New Friends?!

Last night six of us first year public history girls got together and watched Grey's Anatomy, then hung out for another two and half hours chatting. It was super fun. This is the first time we've hung out, and I'm so excited for some girl friends in Raleigh! It all started the other night when three of us were walking to our cars after class and I blurted out, "umm... I don't know what your lives are like but..." Immediately one of the girls jumped in with, "this is it, you're looking at it." Exactly. And thus the idea of a regular Grey's Anatomy night was born.

School Spirit

I've been a firebird, a conqueror, a demon, a logger, and now I'm in the wolf pack. What about you?

An email from Grandma

Dear Andi,

I forgot to tell you the most exciting news this morning.

Daddy came home from his walk with Danny yesterday with a red-eyed tortoise he had found in the middle of the street.

When we got home from 8:30 church, they had already found each other (Myrtle and Yertle, that is).

Anyway, I expect we will be having some very small turtles in the spring.

Danny still tries to steal turtle food, but I try to keep him in the house until they have had time to have some first.

Love, GMa

Some thoughts about school

When I first came to school I tried to do the cool thing and think, "man, I can't believe I'm back in school. It's been so long. Will I be able to handle it?" Maybe that's not the "cool" thing to think, but whatever. Then I really thought about it. I've been a full time student for something like 19 of my 23 years. This isn't a crazy back to scary school feeling, it's more like a back to normal feeling. Sort of.

New city and living alone with no friends aside, I'm enjoying school so far. I like my classes. I like reading. I like the way the content of my classes are all slightly overlapping, so I can say "right, right, I get this," or "so that's why we do things that way." Even in high school and college I loved it when subjects overlapped. All the sudden things made sense and fit together, rather than remaining isolated and theoretical. Maybe that's why I like history- it can fit everything in it.

I haven't written any papers yet, but my first one is due Tuesday. Just a short paper comparing social history methodologies in Europe and Latin America. Ha! That sounds awful. I haven't read the part about Latin America yet. I hope I understand it enough to write something comprehensible down. But other papers are slightly more practical. I get to review a museum exhibit next.

I just wrote "I get to." That's right. I'm going to try to make that my new mind set. Not "I have to," but "I get to." I've chosen to be here, and I can see more clearly how what I'm learning and doing now will relate to my future work. I guess that helps explain why lots of people seem to say they liked grad school more than college.

Team Annales Wins!

I joined the graduate history student intramural soccer team, Team Annales, and today we played our first game. We won by one point in overtime during a penalty kick showdown. I'd like to say I had a lot to do with scoring our 8 points, but I didn't. I mean, I kicked the ball a few times and played some defense, and a few times I got the "good job Andi!" I'll get better. I think I need to be more aggressive. And I need to know what the real soccer people mean when they're yelling at me to do something. I'm not down with the lingo yet.

Junior High nostalgia

I mentioned that I haven't run very far since track in junior high (this was 7th and 8th grade, not to be confused with a "middle school" that might include 6th or even 9th). Then I found out yesterday that my 8th grade Algebra teacher (Ms. Trasp) is now working temporarily for my mom, and that she remembers me (I know, I know, how could she not remember Andi?). Well this brings me to another little memory that I would like to share with you. My 8th grade American History class met in a portable (again, a portable, not a "trailer" as people out here like to call them). For a while there we had a homeless man sleeping in our class at night, and sometimes my teacher (Ms. Robertson, whom we all loved) would be greeted in the morning by a note from him saying how much he enjoyed reading our papers and looking at our projects. Now doesn't that make you feel warm and fuzzy?

I ran over TWO MILES!!!

Today I ran all the way around the lake without stopping. I don't think I've run that far since I was in track in junior high. I usually stick to walking. But not today!

Add a rabbit and ducklings

to the list of animals I saw on my walk around the lake today. A little gray rabbit ran out of the bushes right in front of me, and then I saw twelve little brown and yellow ducklings swimming around.

So many turtles!

My apartment complex is right next to a lake with a walking trail, and every time I go around it it's like going on a nature walk. There are lots of geese and ducks, including these scary ducks that look like a cross between a turkey and a buzzard. There are also squirrels and other little birds. I can't see fish, but I know they are there because there are always people out fishing, including cute old men. And today I discovered there are turtles! I saw dozens of them swimming around or sitting on logs and rocks. One even swam right up under me (I was on a bridge) and acted like it wanted me to throw it food, except I don't think turtles beg like that do they? Maybe they are domesticated by all the walkers throwing bread to the ducks? Anyway, I was excited.

UPS connections

This is a small world. Most people here have never heard of the University of Puget Sound, and they say "Whoah, that must have been a big move for you coming from Washington state." But get this...

First, a guy in my historiography (the history of history) class just moved from Tacoma, where he taught for five years at a school there. He knows about UPS, and has been there, and liked it.

Second, this other guy in my archives class went to grad school (for a different degree) with one of the history professors at UPS. I didn't have him though- he taught the history of science/technology. Too bad I didn't have him, since I'm now a TA for that class.

And lastly, tonight as I was heading toward my car in the parking garage there was a car with both a UPS sticker on the back window (the same one that used to be on my back window!) and a UPS parking sticker (which I also had on my window).

These little things make me happy.

p.s. I thought my car was parked in front of the UPS car, but when my key didn't work I discovered I was at the wrong red corolla. I felt sheepish.

Weekend Update

Thursday a hurricane was on its way, so I drove to Richmond after class and ran over many little frogs on the road.

In Richmond, my grandparents changed a few things in my room, but mostly it was the same. Except that I kept reaching for things, or looking for my clock, or wanting to throw clothes in the closet. It was kind of sad.

Uncle Richard was there, too, and we talked about NASA and astronauts, since I have to lead a discussion tomorrow about the Apollo mission and Man.Moon.Decade. Uncle Richard worked for NASA on simulators and helped train all the astronauts, which makes him pretty darn cool.

Saturday Grandpa fried a turkey. Some of us were worried it would be a disaster and we'd have to call 911, but it went just fine. We all sat around outside and watched it (or stared at the pot, rather), and it felt like sitting around a camp fire, especially since it was cool and I was wearing a sweatshirt.

Sunday I went to church, which was nice because I don't have one down here yet and I miss it. I also went to Franklin Street, this other church service at 4, and it was nice but made me a little jealous because I want it to be in Raleigh and not in Richmond. But I will find something here. I must be patient.

Today was Mexican Lunch Day. Usually Mexican Lunch Day is on Saturday, but we made an exception for the holiday.

Now I'm back in Raleigh, and it's raining.