an illustrated history of today

1. Today was about as thrilling (scholastically) as expected. I didn't take a bunch of the books I am technically supposed to be reading, but Kristine seems to have a good handle on coinage and about five of the biggest books are just catalogues of coins and discussion of their imagery, which does just about nothing for me. The other seven that I did take are quite enough, thank you.



2. Today I saw James on the bus on the way to invigilate Grant's class' midterm, and Erica on the way back. They are, for anyone joining us via Mom's blog, two of my old roommates who were dating for three or four years and broke up quite recently.
James has been working at a rather nice restaurant in town called the Back Nine since it opened last year, and has taken his Block One (the chef equivalent of the first year of university, roughly). He took his first couple years of university with Nick (as they were high school friends) but had to drop out for complicated reasons; he's been talking ever since about going back, but eventually decided to start his blocks instead. Today he told me very definitely that he is going back in the fall, being thoroughly fed up with kitchens. I tend to applaud any decision to go to university, because I like it bunches myself, but in James' case it's particularly appropriate because he just has a very academic mindset. Those of you who are in the know about tabletop gaming - he memorized AD&D. All of it.
Erica has an education as an aesthetician and works at Yves Rocher in the mall, but last time I'd spoken to her she'd only been getting about 20 hours a week at the front desk, not really client hours. Since then one of the others has left and she's gotten hours doing "real" aesthetics, waxing and massages and such, and clients, which are key. She moved out of the apartment with James (Neil moved in with James, which has, no doubt, been good for them both) and has been trying to settle herself since. She's moving out of her current place tonight (it is, long story short, incredibly sketchy) and moving in with some friends, Kyle and Ashley. She misses Sid (her lovely orange cat, who was Tonks' parent for her early years) but seems to be holding together remarkably well for this wretched time of year.

^ Sid

3. Linkage:

• Forget the Year of the Pig, it's the Year of Iran!
• "An alcoholic, liar and gambler with an addictive personality."
• Best CPU case ever.
• Weirdest Valentine's Day ever.

4. Sean and Nick are in the getting-permission-and-commitments stage for a theatre festival this summer! I know, I'm surprised too. It's called the Fredericton Original Fringe Festival, or F-OFF, and they're planning all sorts of things. It's rumoured that Nick will even write and put on a play he's been threatening to do for years: I Hate Step Taylor (Step Taylor being a rival, of sorts, in the STU theatre scene). I will no doubt be dragged in in some capacity, but it sounds like good clean fun.

5. Obligatory cat pictures:

^ "I disapprove of flashes."

^ "I like rolling on muddy floors!"