Of Ice Cream and Ashes

At last! Last Sunday evening I submitted the second chapter of my thesis (aka: Chapter-That-Is-Taking-Freaking-Forever-To-Write, or CTITFFTW)! I had been working on-and-off on this particular section of my PhD for a little over a year. And I am relieved and overjoyed to FINALLY have done with it! Well, until my supervisor reads it and then tells me everything that is wrong with it.

In case you were wondering, I DID celebrate the finishing of my chapter with some ice cream! Unfortunately, when I finally emailed it off to my supervisor that Sunday night, it was about 8pm, and Janetta's (the ice cream shop the zealous young gentleman from the previous post was so excited about visiting) was closed for the evening. So I had to make do with a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream from the local grocery store. But you won't find me complaining! B&J hits the spot. Every time!

But in the meantime, while waiting to hear back from Roger (my supervisor), I have enjoyed a chapter-free week driving all over Scotland with my Dad! Dad had been in Moscow on business and stopped by for a few days on his way back home. Originally he was supposed to head back to Churchville at a ridiculously early hour on Saturday the 17th. But due to the eruptions of a volcano in Iceland on Wednesday of last week, a ginormous ash cloud is crippling transportation in Europe. All flights to and from the UK and Europe have been cancelled until further notice, as the ash makes it unsafe to fly! The particles get sucked into the plane engines where the heat from the turbines melts the sand and dust into glass, which in turn hardens and causes the engines to stop working. Not a good scenario. So hundreds of thousands of people are stranded at airports throughout Europe as tens of thousands of flights have been cancelled. Providentially, my housemates and I have a spare bedroom that Dad can use! On the flip side of all of this, a friend of mine from St Andrews (who also happens to be my pastor) is stranded in New York City, unable to get back home to Scotland!

I foresee an unusual week ahead, as the volcano is still spewing ash and doesn't show any signs of stopping in the near future! But we must make the best of the situation! I, for one, am enjoying having my dad around a bit longer than planned! And whoever thought we'd get to use 'volcanic ash' as an excuse for anything in Scotland?

Here's a link to some BBC photos of the volcano: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/8622055.stm

And if that doesn't work, just Google "Eyjafjallajokull Volcano". This thing has brought an entire continent to a stand-still! Crazy!

Ice Cream Time!!!!!!!

Today has been gorgeous! The sun is shining, the wind is behaving itself as a nice breeze, the temperature is a balmy 52°. And I'm in my office, pounding away at a thesis chapter. We have our window open a crack, to let in the lovely sea breeze (and to keep us from going completely insane). The sounds from the street are providing pleasant background music. My office overlooks South Street, one of the major Three Streets in St Andrews. The building itself arches over a pedestrian lane, Baxter's Wynd (or Baker's Lane), that normally has some fairly steady foot traffic. Under normal circumstances, this confluence of streets lends itself to excessive or obnoxious street noise. But for the past two weeks most of the undergraduates have been out of town for their Easter Holiday (and that is actually what they call it! Not Spring Break). So things have been pleasantly calm and quiet around here--very conducive to losing oneself in the sixteenth century (especially if that 'oneself' happens to be me).

About fifteen minutes ago I was called out of my academic cocoon by the dulcet tones of a child's voice on the street below, crying out, with joyful abandon, 'ICE CREAM TIIIIIIIME!' This first cry was followed by merry exclamations of 'Ice cream! Ice cream! Ice cream! Yay! Yay! Yay!' You could just imagine this cheerful young fellow skipping down the street to Janetta's Ice Cream Shop (where he was most probably headed)!

What a splendid idea, young man. Perhaps I shall reward myself with some Janetta's ice cream when I finish this chapter. Hm... Now there is a motivation that might actually produce results...

Ave Verum Corpus--Good Friday

Lest we forget the significance of this day:

Ave, verum corpus natum de Maria Virgine, Vere passum immolatum in Cruce pro homine, Cujus latus perforatum unda fluxit (et) sanguine, Esto nobis praegustatum in mortis examine.

Hail,true body born of the Virgin Mary, Who truly suffered, sacrificed on the Cross for man, Whose pierced side overflowed with water and blood, Be for us a foretaste In the test of death.