(no subject)

[bloodyrosemccoy]

Darwin Day / Charles Darwin's Birthday (Theory Of Natural Selection)

Lost Penny Day

Man Day

NAACP Anniversary

Oglethorpe Day (who?)

World Marriage Day

President Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (16th President)

Safetypup's Birthday

Chocolate Day (Illionis)

 

Happy Darwin Day, everyone!  Today I take the time not only to be impressed by the clever mind that could come up with a theory that, like a riddle, was an enigma until somebody pointed it out, after which it seems so obvious, but also to be once again thoroughly awed at the process itself.  Biology is magnificent.

 

It’s a lovely sunny day, one of those days designed to make every creature that evolved in a climate with seasons drunk on the high temperature and balminess that mean that hibernation, or the next best thing, is over.  College kids are strewn across the lawns like mushrooms after a rain, even my roommate is taking off, and I’m stuck inside because you can’t really see a laptop screen in the sun and I’ve got a big ol’ take home linguistics midterm to work on.  I like the analysis problems because they’re like puzzles, but I could do without things like “Discuss kinds of data which pose a problem for the hypothesis that the subject relation is a universal feature of human language.”  Liz, who just got back from Florence where she and the rest of the International Student Association had a retreat to plan the masquerade, went frolicking out toward the lawn almost the moment she unpacked.

 

Mom returned from the hospital the other day and is fine, though I haven’t talked to her since I called her while she was there and she was half-stoned on painkillers.  I’ve talked to Dad a lot, though, which is always lovely.  The small core unit of our family seems to be doing all right overall, unless you count Mom’s recent complaints, but she’s pulling through those all right.  Claire transferred out of debate and into drama, which I would definitely peg as a wise move.  She’s also doing better with Spanish—she called me to confirm a translation on her homework, and I’ve noticed that she sounds more confident when she reads things.  Her accent is improving, too.

 

It’s always around this time of year that I suddenly get the horrible urge to go Southwest.  Moab is sounding so good right now that I’ve been dreaming about it at night.*  I want to hike to Delicate Arch or bike to Hidden Canyon or drive through Canyonlands or just lie back on the little porch at Red Cliff and watch the day change over the Colorado river.  In the noontime you get hot and sunbaked,** in the evening you can watch the rabbits go about their lagomorphic business, and at night you can look at the stars and believe in aliens, which is easier in Moab for some reason.***  I love trips there with my family (though I could do without some of the longer bike rides), and I’ve been known to get whimsical about them.

 

But alas, college prevails.  Off to make up some relevant garbage about case marking and then study for my Japanese midterm.  At least I have chile lights over my bed.

 

And so, with the hunchbacked flute-player’s music ringing in my ears, I go.

 

 

*Granted, I’ve also been dreaming about great big sticky gumballs that seem to expand in your mouth so that no matter how much you spit out there’s this great sugary blob of goo with little flecks in it sticking to your teeth and getting everywhere, but that’s pretty normal for me.

 

**Well, maybe not so much in February, but a bit later in the year.

 

***My best guess is because Utah looks a lot like Mars would if it had bushes and rabbits.

Comments

[gondolinchick01.livejournal.com]

What happeend to Patrice? I dun think I heard this one...

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Nothing much, just a little abdominal trouble or other that I am loathe to detail too much on teh intarweb. A bit of meds and some painkillers and she's right as rain and higher than a vanful of hippies. Be fine in a few days.