Shannanigan's Search for More...

So today was the first day of classes.

Yesterday was official "move into your dorm day"...and I of course spent the day instead visiting family and members of Chris' family whose home got broken into...and then slept over at Chris...

so today, I figured, would be hectic. But not too bad, you see, because I didn't have class until 2 o'clock. I figured I'd spend all morning moving in, eat lunch, make sure all my stuff is organized, printed out, and ready to go...

but noooooo.

I wound up struggling with my trunk of junk up the hill to my dorm, only to discover that my bedsheets and comforter were RANK due to 6 weeks of storage. So I go to the laundromat and shove everything...pillows and all...into this 5-load washer that's supposed boil those suckers clean for $5.50.

I think I overdosed on the detergent. And I think the wet comforter was too heavy for the machine.

Anyways, 24 minutes later I'm dragging dripping wet bedclothes to three smaller washers to rinse and spin out before shoving it all into dryers. By the time I get back on campus I've got just enough time to print out a current class schedule (class rooms and times always change at the beginning of the semester) and haul my butt up the hill...

My two classes go well. Then, night falls, and automatically the St. Thomas campus is immersed into insanity by the light of the moon...

I get an e-mail saying there was a last-minute room change for my 7:00 class. I go down and neither the new class nor the scheduled one are open...doors are locked. Eerie. This is kind of annoying because the class is video conferenced from St. Croix...the teacher is on another island and we watch and listen through a video feed. Lots of confusion with security guards, unhelpful tech staff, and disgruntled language later...I go back to my dorm and find another e-mail saying that if anything goes wrong call such-and-such number...

So I call, from my cell phone from the only place nearby with service; sitting out in front of my dorm under a banana tree. It's a direct call to the classroom on St. Croix. The professor proceeds to put me on speakerphone and continue lecturing while I listen. It was actually kind of peaceful, listening to the life of Charles Dickens as the Caribbean breeze brought the scents of the sea my way, and friendly class and dorm mates walked by wishing me a good night and a happy new year. I got to admire the rock work of the buildings here (all built with natural rock) and look up at the star-filled sky while listening to the lecture. I honestly think I gained more that way. It was such a nice change of scenery.

If only we could control the weather, I'd hold my future classes outside every single day.

So that all made up for the craziness of the ridiculously confused classroom assignment...now I just need something to make up for the craziness of my ridiculously confused dorm room disorganization.