A Shorter Week Ahead...

The shorter week has begun with a three day countdown to Fall Break and New York - one down, two to go! 

A second paper back in class with the third being returned on Wednesday. Outside of classes, I have spent the day adding pictures to the notecards to make them more exciting to read and hopefully, more memorable. With them finished, I now have my entertainment for the drive to New York sorted. 

After an early dinner, Sam, Lenka and I went over to Toll for a talk related to The Early Republic on the role of popular political culture in the American Revolution. The talk was interesting enough, aside from an incredibly long-winded, irrelevant observation from an elderly gentleman in the audience to wrap up proceedings. 

Then the three of us went to the library where I finished my notecards and Sam ruined Lenka's pristine work of lining up my pens in a smooth colour spectrum. I enjoyed them for a second before Sam slid them across the table, receiving a notepad to the face from Lenka for his troubles. After I had calmed the children and restored order, I wrapped up work for the day and moved on, as usual, to book work. After listening to an horrendous conversation between three frat guys behind us in which fights between panda bears (not actually bears) and polar bears were discussed, as well as different forms of non-shooting war. Thankfully they have now left and we can continue our work in peace. 

Posters and Pierogies...

A great end to the week, after the last few notecards and laundry this morning. Me and Shannon spent some time in Hodson getting creative with the paint to do our posters for this week's Relay For Life meeting. That done, we went to the library where I spent more time relaxing with book stuff whilst the others continued with their papers and deadlines for tomorrow. 

Then we went over to the Global Education Office to have our New York meeting, where we went over details for the trip and had some food. I can confirm that we are staying at the Seaport Best Western, which is as close to the Brooklyn Bridge as you could get. We now need to plan out what we want to do when we're there. 

As usual we had Sunday dinner with Sean as this week's chef, making us Pierogies. It was a great evening for cooking and hosting with cool lighting, relaxing music, international food followed by superb cupcakes from Shannon with a mug of tea. 

At 9:30pm me and Shannon went over to Hodson for the RFL meeting in which we discussed ideas and scheduling for Kick Off and other upcoming events - all details of which will soon appear on the RFL blog. 

Fall Country Concert...

Another day spent not doing any college work yesterday. After brunch me and Sam went down into Chestertown to Bookplate for a while and then headed back up to campus in 30'C. The rest of the afternoon was spent in the library doing book stuff and enjoying the break from work. 

After dinner I skyped parents and then went over to KC with Lenka and Sam, where we hung around and chatted for a while before going over to the Fall Country Concert on Hodson Green. The music was well underway when we got there, so we joined everyone else on the grass under a mighty fine blanket of stars in the heavens. 


Once the music was winding down, to get a better look at the stars, I went down to the boathouse with Sam, Lenka, Caitlin and Shannon, and, after disturbing the nearby geese, we chatted and took in the sky. Once we had stayed long enough we phoned safe ride and came back to campus - satisfied that I had seen a couple of shooting stars. 

First Friday...

Sam & Ester - such a happy couple ;)

A lazy day to finish the working week. Outside of classes I relaxed and played the piano. After class, we went down into Chestertown where as 'First Friday' (of the month), the shops and restaurants open later, some places do free food and drink. The Hotel Imperial had a cheap happy hour, which I unfortunately couldn't take advantage of. 

We came back to campus for dinner and deciding that we wanted a quieter night, Shannon, Lenka, Eoin and I picked up 'Now You See Me' from the DVD rental outside the grocery store and went back to Kent Crossing for an evening in.  

So Many Notecards...

Breakfast was unusually quiet today, but I had Sam as company for a change. The bonus was also that there was no queue at the omelette bar, so after a little persuasion I had two to take advantage of their availability. That and a jam topped cinnamon and raisin bagel meant that come lunchtime I was still not hungry. 

So, I skipped lunch and continued in the library with writing notecards for the midterm, which has taken up nearly all of the day. At mid-afternoon I skyped the home to catch them in the evening before they went to bed and Tom left for uni tomorrow - I refrained from pointing out that whilst he is just about to go to uni I have already written three papers, taken a quiz and written revision for an exam. I also helped do some testing for an app, 'Squares', that he has put to market, which I am pretty addicted to already. 

Rewinding slightly, my ethernet cable came this morning, so I could watch the rest of Homeland without any buffering and in perfect picture quality, which was a great relief after the torment of the first half.

After dinner, I went back to the library and printed the second essay for tomorrow and then did a couple more hours of notecards. Now, with them all practically done, I will give my brain a rest and watch the beginning of season two of GOT. 

What A Wednesday...

You know those days when you wake up and think I could take my head off this pillow, or put it over my face? Well, today felt like it was going to be a smotherer. Three long classes, a book to finish reading, a midterm to begin revising for and papers due straight afterwards that need some consideration, not to mention the two essays in this Friday that needed last amendments and printing. 

But, I left my pillow behind and it wasn't actually that bad. In first class I got back my first paper which went well. I won't divulge the grade because I find the advertisement of one's own achievements irritating to hear...on the other hand, an A+ isn't to be sniffed at, so go ahead and let those eyes roll, I don't care. To celebrate I went and played something especially cheerful on the piano after class.

I finished reading the autobiography of 'Black Hawk' for an upcoming class discussion and a paper later in the term, laid out initial ideas for the next Hollywood film paper, amended and printed one essay for Friday, and set out the general areas to make notecards on for the exam. 

As Lenka is coming down with the flu, I accompanied her to Walgreens where she picked up some horse tranquilizers and I a new toothbrush and some more toothpaste. A word to the wise, Oz Sam is also ill so approach both of them with caution and a face mask if you have one to hand.

This evening the Public Relations Committee had our first biweekly meeting to discuss the advertisements for upcoming events and the pass over of the Facebook group to me and Shannon. The two of us also spent some time getting the photos of the bonfire together to go on the Relay For Life blog - some of which you can now see, and we started editing together the video clips. 

Now, I will sit back and relax with some new Modern Family episodes and do some book work that I've been putting off with such a busy college work schedule - all this work when back home people have been enjoying Freshers' Week. 

Chestertown Family Meal...

Today was a slight mash of different bits of work. I started a plan for an essay and began reading for another, as well as buying notecards in advance for revising for the midterm. As usual I played squash mid-afternoon and then hung around outside for a while in the renewed warm weather until Caitlin had to go to class and I continued to read before 6pm.  

This evening I met up with David and Deirdre, my Chestertown family, for the first time and they had me over for a very nice dinner of fajitas and nachos. Having visited the brewery, it was also good to drink a couple of Steam Whistle beers. Both were extremely accommodating and made me feel at home. I also met up with their good friend Joan who worked as a reporter for the New York Times and as a book editor. She has said that she would like to read some of my work, which is good of her and so I look forward to some worthwhile feedback. An all round great evening eating around a kitchen table for a change.