Posted
11:52 AM
by Nicholas Holland
Just wanted to let everyone know that I took my final exam for the first year yesterday. It was criminal law so there were many assaults, drunk people, and youthful indiscretions on the exam. There were also some at the end of the year party. So the first year is done. Grades won't be out for six weeks or so, and I feel about as uncertain about what they will be as ever. Oh well.
I am writing my case note this week and next, and hopefully I will begin working within a week. I'm moving from my apartment to a house the last weekend in May, so my address will change. Daddy, if you could jsut send that summons to me, I think all I have to do is check the box at the top that I'm not a resident, provide them with my new address and sign it under penalty of death.
The Kentucky Derby is tomorrow, for anyone who cares. I'm convinced I'm the only one within 20 miles of here who does. On that same note, Sarah was supposed to talk to drag queens in her gender and the body class, but they couldn't show up because they were working on their derby hats. It takes all kinds. I think either Harlan's Holiday or Perfect Drift will win, but with 19 horses in the race, there's absolutely no telling.
The usual summer comings and goings have begun in the household, compounded by a somewhat hectic travel schedule for Mommy and me. Benjamin blew into town on Wednesday, had dinner with us, and the next day he and Travis left for Boston to visit with Aunt Pam and Bob. Only trouble is, Pam and Bob are headed to Kansas City for the funeral of Bob's uncle, the father of the cousin who is living with Pam and Bob. So Bob and the cousin flew to KC earlier in the week, and tomorrow Pam is going for the weekend, leaving Benjamin and Travis "in charge" of CJ. I don't know what their plans are for their week in Boston, but I'm sure they'll find some way to amuse themselves. Aunt Pam said they liked her house, which is apparently very high (3 stories). I asked if they planned to spit from the rooftop, and she said she thought the situation gave whole new meaning to the term "pissing contest." Oh well. Pam will be returning to Boston on Sunday.
Travis arrived in Boston, which is quite cool right now, in shorts. His response when Pam asked him about it was "I'm just trying to fit in."
Nicholas of course is not coming come this summer, but working in Durham instead. Sarah is going up there to be with him for the summer. She continues to plan the wedding for July of next year and there is continuing discussion of how much ring they can afford. Dekalb County, meanwhile, keeps stubbornly calling him to jury duty. He begged off in January and was told they'd come after him again in June, when he thought he'd be home. Sure enough, there was a notice in yesterday's mail. Looks like he's going to have to change his residency to escape their hounding.
Mommy will be back from Augusta this afternoon, and is going one more time next week overnight. And then on Thursday Christopher will be arriving for the Alton Brown book-signing. Looks like another busy week ahead.
One of the best parts of our recent visit to Paducah happened almost as soon as we hit town. We arrived from Nashville about lunchtime, and had reservations at Grace Episcopal Church for their annual lunch. The church sponsors a lace guild as well, so they drag out their hardanger for all the textile-hungry mobs, and serve a lunch in their parish hall. We had no idea going in if it would be a decent lunch or rubber chicken, but we were soon disabused of any notion that this was a run-of-the-mill church meal. These Episcopalians know how to cook! We had a chicken breast smothered in spinach that was spiced with, among other things, nutmeg. It also had heavy cream in it. The salad was a concoction made up of broccoli slaw, regular slaw, toasted sliced almonds, and dry ramen noodles. It was exquisite enough that we spent the $15 the church wanted for their cookbook. Each year you can buy additional pages with the recipes for the current year's lunch to add to the back of your book.
As we sat down next to two quilty ladies from Illinois (Iowa?) we were soon joined by four women dressed identically in denim shirts that said on the upper right: "Four Sisters Meet in Paducah." From Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, and elsewhere, they made a big splash wearing their story on their sleeves (literally). On one pocket there was a picture of the four of them as children, of course photo-transferred onto the fabric. They were a hoot. One of them (the oldest) had previously owned a quilt shop (until she decided it was too much trouble), and the youngest didn't quilt at all. She likes to fish. They asked us to take their picture, and as we did, we took advantage of the opportunity to get one for ourselves.
