My my, it's been a while

Things get awfully busy around this time of year, especially when you're writing a senior thesis and juggling 4 other classes too. Sometimes I deliberately leave my blog alone for long stretches, to kill off interest, because it's a little embarrassing at times to think of who might be reading these absurd ramblings. If you can stomach it, here's a recap of the past delightfully fun month...

Nov. 4th I jetted off to Philadelphia for a Liberty Fund colloquia. I met some very nice people, including charming boys from whom I would be delighted to hear again (but not awfully bothered if I don't. Detachment, I tell myself). I was also inspired by two beautiful girls, Kait and Katelyn, who are engaged and newly-married (respectively) to very nice, gentlemanly men. Good, healthy relationships are lovely to see and it's a pleasure to ask questions, watch (is that creepy?) and learn from them. So I did, and they were so gracious about it. I do love making new friends. Finally, I got to attend a performance of the Philadelpha Symphony Orchestra... and their opening act was the overture to Cyrano de Bergerac... only my favorite French play of all time. Charming little blessings.

Nov. 12 was another exciting day, as I flew off to New York on my way to the Love and Fidelity Network's annual fall conference. I'd never been before and it was every bit as wonderful as I'd hoped. I saw beloved old friends from high school, including the glamorous and beautiful Anna, the dynamic twins Susie and Tommy, and Tommy's sweet-as-a-peach girlfriend Catherine. I reconnected with beloved college friends like Kelly and met a whole host of fascinating new people who will, I hope, become recurring guests on the sitcom/occasional drama that is my life. Chief among them were Stephen and Kevin from Yale; Chase and Addie from Princeton; cute Anna from Montrose and a posse of boys from The Heights. Oh, The Heights. A few of those Heights boys were tall drinks of water, if you know what I mean. Did I mention Mark and Bobby from Princeton? Oh my. I heard rumors about the seminary for some of these men, though, so I suppose I'd best keep quiet for now. But really, can someone tell me, what is more attractive than intelligence and good character? I mean really, what? (Perhaps you can see, dear reader, why I've always felt a bit out of place in the college social scene.)

As far as being classy and fabulous, the Princeton weekend certainly lived up to my high standards. We dined at Charter, one of the famous Princeton eating clubs, and then returned there later that night to sit about the oak-paneled library sipping red wine and discussing natural law. Mind you, my primary contribution to the conversation was to ask "Is anyone else going to see Harry Potter at midnight?" but it was certainly interesting and I hope the genius rubbed off on me a bit. ;) The next night, we hung out at the house of America's oldest debating club, where I played pool and sipped gin and tonic... until someone pulled out "Vatican: The Board Game" and the serious matters began. Then we moseyed over to the Yankee Doodle Tap Room, where we went around the room making silly toasts, sipping amaretto sours (on Kelly's and my part at least) and laughing uproariously.

Cute Kevin of Yale has a natural genius for very funny, clever toasts and I convinced him to tell me his secrets. Ah, you want to know? But a lady can't give everything away... In any case, I fear that he is rather permanently out of the running in the tournament for my heart, owing to an unfortunate blunder on my part. I asked his plans after graduation (he, too, is a senior) and he said "I'll probably go into ontology" (or did he say oncology? Lord knows). I stuttered "What's ontology?" and he literally turned away to talk to someone else. Rude of him, perhaps, but I did feel like a little fool. These humbling moments are good for the soul, I tell myself, and besides, it's best to know right from the outset that a man's not patient about explaining things. That does rather rule him out in my case, as I need many things, especially technological and athletic things, to be explained some thousand times.

Now this past weekend, I enjoyed a fantastic conference right here at my very own beloved university. But I can't go into that now - it's awfully late and I'm meeting my best-beloved Samwise for breakfast at 8:30. To bed, to bed. I shall regale you again soon.

Til then, your own favorite Tess