09 April 2010

After a relatively short appearance, spring was replaced by summer this week and the temperature in St. Mary's soared to the high 80's. With the heat still on in most academic buildings, Monday through Thursday morning were almost unbearable. The majority of the campus community took to stripping down to bikinis and shorts while employees attempted to beat the heat with portable fans. To-go boxes at the Great Room became the 'must-have' item as the cafeteria was simply too hot to eat in. For my part, I was unable to enjoy the weather as I was attempting to finish my SMP. Whilst others could be found tanning on Gallows Hill or by the river, I was trapped in my center cubicle in the library, feverishly typing about iatrochemical theory and plague, with intermittent (although perhaps too frequent) Facebook breaks in order to maintain my sanity. Tuesday night was almost too much for me, as I spent the entire night until 1am at the library, attempting to hide the fact that I was sweating ridiculously in the heat. Thank goodness that the library was not the hot spot to be that night as I would have been quite embarassed.

On Wednesday, I experienced a fit of rebellion and decided that my SMP was not going to ruin my entire April. The fact that it was due in six days was a bit worrying, but I was determined to enjoy the good weather while it lasted. After all, this is St. Mary's where the weather often borders on schizophrenic. So Drew and I grabbed towels, sunscreen, and (in his case) bathing suits, and headed down to the Point to take in some sun. While he went swimming in the river, I enjoyed the wonderful breeze coming off of the river. It was simply heavenly. We stayed out for an hour or so before academic obligations called, and we reluctantly returned to campus to fulfill our duties as students.

Thursday was a good day. Not only did I finish my last main body chapter of my SMP, but I also got to go on a 8 mile run on the trails. It was harder than when I ran 10 miles on the road last Saturday, but much more interesting in terms of surrounding scenery. Then it was a relaxing dinner, trip to the gym, and then wonderful time spent with the bf (as is all time spent with him). Unfortunately, I'm a rather horrible girlfriend and, instead of actually talking with him or enjoying his company, fell asleep :(


Back to the SMP: For those who have not heard me complain (which is perhaps only 2% of the world's population at this point as I complain about it a lot), my SMP is organized into 8 chapters. I have 6 main body chapters (Historiography & Methodology; Causes of the Plague; Remedies for the Plague; Flight versus Fight; Quarantine versus Pesthouses; and the Great Medical Debate) and then two supporting chapters (Introduction and Conclusion). Everything but the introduction and Conclusion are completed at this point. Their completion is this weekend's project as a entire completed draft is due to my adviser on Monday. I hope to submit it by Sunday, but I have found that what I 'hope' to do and what actually gets done are two different things.

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