Having a little talk with Nikki Giovanni, professor at VA Tech and world-renouned poet certainly helped cheer things up for the weekend. And the third of four candidates for a geology professorship in our department had plenty to say that made me excited about (of all things) research of coral growth in the Carribean in relation to historical hurricane activity. To top it all off, my friend Ken Davis (a fellow geology major) is receiving the Thomas Jefferson Prize in Natural Philosophy at Charter Day next weekend and my picture somehow appeared in the W&M News this week (along with the article about Ken). I'm the spiffy blonde playing the piano. (Speaking of hair color, I guess it's about time to get it cut. Hair appointment is Wednesday, thank goodness... my mop-top blonde job could use it!)

The square dance this evening at Peace Hill was funtastic... although I dreadfully missed some certain friends who couldn't attend. It was a lovely time, I just wish there were more people who I actually knew. I suppose I'm just wishing it was just like the Christmas square dance. Oh how I miss the holidays... the warm fire crackling, the wafting combination of ginger, cinnamon, evergreen and cider, and the simple joy of singing carols through your head at almost any hour of the day. I miss that so. Did I mention... oh yes, I'm homesick. Even a conversation each with Mom and Dad on the phone just doesn't quite make a world of difference. Sometimes I just wish I could stop the semester in a screeching halt, run home and wander sleepily through a week with family, drive slowly back to Williamsburg (the way I like to savor a good piece of chocolate for a long long time), and start back to classes, refreshed. I like that word: refreshed. It has such a lovely invigorating and appealing sound... my hopes and dreams are full and bright this semester. I just seem to be going through a state of unrest.

Your life is like, a rollercoaster, baby, baby...