Continuum: Getting Hairy

Last week I had the pleasure of a short week, which seems suspiciously like a calm before the storm. Last Tuesday my group had a free period in the afternoon, which allowed me to get a bit ahead on the work as well as to take a long nap. Wednesday, on the other hand, was as hectic as it was enjoyable. We were released from class at 3, but several of us, myself included, had to be ready in dress attire to escort arriving Trustee's and friends of the program to the dinner hall. Each year the program hosts a dinner that allows the members of the Board and friends of the program to meet the Scholars and talk with us. Unfortunately, last Wednesday was a dark and stormy night, and we ran across campus, again, in dress attire, umbrellas in tow, to the meeting place. We were pleased to find out that the escorting idea had been nixed, and trustees would be driven in campus cars to the dining hall, but somewhat less excited to realize that our now-free hands would be helping set up the catering trays, etc. I had the fine pleasure of arranging 80 half-chickens in sterno trays by hand. I wore gloves, calm down. The dinner was fun, and the food was good. I had the opportunity to talk with my Environment professor in a more casual environment, and the Trustee at our table was actually kind of funny (lampooning a fellow Trustee who announced " You're the brightest, most interesting people I've ever met", to which he responded "She doesn't get out much...").
After the dinner with the Trustees, the majority of us had chartered a bus, and went to a nearby movie theater to see the fifth Harry Potter movie. I won't spoil it, except to say that it was good, but not great, and as usual, will never compare to the movie. Great FX though.
Thursday we had to get up HORRENDOUSLY early, to go into New York. It was a long drive, lasting about two and a half hours, as a result of driving in a giant chartered bus and driving directly into rush hour traffic. It was actually in our best interest, in truth, because it later turned out my shoes do horrible work to the back of my feet, and by the time I got on the train, I was eager to put on my sneakers despite being in a full suit.
We first visited the Museum of Natural History, at which most people focused on getting their sketches, essential to our field trip-based assignment, done despite the endless tides of people going through the exhibit. Over the course of doing my two drawings in public, I evidently became something of a spectacle, gaining some spectators. A Chinese family and a fair number of children became watching, chattering in their language which I didn't speak a word of, but nodded to. I was also told that my drawings were "mad phat, dawg." Exciting :)
The train ride home was a fiasco. There were five of us all taking the Midtown...something. We went to a help desk to find out which train, specifically, would allow us all to get on, and it was explained to us that two of us would have to go on one and three on another. So, me and my train-companion, Meghan, headed to our train. I asked the conductor if the train would stop in Dover, which I always do as a precaution, to which he responded

"No. The one on the other side of Penn Station does though. It leaves in three minutes."

As I'm sure explanation here is unnecessary, I'll keep it short: I got to the train. This train, the one that leaves in three minutes and was on the other side of Penn Station and that I did manage to get on , was also the same train that the three others were on. I ended up walking all the way to the back of the train before I called one of them to find out where they were, and if I could find some company. They sent one of their number all the way to the back of the train to find and lead me back to them and, upon arriving, I realized that they were only one car forward of the one I had originally walked onto. I also found that there was actually a fourth scholar with us, and the trainride was alot of fun.
I was greeted by my mother and my dog at the train station. They've pretty much become my post-train welcoming crew at this point, and there was a palpable feeling of being back within my own space, a town and area that I'm familiar with. We went home, where I changed out of my suit (which after 10 hours, 6 of which were spent walking, I was truly done with,) and left to go and get food for my visit (apparently mom's trying to starve out dad and paige?). I managed to hold off opening my new laptop (from which I am writing), until about 8 o clock. The machine is great, and =D better than my dad's PC! It took a while to get everything set up (World of Warcraft wasn't ready until 11 AM Friday morning...) but it's a great machine and works wonderfully.
My weekend was full of visitors, with Crystal and Homcy joining me Friday night, and then Duane and Will Saturday into Sunday. Crystal was supposed to join me for breakfast Sunday morning but she made some excuse to sleep in or whatnot. I left later Sunday afternoon and had dinner with Mom and Aunt Heidi, which I really liked. Upon returning to school I was reminded of how oppressively hot my room is, and set to working on my laptop in the common room, which is much cooler because it is on the first floor. Over last night and Sunday night I've managed, not only to stay abreast of the work this week, but to get ahead. I am, however, a bit behind on my arts festival project, which is due for Saturday, and requires a great deal of focus on my part. This was problematized by a massive headache last night, and everyone seems to be experiencing spells of extreme fatigue. I intend to finish off all reading and deadlined work tonight, so that I can focus whole-heartedly on the necessity of overcoming the Arts Festival project. I'm really happy with the concept, and am looking forward to putting it on the paper... but time haunts me.