Will it be chocolate cake?

Sorry sorry sorry sorry! I was swamped last week with fellowship applications and thus the lack of update. But, without further ado, 10 highlights in no particular order.

1. The weather was uncooperative for our Edinburgh plans this past weekend (read: hail), so we’ve opted to go on a later date when being outside will cause us less physical pain.

2. However, we are making a trip to see the annual blooming of the Fife snowdrops this Saturday! Don't they look lovely?

3. Ford Madox Ford was born Ford Hermann Hueffer. I think I would have changed my name too.

4. Modernism: self-aggrandizement meets unresolved teen angst.

5."Will it be chocolate cake? Who will bring drinks?" Actual questions asked by my professor for Aspects of Modern Fiction after he assigned one of the discussion groups to organize an in-class birthday party for one of their members (whose birthday is this coming Friday). I'll let you know how it goes.

6. So my friend Yamila and I went out to dinner on Sunday (no hall dinner on the weekends here--how I miss Sunday Sundaes!) and we walk into this place called Pizza Express in which the following conversation takes place:

(Yamila and I walk in the door)

Waiter: Do you have a booking?

Yamila: No.

Waiter: I'm sorry but we won't be able to serve you tonight.

(Yamila and I look around, confused, at the nearly empty restaurant)

Waiter: We've run out of dough. And mozzarella.

Me: We are not in America anymore.

7. So my hall has started this event called Fortnight. Every fortnight (two weeks) we throw a fort night, in which we all get drunk and build forts in the common room. They even got beer donated. First one is this Friday I believe--I'll be sure to bring my camera.

8. We had Scottish Night in the dining hall last Thursday in which I a) ate Haggis--which I will never do again, b) had Robert Burns's Address to a Haggis read to me by Mr. February 3rd (OK, not really him, but you know what I mean) but in a kilt. Or in other words: SCOTTISH HIPSTER. (I'm so sorry I didn't have my camera Trinh)

9. Big ups to Trinh Nguyen for hand delivering my last fellowship application to the Stiles Master's Office, because, you know, I'm a procrastinator who doesn't read directions. And overnight post is mad expensive.

10. I think my AmeriLove has driven me to a bad place. For God knows why, I've self-selected to give my class presentation in The Historical Novel on Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. Rumor has it it's so violent that Harold Bloom had some trouble getting through it. This should be interesting.

That was for you Liz Marshman.