randomness

So, after ten days, I am finally entering another post. Sorry for the lack of communication and information, but it has been rather crazy. I have completed orientation, registration, and we have gone on another group trip. The group has started to cook for eachother and the first two dinner meals have been quite successful (My cooking team made roast chicken, wild rice, glazed carrots, ceasar salad, and chocolate sauce pudding for dessert... of which I made another batch last night due to popular demand). For those of you who don't know, there are nine of us living in the flat together and then our two advisors join us for dinner M-F. We have been split into three cooking groups and are required to create a well balanced and delicious evening meal for 11 people (plus any guests) five nights a week. For breakfast and lunch we are on our own, same goes for the weekends. Once a week, Mark and Carol go grocery shopping with one of the nine. I was the first. It was insane. After three hours in the grocery store, and 200 pounds (approx 400 dollars) later, we drove home and spent untold hours fitting all of the food into the jigsaw of cupboards and refridgerators. Later that night, Mary and I spent a considerable amount of time sorting and reorganizing the entire kitchen. We threw away some three year expired spices, found four containers of nutmeg, found moldy lasagne (i didn't know that was possible) and finally got rid of all of the tupperwear without lids. Needless to say, the kitchen is now much easier to navigate.

Today we spent two solid hours of Mark and Carol teaching us how to clean toilets by hand... how to dust... how to vaccuum. It was invigorating.

Now that the pouring rain has stopped, we are off to explore Nottingham castle and some interesting neighborhoods. Complete with journal assignments and most likely papers to follow. On the bright side, our first test (or exam... maybe quiz?) was returned and the results were much better than expected. Contrary to everything that Mark and Carol have ever done in classes at Luther before, the grades were curved... I only hope they are so generous for the rest of the year.

I also wanted to say thanks to all of you for reading, leaving comments, and sending emails and letters. It is so nice to hear from home. It was a nice surprise last night when my mobile rang and it was a call from home... cheap for them and free for me... hint... hint... (07960040413) ...
but moving on, now that the weather has changed again and it is about to rain, if I go get ready to head out, then it will hopefully be clear again... oh England and its inclement weather...