I Should Be Reading My Literary Theory Textbook . . .

. . . But instead I've decided to blog. Class begins in about forty minutes, and then I'll be busy literally all day, so now's my chance, right?

The Medieval Combat Club was sooo much fun, I'm going back this Friday too. I mean, it's a group of people sparring with homemade weapons!! That's something I've loved to do all my life, but as a kid I tended to get into trouble for fighting other kids with sticks and stones and things. Isn't that funny? As a kid I was told that such behavior is immature and dangerous (and I'm not arguing either point), but now as an adult I have an official school club to do it at. It's good exercise, too.

The retreat was amazing. I got to ride a yellow school bus for the first time, make s'mores for the first time, swim around in the ocean and chase tropical fishes around, build an absolutely epic sand-castle, and walk over an hour to Mass on Sunday morning. Oh, and I got to meet a lot of Catholic students, which was great fun, and got to teach my fellow retreat-goers some Irish ceili dancing as well! Top all that off with a bonfire, hymn-singing, prayer, dazzlingly clear stars, the sound of the ocean lulling me to sleep every night, and a cockroach nearly running up my pant leg, and you have a fairly good picture of the retreat. And then when I returned to the apartment where I live, I went out to the shave ice place nearby and bought some. Mmmmm!

I finished "The Copper Crown" and enjoyed it 'til the end, although I'm not sure if I am interested in continuing the series or not. I don't think I'll go out of my way to find the next book. Right now I've finally moved on to another library book, this one called simply "Strongbow". It caught my attention at the library because of course it made me instantly think "BELEG!!!" Oh the joys of being a Silmarillion lover. Anyway, the book is not about Cuthalion, but it's very good so far anyway. It's (loosely) historical fiction. The first line:

When I was a little girl I didn't know my father was a monster.

I thought it a particularly excellent opening line. I always struggle with beginning my own stories, so good beginnings are always special to me. Like, for instance, Lewis' beginning to "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", which in my opinion is one of the greatest opening lines to any book ever written.

Tonight I'll be extremely busy drawing, as my first art portfolio of the semester is due tomorrow and I still have a few drawings I need to get done. I'm a bit worried about this whole portfolio thing, as I've never done one in my life before, but hopefully all goes well! I also have my second midterm of the semester on Thursday, but as that one's all about "The Iliad", "The Odyssey", and the books of Genesis and Exodus and Job, I'm not really worried about it. ENG 321 is absolutely a class in my comfort zone! Oh, and I did manage an A in my Nutrition exam, so that went well.

Before I go--Anybody else gleeful at the confirmation that Daniel Radcliffe will have absolutely nothing to do with "The Hobbit"? How about that rumor that David Tennant might be cast as Bilbo? I find it a bit hard to picture, because he's so tall and thin, but I'm sure it'd be great anyway . . . Of course it's only a rumor, but I don't mind that one. I'm still rooting for James McAvoy, though. He could do a fantastic Bilbo. Just look at how he acts as Tumnus in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"!