Doug, J.P. and I went into town today to make some purchases. I finally got a hold of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's new album, "American Dream." It's not too bad. I'd give it 3 stars out of 5.Doug and I, after giving up on finding a Hull Cheese shirt, walked back to the halls, stopping at a comic book store, where I bought Batman issue #427, the third in a four-part series called "A Death in the Family," where Robin is blown up by the Joker. Readers got to vote for whether or not Robin lived or died in the series. He got the thumbs down. Also stopped in a record store, where I bought Phil Collins' "Sussudio" (extended, £1.50), some flowers (pink carnations) and a bottle of Blue Nun for Viv, in celebration of our one month anniversary.
Came back to the room and paid a visit to Viv. But then it was off with the other American students for our special Thanksgiving dinner at the Cottingham Road site. It was quite nice (easily the best meal I've had on campus), and it gave the Americans a chance to get together and enjoy this important holiday. Unfortunately, J.P. didn't go (I heard later he was spotted running down the halls singing "I hate turkey! I hate turkey!") But it was still a good time.
Afterwards us Americans headed over to the Student Union nearby, where Buffy and I got to talking. During the conversation I learned that she is good friends at Juniata with someone I knew from middle school, Bill Samuels. Bill was part of a Boy Scouting expedition I took in 1984 up to the Maine High Adventure camp, where we canoed and camped in the wilderness for a grueling, rain-soaked week. Wow, small world.
A little while later, Doug, Buffy and I walked back from the Union, and I stopped in to have a little chat with Sam in his room, down the hall from mine. Next I went up to Viv's room to give her the flowers and wine. She, of course, loved them.
Later on I returned to St. Hilda's and went to use the phone. The family was gathered at my Uncle Larry's house in Delaware, and I wanted to offer my Thanksgiving greetings. I got to talk to Mom and Dad (and I told him about meeting someone who knew Bill - Dad went on that Maine trip with us), my Grandpa Reitz (who during World War II was stationed in Grimsby, which isn't too far away from Hull, just across the river), Grandma Reitz, Grandma Lentz, my sister Angie, Uncle Mike (who also went on that Maine trip and knew Bill), Aunt Mimi, Uncle Larry and Aunt JoAnne... although not necessarily in that order. It was good talking to them. (Pictured is the photo my family sent to me from Thanksgiving Day: Mom, Dad, Grandma Lentz, sister Angela and sitting on Dad's lap is my cousin Taylor Anne.)Although that would've been enough to make a person homesick, it was actually Viv who was feeling that way when when I returned to her room after the phone call. I did my best to cheer her up and it worked. I also gave her a special mix tape that I made for her for our anniversary, titled "For Viv," which she loved. It was a very good, albeit expensive, day.
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