Apple Cores and Notes in the Margins

Bianca is my oldest friend, the one I still sign my letters "your BFF," like we started doing when we were 8 or 9. She's the farthest right one in the blue shorts, black and white socks. I'm the farthest left in the number 10 jersey, black shorts and white socks. We met at Cardinal Pacelli grade school in kindergarten. (Cardinal Pacelli was later Pope Pius X, the pope during WWII, for those interested.)

Her family ended up moving to Kentucky after first grade because of her dad's work. We kept in touch throughout grade school by writing letters and summers spent between our houses and camps in South Carolina. Technological additions (cell phones, cars) helped enhance our communication throughout high school and college as well.

We talked on the phone today for the first time since before Christmas. It was not on my to-do list (the odious reminder of things I have yet to accomplish), but I am glad we chatted. She helps me focus my priorities and if we have bona fortuna, we might room together after college! I don't know why that minute detail of my future plans has been bothering me the past few days (I have to get a job first, apartment second); I even started heckling the twins last night.

Home is snowy and comfortable. I hung out with Heidi for most of the day, or she with me, as I did work. The editor at AQ really liked my article, but she wants me to add more to it. I am mentally done with it, so I'm finding it cumbersome. Therefore, I've been working more on my thesis.

I'm trying to get a survey of current black inmates who did not grow up in a two-parent home. They do not collect that information on a local level (I've been in contact with the Cincinnati jails, not exceedingly nice people), but my cousin said there should on a state or federal level, so there's more information to track down. My sister-friend Vivian is finishing college with an easy semester and said she would help me if I needed it. I am seriously considering using her research and clerical skills. I would normally bake her cookies or something to say thank you, but she wants to go to culinary school and is a tad better at cooking than I am, so I'll have to think outside my traditional baked good offering.

I found two books to review for the coming semester: "Intellectuals and Society" by Thomas Sowell and "Twitterature" by Alexander Aciman and Emmett Rensin. I've contacted the publishers; the books might beat me back to school!

The best part of being home is hanging out with the siblings, only today it was mainly the little kids. I helped Katie move into Theta on Sunday and we saw The Young Victoria with our cousin Sarah yesterday (very good!). Mike runs his own show, but he ate the dinner I made tonight (salmon, mac and cheese, green beans), so I was quite pleased with that.

A lot can be learned from having younger siblings. For example, John came home tonight from sledding with his leg banged up from getting swiped at by a dog and it's a roll with the punches kind of situation (once a phone call to Mom confirmed he is up-to-date on all his shots), with me cleaning of the wounds and an applying the band-aids and neosporn. Or when Marianne asked me who my favorite Enlightenment figure is, it's interesting to hear her tell me her teacher does not like Montesquieu but rather favors Rousseau. The key is to tell her my reasons for liking him while allowing and wanting her to make up her own mind, so as to not mimic my thoughts. (Muff likes Voltaire's wit.)

I am impatiently a-waiting books in the mail for this coming semester. This has been a book-buying intensive semester and I hope they get here before Friday. I bought half my books on-line and the other half will be bought at school. My parents are very slow about mail, though, which worries me if they do not arrive in a timely fashion, i.e. before Friday morning, when I am heading back to school. I might have to see if Sam or Jim can bring any late books, since they won't have to be on campus early for sorority rush.

I think it's still early enough in 2010 to post "This Year":


My sentiment exactly, compliments of The Mountain Goats.