Back to Vermont College for semester 4

Kellye Carter Crocker, fellow Iowan and Vermont College alumna, was right when she told me that the days seem long but the time flies by in this program. Just one more semester to go, which kicks off today. Yeehaw!

Our opening night speaker is Susan Cooper, author of The Dark Is Rising fantasy series, among other books. I saw a trailer for the new movie based on this series the other day. I'll try to find out what she thinks of the screen adaptation.

I arrived in Montpelier in a different way than usual since my husband is driving out to meet me at the end of the residency. I flew from Des Moines to Boston yesterday where my friend/classmate, Mary Atkinson, met me and drove directly to Montpelier. The forest-covered hills along the way were lovely, and after a quick 3 hours we arrived. And Mary even packed us sandwiches! I will definitely be buying her a nice meal or two as thanks.

After a nice mini reunion with some classmates I got settled into my room, which this time around I have all to myself. All students were offered single rooms without having to pay extra, so naturally we jumped at it. Each room in Dewey Hall has 2 platform twin beds. I laid on the one near the window and decided it was a little firmer than I cared to endure for 10 nights, so I hoisted the mattress from the other bed on top. I felt slightly like the princess and the pea, but it was more comfortable.

The weather so far is cooler than I anticipated. I may have to buy myself a sweatshirt downtown today. I didn't pack a single shirt with long sleeves. No jeans either.

This morning I got up about 5:30 and went for a 10-mile run (I'm training for the Des Moines Marathon). I headed north out of town on Highway 12. Lots more hills than I'm used to. There's one hilly mile on my route at home. Here it's more hilly than flat so my legs got tired a little sooner than usual. It was a little strange running by myself. I usually run with my Brittany, Diesel. He would have enjoyed all the new smells, and he could have helped pull me up some of the more atrocious hills.

There's some tree or shrub that gives off a strong flowery scent. It's kind of like being stuck in the grocery line behind someone wearing too much perfume. I ran in and out of it for a few miles.

I saw only one other runner in town this morning. One guy passed me on skate skis, which looked like fun. He also had the poles to help push himself along. He wore a helmet but no knee pads or elbow pads. Maybe he's so good he never falls. But he was skate/skiing in the middle of the road, which didn't seem like the safest place to be. Maybe he was trying to avoid the bits of gravel on the paved shoulders.

I carried a water bottle with me and left it next to a no passing zone sign. When I picked it up about 40 minutes later, I didn't notice the slugs on it until after I'd taken a big swig. Luckily I didn't kiss any of them.