Tuesday, November 15, 2005

between assignments on a rainy day

It’s grey and bleak and rainy and cool here. Maybe November will finally finally settle in? (We’re about to read Jude the Obscure in British novel class… I need the dismal weather to continue for that, at least.) I’ve heard rumors of snow… it’s dark enough and the clouds are low enough. Probably not cold enough, though. In one week—one week!—I’ll be home with sisters and parents.

I just finished reading an essay by Thomas Lynch for my Craft of Writing class. He wrote about poetry and funerals, and I was analyzing it for rhythm and word flow. Beautiful essay, but unlucky me: it means everything I write in this entry will sound dull and, well, floppy in comparison. But that’s how it goes. I’m not Thomas Lynch. (Sorry.)

This will start to sound repetitive, but I’m amazed at how little time is left to the semester. A week until Thanksgiving, and after that it’s two weeks, followed by: finals? Really?

We started listening to Christmas music during weight lifting class yesterday. Wow. Feels all too early for Christmas songs, especially since we haven’t had snow. And, I have to confess: It’s a lot harder to get psyched for bench pressing if you’re listening to a passive rendition of “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful.” Doesn’t make me feel like sweating. I kept daydreaming about sugar cookies and cranberry garlands.

My infamous honors thesis is due on Monday. Monday! I’ve heard about it since freshman year, and I’m turning it in on Monday. Sheesh. No, seriously, the stories have come a long way this semester, especially since the end of summer, when I was still batting ideas around. The characters have developed a lot—especially in the last two weeks—and the explanatory essay is almost done, also. I’m hoping to put in a few hours revising tonight, aided by some hot cider at the Fish House.

Our last oceanography field trip is coming up as well. We’re going to the Shedd Aquarium the Tuesday after Thanksgiving—my first time there. We’re studying marine biology right now, so lectures are filled with kelp forests, baleen whales, anemones, and diatoms. It will be fun to see some of those first-hand. Will they let us feed the penguins? Maybe? A girl can only hope.—jl

Posted by Jenn Langefeld on 11/15 at 05:27 PM
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