omnibus Guide To Student Gems, my compilation of errors and hilarious typos from three years of essay-grading.

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I usually walk past Pioneer Plaza on my way to work in the mornings; there are two El stops that get me where I'm going, but this is a nicer walk than the other, and I get to stroll past the Tribune Tower, which I love. They often have promotional events on the Plaza, people handing out sample cereal boxes or flyers or whatnot, and usually I try to sidestep them (often with limited success).

This morning they were handing out flowers.

A local florist apparently gives away boquets of roses on Good Neighbor Day every year. The idea is that the person who gets the boquet keeps one flower for themselves and gives the other five to other people; each flower has a little sticker on it saying "Happy Good Neighbor Day!" and the name and URL of the florist. It's a clever marketing scheme and normally I'd be a bit cynical but I think it's kind of neat and everyone has mentioned how nice the "vase" (a scrounged company-logo travel mug) of roses on the corner of my desk looks.

Considering I didn't hand out the flowers to other people, because nobody was in the office when I got to work, I do feel inclined to pimp out the florist a bit: Ashland Addison Florist Co. are cheery people who gave me flowers this morning.

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In other news, I found a roach on the can of citrusy roach death spray this morning.

Ultimate irony, or CLEVER STRATEGY?

I'd hate to think I was being outmaneuvered by an insect, but as my experiences with crickets in St. Nowhere proved, it wouldn't be the first time.

And finally, OMG WTF AUSTRALIA. Why you gotta have so many creepy crawlers?