osmosis happens

We're told by well-respected sources that you can't learn by osmosis. But if there is one thing I've realized at NSA, it is that actually you can.

Take Greek, for example. I was sitting in the library this morning going over vocab paradigms when suddenly I realized that there I was, writing away in a completely foreign alphabet and it was making perfect sense; granted there is still the difficulty of learning a different language, but I've found myself throwing Greek letters into my standard English writing, and English into my Greek.

I don't remember when that happened. I feel like I sat down and suddenly started reading Greek. *poof* Dr. Leithart writes the occasional Greek term on the board during Theology, no longer bothering to transliterate to the English alphabet.

It was osmosis. All good things come through osmosis.

in which i stop doing homework (for a while)

There is only so much school a girl can take before she goes ballistic. And when all you are doing is staring at books and not hanging out with people outside of study groups, it's bound to happen sooner than later.

On Friday I cracked - I was so exhausted that I fell asleep in Theology recitation; woke up long enough to comment on the discussion then was out again. After killing myself all week catching up from being sick, that was the final straw. I thenceforth chucked homework out the window and did everything BUT homework for two solid days. I watched YouTube videos, read a work of fiction, watched a movie, went to a goodbye party, went to Bucer's until 12:33am to listen to Jazz music. And I slept in. Late. Really late.

And it was beautiful.

the 23rd robin of spring

I'm spinning around in a drunken stupor of happiness. The sun is out, the birds are back, Jazz Fest is in full swing, the mountains of snow are slowly decreasing in size and I can breathe again!

Mmmmmmm. If the ground weren't soggy, this would call for doing homework on the grass. I love spring. I feel ALIVE again.

*spins around and drinks up more crisp wonderfulness*

oh, really?

If I had a dollar for every person who has said I should
be a lawyer, I'd be rich.

subtle warning signs

When you are abnormally tired, it may be more than "big load this week." (Tuesday)

When you are so tired you can't move, it may mean more that "been studying hard for that Greek midterm." (Wednesday morning)

When you're so tired you can't move and nauseous, it may mean more than "that coffee on top of Greek midterms nerves." (Wednesday afternoon)

When you're so tired you can't move, you're nauseous, you can barely talk and you ache all over, take the History quiz early, go home and crash. There is a very good chance that you are sick. (Thursday)

Thankfully I didn't miss any quizzes, although I did miss three classes and Disputatio. (Friday)

It was a good weekend to get sick and catch up on sleep.

technology hates me

I currently have 12 minutes left on my computer battery. Why? Because my third power chord in as many months fried itself, to join the graveyard of my dead cell phones. I'm on my third phone in as many months.

Thankfully I have a housemate with the same brand laptop as I do, meaning she has a power chord that fits my computer that I can borrow until I get a new one. But that didn't help with the fact that the sources for my history paper didn't get e-mailed to me like the search program said they were, meaning that once I was off the UI campus (now) I couldn't access them. Panic ensued.

Rachel called a former classmate, borrowed her University of Idaho ID number, I gained access to my sources. Panic abated, my history paper abstract was written. *great sigh of relief*

One close call on top of another. It has been an interesting term, to say the least.

will it ever end?

I own two pairs of jeans: wet and dry. The wet one hangs over the back of my chair until dry, then is rotated out, the new wet pair taking its place - status Dry no longer applicable after walking home through snow.

The snow is getting deeper and deeper, and refusing to melt. It is piled up in vacant lots, shoved to the sides of backstreets. It buries cars, covers roofs and comes through roofs. Leaks are not altogether uncommon, I gather.

And we are supposed to get 7 more inches tonight. Folks, we already have over two feet of the stuff. Do we really need any more?

beware the blizzard

"Idaho's and Washington's Governors declared North Idaho and Eastern Washington disaster emergency areas."

I've stepped into several dritfts that went several inches past my knees. This is snow that has halted traffic and brought the education industry to a grinding halt. But does that affect me? My friends, I attend New St. Andrews College. We are not like other schools. A note from our most worthy dean arrived after our first snow day in 14 years:
.
I've gathered indications from some of you that prompt this word of caution: if you plan your evening activities as though tomorrow will be a "day off," you take a serious risk. True, Logos School, WSU and U of I have already announced closures tomorrow. Remember that NSA differs significantly from these other institutions in the factors that weigh in cancellation decisions.
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We did have Thursday off, but Friday we were back to normal, despite the fact that Kathryn and I had to dig the car out of a drift to even leave this end of town.

When we reached school, the piles of snow in Friendship Square loomed over my head.

http://www.nsa.edu/news/newsupdates.html