It rained today...

...actual rain, and lots and lots of metaphorical rain, rain of knowledge and laughter and ideas and -- well, you get the picture. The real rain may presage a break in the heat & humidity; the metaphorical rain presages days & weeks of growth & learning for yours truly.

Specific things I learned today: Michael LoMonico will find you, no matter what corner of cyberspace you think you're hiding in. Mike is one of the curriculum specialists running this shindig, and I hadn't been here 24 hours when (after the daily 3:00 tea held in the basement of the Folger -- yesssss, you heard me, they serve TEA EVERY AFTERNOON), he stops me & says "You're the one blogging about this, aren't you?" I've blogged once. And once before this, over a year ago. Cue mild Minority Report-style paranoia. Hi Mike!

I learned when you spend the day listening to a fabulous lecture on Henry IV Pt. 1 by Library Director Gail Kern Paster that was a string of about 27,000 A-HA moments for me, and front-loading curriculum ideas, and improv-ing a scene or 3, and introducing yourself using only words that alliterate with your first name, it's really, really, really important to stay hydrated. I just got back to my dorm room and drank about 40 ounces of water in about 12 seconds. Amazing how that headache just evaporated.

I learned – well, OK, I already knew this, but was reminded for about the 112th time – that other teachers ROCK. I want to tell you about Simone, who teaches in NYC, but I have to get her permission first. You won’t believe it. Likewise, Megan, my blindfold-walking partner, Barbara, who helped me find word processing on my Netbook, and on & on & on. I’ll check with them & get back to you.

I learned that, to paraphrase Deval Patrick, I looooove me some Netbook (it’s even better when he uses the phrase, because it’s his grandmother’s, and she uses it like this: I looooooove me some Kennedys!). Anyhow, this Netbook is the CAT’S PANTS – small, light, easy to use, and adorable. Thank you, Rick Andersen at Staples!

I learned that all those people (and you know who you are because it was all of you) who said it was hot in the summer in Washington were 100% right. Africa hot. Tarzan couldn’t take this kind of hot. And I learned that to combat this, it is possible to turn my dorm room at AU into a meat locker. Bring. It. On.

And I learned that my friend Kitty Wilbur is one hell of a writer. If you don't know it already, write that name down; you'll be seeing it at your local Barnes & Noble soon enough.

I think that’s all I can do for now. Need more water. And a shower. And maybe one of those microwave brownies Mary gave me on my way out the door. Bless you, child.

Oh, wait! Here are some pix. I never am able to format captions with photos in this Blogger program (maybe Mike can help me with that tomorrow), so I'll say that the first is my dorm room (and no, Dan, that's not a scorpion bowl on the microwave, but my salad bowl, harumph!); the second is the bus that Albert drives us to & fro the Library in, playing some very groovy tunes along the way; and the third is the entrance to the Library, featuring Margaret Maurer facing the camera, who is a faculty member here & at Colgate, and who is already my boon companion because (a) her daughter just married a Boston Latin alumnus (sumus primi!) and (b) she's a crossword fanatic.

OK, must become prone. Cheers, one & all!