Definitely did not want to wake up for class this morning. There were five students (including me) in the modernity seminar this time - an improvement of last week's three. However, two of those students hadn't done the reading, so it was still on the shoulders of the three of us who were there last week to carry the entire conversation. Antonella said that the paper prompt should be up Sunday, so I should have no problem remaining on schedule.

After class I bought a doughnut that tasted like it had been sitting out for three days, and ate it on the way back to the tower, where I fell into bed and went back to sleep. My alarm almost gave me a heart attack when it went off, and I seriously considered not going to Myth. I went anyway. Teacher is still annoying.

I had been planning to run down to Tesco after class, but I forgot I had laundry, so I did that instead. Good thing, or I would have been caught in the rain on the long walk back from Tesco. The driers tried to thwart me again. The one I picked ate 20p and wouldn't give it back, so I didn't have exact change and had to put a pound into the next drier - which worked admirably, but I was out a pound twenty. On my way out, however, I was struck with a sudden burst of genius and stuck my key into the coin slot, which caused the stuck coins to roll out the coin return. I got my twenty p back, and a pound rolled out too... instant karma! Or something.

Next I headed over to the library. There are not all that many books on the topic I've chosen for my paper, but I took out what was there. Hopefully there will be some relevent quotes because, despite that this school is so concerned with plagiarism, they really want you to just repeat someone else's research. So that was pretty boring.

It's really, really windy outside. Actually, it's pretty windy inside too. The hallway is like a wind tunnel... my coat definitely billowed of its own accord while I was standing in it. Shoddy European construction...

Anyway, off to try some suspicious looking macaroni and cheese...

No one ever mentioned wind!

Everyone warns you about the rain. No one mentions the wind. It was another extremely blustery day today. I did not wear my hat because I literally don't know where it's been... so I walked to class hatless.

Class was... class. Eight people showed up for myth seminar this time. The professor said "Ah, class is almost worth having now." He lectured for an hour and a half anyway, and I got to talk about Heart of Darkness, which none of the Brits had read, and I was also exempted from knowing the significance of Britain's national anthem. Good for me. Go America.

I ate the last of the bread for lunch as part of a turkey sandwich. I really need to go grocery shopping. I did laundry too, even though I really really really didn't want to lug my laundry all the way down to the laundry room in this wind. But I wanted to wash my hat. So I did it anyway. After laundry I revised my Early Modern Culture Essay, then went to the library to check out some books for my next essay on Yeats, which I will start tomorrow because thinking is making me tired. Just looking at essays'll do that to you I guess.

Today I realized to my chagrin that I had only brought one movie with me - Constantine. A decent movie, but I watched it not too long ago. I don't know if my computer can play Region 2 DVDs but if it can, it might be worth checking one out from the library (these are my Feb. 14th plans by the way - a movie and probably some ice cream. It's traditional.) despite their weird dvd check out policies. You're only alllowed to check out a dvd for four hours at a time, but if you check it out within four hours of the library closing you can keep it over night, but you have to return it by ten AM the next morning. But you can also renew it so... whatever? Anyway I've got this sudden urge to watch Star Wars. Weird.

Lisa and I have booked our flights to Rome! We have also picked out a hostel, so we are pretty much ready to go : P

Ok that's all I've got.

My Hat!!!

Ok this morning I left for my nine oclock class and was struck with a very large and insubstantial train more commonly known as wind. A horizontal tornado, if you will. It was very difficult to make any forward progress at all, and it switched directions frequently. Luckily, my playing of SNES Donkey Kong games had prepared me for this.

Yeah.

You know how in DK Country Two you can play as Dixie? And you know how she's got that hat? And you know how it never falls off?? Pure fiction, my friends.

The lovely Colchester wind, which is apparantly stronger and more devious than the wind of the Donkey Kong jungles, snatched my hat away. I chased after it, but it was too high for me to reach, and when the wind died for a moment, it deposited my hat on the roof of the Accomodations Office.

The office didn't open til ten and I had to get to class, so I left it. In class (Modernity), we talked about Yeats. After class I asked Clare about exams, and if I was expected to know everything from Autumn term as well. She got this horrified look on her face and said "Oh no, I hope not... but I don't see how you could take the exam and not know..." But she didn't really know and told me to go ask Hazel, which I did right after class.

Hazel said that no, I was not expected to know the Autumn things, and the the Exams Office was well aware of my status as an international student, and I would get a different exam than the others in my class. Well good. I hope it actually works out that way...

I went to the Accomodations Office next and asked them if there was any way I could get my hat down. They said to ask at the information desk about finding someone with a ladder. So I left the office and circled it, looking to see if the hat had blown down. It had not, or if it had, it had also blown away. So I went back up to my flat, knowing I could see the office roof from the kitchen.

The hat was no longer on the roof. I mourned it as lost and went to take a nap.

I left for Early Modern Culture early so that I could sign up for the Stonehenge trip this Saturday, but when I got to the table, the line was long. Really long. I stood in it for about half an hour and realized I was late for class. So I left it. I'm glad I did - this class takes attendance and counts participation. And we talked about cannibalism and the zombification of Irish people in British media in the 15th century.

After class, the Stonehenge table was gone, so I suppose that's that. I went to the bookstore to pick up the last of the textbooks I need: George Perec's Life: A User's Manual, which sounds pretty promising. I went back to the dorm very sadly hung up my scarf, thinking that it looked rather lonely on its hook, and really, a hat is needed to jusitfy having a whole separate hook for wintery accessories.

I sat down to check my email and received one from the Accomodations Office saying that my hat had been recovered!!! What??? How?? Oh well!

I went back out and picked it up with many thanks. It had been found by the employee entrance around 2:00. We are happily reunited... and I still have no idea how the Accomodations Office knew who to email. Ah, life's mysteries.

I sat down to read some webcomics and eat some Skittles.

Ok Britain. Seriously. What's up with the purple candy? Why does it all taste terrible? I thought Skittles was an American brand! Man. Maybe it's me. When I get back to America I need to eat some purple candy.

Some webcomics, some chatting, and then dinner. Leftover tomatoe soup was helped along considerably by the presence of a grilled cheese sandwich, which the Brits called a fried cheese sandwich, which is actually more accurate.

Tonight I booked flights. It was very frustrating, but Lisa and I now have flights to Rome! We are working on getting a hostel next, and then Phantom of the Opera tickets for when I go visit her in London.

That is all I have to report today. Tomorrow: Laundry and research