Presentations and Power

I've emerged from last week slightly sleep deprived and over caffeinated. Last week went much better than I expected on most accounts. I have to thank my professors for a couple class-wide extended due dates.

I gave my longest academic presentation on Wednesday. Thirty minutes! I definitely could have gone for forty though. I managed to weave the history of "textbooks/curriculum" spanning from Hornbooks to McGuffey Readers (briefly touching on the Dick and Jane Basal Readers) with how they perpetuated the social norms and contributed to national stability and unity. Webster's desire for a national identity was an important part as well as the shift from oral literacy to written literacy. We sped through the Puritanism, Presbyterian/Calvinism, Protestantism and Victorian morality. Year II of Worldviews of the Western World came back with a vengance as I explained who Cromwell was, spoke about "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", defined creed vs. catechism and gave a brief overview of the Calvinist beliefs. Thanks, Mom and Dad! I even had a little hornbook and recitation activity. I was out of breath by the end trying to cover all the material. Dr. W. had that goofy grin on his face for most of my presentation that means he's pleased (either that or he was stunned). :) He only stopped me once to emphasize something so I think it went well. I'm not trying to sound my own praises but this was one of the most notable and exciting things this week.

Well, that and the electricity issues, we've had.

We had half of the breakers in the kitchen, laundry room and my room go out. We switched the breakers and nothing happened, so we put a work order in. A couple hours later, I looked at the breakers and realized that one whole bank of breakers were off. We had flipped them on and back off not realizing which direction they should go. We canceled the work order. ;)

Today, when I came home from church, I went into the kitchen and turned on the lights. The incandescent lights were really dim. I went into the bathroom where the lights are really bright, but they were dim too! I thought I was going blind... either that or my eyes were taking way too long to adjust from coming inside. Then the florescent tubes went out. My roommate lost power at that point and we watched appliances and lights turn off one by one. It's a little creepy. I called the management company who referred me to the electric company. Turns out there was an equipment failure. We got power back around 2:30.

Odd happenings

I promised (hinted) before leaving for the land of Spare Oom that I would share the not so quiet night before leaving to come home.

That night, I went to bed around 11:00 (so much for that routine) and dropped off about midnight. At 2:30 a.m., one of my roommates came into the house talking on her cell phone. After going in and out of her room a couple times, she settled in and the house was quiet again.

At 5:30, I was wakened by the sound of someone (male) banging on our front door and calling loudly "RAAAYBEEEE!" I waited a little bit thinking someone knew this person was coming and was expecting him. No one answered the door and he kept calling out: "RAAAYYBEEE! I'm heerre RAAYBBEE!" Then he tried the door knob! Don't worry, we keep our doors locked.

At this point, I became my mother when we disturb her sleep; I poked my head out my door (I can see the window out onto the porch from my door so I could see a young man with a backpack standing at the door) and said, "Excuse me, but some people are trying to sleep around here"! You have to say it in a very short, clipped, firm manner to get the full effect. He bent to peer in the window (which was open, thus he could hear me) and apologized while asking if Ray lived here. My response: "Unfortunately, he does not!" Once again in a short, clipped and now slightly exasperated manner. He apologized again and left. I went and closed the window, dropped the blinds all the way and double checked the door.

It was such a weird experience. I'm just so thankful it turned out the way it did. I actually find it funny and laughable! I wonder if he found RAYYBEEE!

P.S. I know I haven't posted pictures from my garden lately but I was a little embarrassed as my easy to grow, never had trouble before, beautiful peas have died off or are in the process of dying. I don't know what happened exactly but I've never had trouble with gardening and to admit failure doesn't come easy to me. My garden also is looking neglected as finals and going home left them a little abandoned. Pics will come "soon". ;)