Sunday, May 7, 1989

Time to Hunker Down and Write. But It's a Lovely Day Outside ...

Well, today was the day to finally begin concentrating on my final essay of the year, on Thomas Malthus for Geography, before next month's exams. But there's plenty of time for that, so I walked down to the newsagents after finishing my letter to Larry and JoAnne, mailed it, bought the Sunday Times, brought it back and read it in my room while listening to The Beatles' White Album.

After lunch, it was so warm and nice outside that I took my books outside to work on my essay... and my tan. In the end, my tan didn't turn out too bad, but I got practically no work done on my essay. So after dinner I forced myself to stay in my room to work... only to be compelled to finish writing the rough draft of the short story I'm writing instead.

When that distraction was finished, I let Shannon out of her cage jumped into my books and wrote for the rest of the evening. I stopped writing at about 1 a.m., after getting about 700 words finished. Although it seemed to be going rather well after three cups of coffee, my throat was sore and bothering me, so I quit writing for the evening.

Today's fabulous quote is from Jodie Hafer: "I don't like Bloom County, because I don't understand it."

***

• Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Eternal Flame" - The Bangles
  
  
• Number One Song in America This Week: "I'll Be There for You" - Bon Jovi
  

Saturday, May 6, 1989

A Beautiful Day to Be Outside ...

It was a lazy, beautiful day today, and I should have worked on my essay. But I didn't.

What I did do of significant importance, apart from play a game of baseball, is work on a new short story that I'm writing titled "The Feast." Though I know everything that I'm going to put into it, I only got it partially finished. I also didn't quite get to finish Larry and JoAnne's letter.

Watched a fair amount of TV today, and bought a Saturday Times as well. Watched four Charlie Chaplin shorts before heading outside to enjoy the nice weather with everyone. As the hours passed, various activities took place, such as a soccer game, highlighted by Kenny accidentally knocking out a light with the ball.

That evening was spent first watching "City Lights," a magnificent Chaplin film, followed by a classic episode of "Fawlty Towers" (with the dead body) and a show called "Ripping Yarns," with Michael Palin, which was quite funny as well.

After that I made my way over to St. Hilda's, where there was an international room full of students watching the results of the Eurovision Song Contest, in which Yugoslavia won. Great Britain did manage a second place finish, though. But it was the nationalism that erupted in the room for Britain, Spain and Ireland that was the most fun to watch for me.

I hung around a little while after to talk with J.P., but then returned to let Shannon roam some more before going to bed.

Today's classic quote, from 6'4" "Big" Jon Whalley:

"I'm a gentle giant."

Friday, May 5, 1989

She was right! ...

Cat was right, the American students got £15 extra food grant! Every little bit helps!

It's been a day of ups and downs. First, the downs: I woke up late for class, only scored a 56 on my Sociology essay (a high "C"), and Oliver North was convicted on three charges yesterday. The ups: 15 happy pounds in my pocket, and Ollie was acquitted on nine charges.

When I got back from the class I did relatively little of any significance. Read the newspaper in the library, began to write a letter to Uncle Larry and Aunt JoAnne, and bought yet another turkey salad sandwich at the corner deli (today it was 69p - the price has now changed three days in a row.) I also bought a Daily Express with my new money.

That evening I went up to Buffy's room and we talked for awhile, trying to decide if there was anything to do tonight. We thought about heading to the Architecture Union, but instead went with one of the French girls to the Gardener's Arms for a pint with a few of her friends. Shortly afterward they headed to the Architecture Union, while Buffy and I went to Double Happiness for some much-needed Chinese take away. We both had sweet and sour chicken (she ordered Hong Kong style), bouthgt a bottle of coke, and then returned to The Grange to watch some TV, where Tim the American (Skeletor's friend... at least, that's what Kenny calls the other American, anyway) was watching "Cheers."

Afterward, we watched a new American show called "Roseanne," a really bad "Clive James Show" (a copy of the David Letterman formula), which only special guest Michael Palin was able to save, and then a fantastic old movie called "Trouble in Paradise" from 1932.

After that, I went back to my room, let Shannon run about, then went off to bed.

I think from here on out, just to make things more interesting, at the end of each day I'm going to include a classic quote from someone over the past year. The first one is a classic from Doug, when commenting on the fish that was coming out of the oven in the refectory:

"Oh, this must be the plaice!"

Thursday, May 4, 1989

Lorna is Now Bright Red ...

Woke up bright and early today, ate breakfast, and got to the library before 9 a.m. to get right in and begin typing my essay. Since I already had it all in order, I was able to type straight through with only minor corrections until 12.15, when I let Buffy use the typewriter while I wrote up my conclusion.

When all was said and done at 1 p.m., I had typed about 2,500 words and was satisfied that I had successfully answered the question. I'm still worried, though. I left Buffy and J.P. (who said he didn't start writing his essay until today) to type, and went over to hand mine in.

From there I went to the store and treated myself to another jumbo turkey sandwich (odd: today it cost me 75p, while yesterday it was only 65p), before heading to Modern Prose Fiction class, where Allan McLaurin discussed Graham Greene's "It's a Battlefield." I got the scoop on our essay topic, and left there an hour later to check books out of the library for my next - and final - essay in Geography on Thomas Malthus. Should be fun. I'll be so glad to get it out of the way.

It was yet another beautiful spring day here in Hull, which almost prevented me from going to class. But afterward it was relaxation outside behind St. Hilda's, playing soccer, laying around, etc. Lorna is now bright red, yet she still insists on lying out in the sun. How odd.

Well, it was also Margaret Thatcher's 10th year in power today. No big deal - I figure she will be in for quite a time yet. Wouldn't mind a Labour government though... It'd be nice to see a 1 dollar to 1 pound exchange rate!

That evening I spent most of my time talking to Sam - first in my room, then with Louise Fenton for awhile, then in his room with Cat for awhile. Several hours, actually. Enjoyed several coffees and covered scores of topics. Sam and I are getting along quite well these days. He actually invited me to come to visit his house in Scunthorpe next weekend to meet his wife, Jenny. It should be real good to get away.

Cat told me that we may have some more money coming our way from the school. I sure hope she's right!

Wednesday, May 3, 1989

I Can't Believe How Fast These Days Are Going ...

Today was an essay work day, so it will likely read boring, though I must say that it was a highly successful day.

I went to my 9.15 Geography Class, then grabbed some necessary books from the library and did some research there before taking a break and buying a jumbo turkey sandwich before returning my work to my room. The essay progressed slow, but each paragraph, in my opinion, was a mini masterpiece (he says, proudly tooting his own horn), which I pieced together in the end. Piecing together paragraphs to form a full essay is quite an unusual style for me to follow, but it seemed to work here for me.

I took a break to visit the library (some break!), watched a great "Buck Rogers" rerun (which I found out recently gets higher ratings here in Britain than a new episode of "The Cosby Show"!) From 11-12, Buffy stopped by and we chatted over coffee, her brain fried nearly as much as mine.

At 2 a.m., I had all but a conclusion written and pieced together, and satisfied with my work, which will determine my grade for six credits back at Millersville, I went to bed.

Needless to say, even though I feel pretty good about this essay, I'm still worried sick about it because of how much of my grade is riding upon it, because I've been disappointed by grades on essays I thought I did well on before, and because Donny might find something he just doesn't like about my analysis.

Still, I think it still shows a major effort. Tomorrow I type it up.

Tuesday, May 2, 1989

Another Beautiful Day ...

It was yet another beautiful day in Hull. It was as warm today as it ever was while I was in Spain, so while I did some work finishing up "For Whom the Bell Tolls," going to classes, and research for my essay, I soon succumbed to the weather.

Relaxed and played casual games of baseball before I returned to my room and dug a bit more into my Hemingway essay.

As you can tell, it wasn't a terribly exciting day, and yet another one without any post. Ate some dinner, watched a little TV, and then went to bed reasonably early.

Monday, May 1, 1989

Spring Fever ...

Being May Day, there were no classes scheduled today. Apparently, it's a holiday here, sort of like Memorial Day (which they don't celebrate in Britain), so everything was closed.

But it was an absolutely beautiful day, unseasonably warm for this area, and as warm as any day that I experienced while in Spain. Definitely spring fever weather.

I woke up early today after getting to bed late last night, and after some reading the tiredness really hit me hard in the early afternoon. I fell asleep from 3 p.m. until about 5, when I woke up and rushed to the dining hall, still dazed from sleep.

After dinner in the St. Michael's common room, I watched a bit of a Charlie Chaplin short and then the beginning of the original "Baron Munchausen" movie, from 1961, with subtitles. It was, with it's paper-like cartoons and bizarre storyline and events, even more Terry Gilliam-y then Terry Gilliam's version. However, I was only to see 15 minutes of the movie when the TV was taken over by watchers of the soap "Neighbours." So I left.

Later I caught the end of "Baron Munchausen" in the St. Hilda's common room with J.P., who also thought it bizarre. Then we walked outside to soak in the sun, chat, and write up silly stories.

I was walking back in when I stopped to say hi to Buffy, and I ended up talking to her for about an hour on subjects ranging from movies, to music, and from essays to home. Later we had a cup of coffee in my room and continued talking while I showed her some of my photos from Spain. She is as eager to get home as I am.

At 10.10 p.m. we were able to snag the St. Martin's TV and watch Woody Allen's brilliantly funny film "Annie Hall." Following the movie, I returned to my room and let Shannon run about while reading some more of "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Finally went to bed after 1 a.m.