Let the Games Begin

Classes start tomorrow for my last semester of seminary. For once I feel like I've actually had enough of a break to be ready to start. Escaping the country could have something to do with that. I only have 1 class tomorrow, "Life and Ethics of Dietrich Bonhoeffer." I'm only taking 14 credits total, 1 class pass/fail, so I hope to be able to keep up with my reading more than I tend to. Contrary to popular myth, I'm something of a slacker. I'm hoping that taking a PhD seminar will scare that out of me, at least for three hours a week. Not being humiliated in front of 4 PhD students and the professor I'm hoping to get recommendations from should be a good motivator.

On a completely different note, I promised pictures. Here's a random, awkward, and unrepresentative smattering.

Some Who Wander ARE Lost

I spent the past two days meandering through the city of Edinburgh on delightfully circuitous paths to well-marked and highly visible points of interest that would have been quick and easy to get to had I chosen to consult my map. Of course, seasoned city-explorer that I am, I tend to avoid consulting the map until absolutely necessary. This is mostly because it is generally a bad idea for a misplaced tourist to advertise themselves as such, especially those of a female persuasion, and all the more so after somehow finding a way to the 'dodgy' end of town. For the record, I was only lost for about an hour, and I still found my way back to Matt and Jeni's flat with only a glance or two at my map. Just prior to my scenic route home I was thinking how all this time I must have been wrong and I actually do have a natural sense of direction. After all, I made it to all sorts of places yesterday without looking at the map at all, including back to the flat, all via routes I had not already walked with Matt and Jeni. And that cruel irony, my friends, is why I carry a map even if I have no intention of using it.
Today I literally walked for 6.5 hours. I don't think I sat down at all. And the first hour or so of that was an unnecessarily steep hike up the wrong trail to the wrong scenic vista in Holyrood Park. Yesterday I walked about that long, but with a break for lunch. It's pretty much the best thing ever, except that now my feet and joints are rebelling with a whole day to go before they rest. I've seen a lot of the standard Edinburgh fare (Castle, Palace, Craigs, St. Giles, John Knox's House, etc.), but thanks my rejection of the direct path I've also seen some great little nooks and crannies. To top it all off, I get to spend my evenings with Matt and Jeni and Hosea, the world's cutest baby (seriously!). Tonight I sampled haggis while explaining the differences between Wesley and Calvin on Christology and Sanctification (hey, they asked - I don't think I'm that much of a theology nerd that I would just randomly bring it up). I'll post some photos when I get back. You'll be delighted to see that wandering alone makes for some fantastically awkward self portraits.
Cheers!

I'm in Edinburgh

and Hosea is pretty much the cutest baby ever.

Any suggestions?

I have 2 weeks until classes start, so I want to cram in some fun reading. Especially since I have a lot of flight time before then, starting tomorrow. I had thought about reading Golden Compass, but now I think there might be better ways to spend my two weeks of literary freedom. Any suggestions?

In the immortal words of Jesus

It Is Finished.

I am officially on break now!

Still going . . .

This afternoon a guy came into the Oratory to study for his church history exam. He asked me and Rachel how long we've been here. We are both clearly camped out. I have a half-eaten hummus sandwich, a tea mug, 2 pop cans, and a little bowl of m&m's surrounding me, in addition to my 24 books, 10 articles, laptop, highlighter, pencil, and post-it tabby things. The answer: since Wednesday. I have the ugly fifty year old brown chair molded to my tookus. Other than breaks for meals I have been here for about 14 hours a day. Last night I started writing my last paper, and now have 8 out of maybe 13 single-spaced pages explaining church growth and stagnation statistics in Hungary from 1989 to 1994. It's way more interesting than it sounds. And it's due in 24 hours. My fingers are nimble, my nails are short (to avoid hitting extra keys), my posture is terrible, and my blood is caffeinated. CH455, Bring It On!

So This is Finals

There are five of us camped out in the oratory. I've been here since about 9:30 this morning, minus meal breaks. Will be here until 4:30 Monday when my last paper is due. It's funny what a few weeks of vacation does to a person's ability to focus.

Why I Love Colorado

Today we went hiking, in real mountains, in January, through snow, and all we needed was a light jacket. Eat that, Jersey!

Happy New Year

I rang it in with Claire and Dave, and I have the past few years. We ate dinner while watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Dave had to go to bed at 10:30 because he worked this morning at 6:15. Then Claire and I toasted with Martinelli's at around 11:15. It was New Year's somewhere. Over 9 hours of sleep ensued.
Last year we made it to midnight, but only had water to drink. It's delightfully chill. Not to mention chilly. It's 18 degrees here today.
Happy New Year, y'all.