Now Playing: Harry Gregson-Williams, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian soundtrack, "Raid on the Castle".

Epic music for a day like this.

My alarm went off at seven this morning. Usually that would mean that I turn it off and curl up for another half-hour, or at least that's been the pattern for the past few weeks, rather shameful laziness, but now that I don't have a certain person's mobile phone ringing every five minutes to wake me up in the morning, what am I supposed to do?

Today was registration day for seniors. I had less than the usual fun with TU's wonderful online registration system. Despite the fact that the system told me, after I'd asked to enroll in certain courses, that I didn't have the authority to access the next page, when I went back and tried to register again, it mysteriously decided that I had enrolled in those courses after all. This time there were only two courses, Advanced Poetry and Beginning French I, which it wouldn't let me register, resulting in only one of the usual stiffly polite e-mails to the advisor of Arts and Sciences, asking her nicely please to register me in those two sections.

So I am now enrolled in flute lessons, of course, Advanced Poetry, which happens most of Wednesday afternoons, Beginning French I, at the lovely time of nine o'clock MWF mornings, Honors, and a random history class, "Imperial Rome and Its Legacy", taught by TU's new history professor. Wonder of wonders, the department actually decided to hire a medievalist for a change! He's teaching two courses this semester, and I've registered in this upper division course.

After that fun was over, I dressed and ate my breakfast while looking through all the pictures I (and Emmaline and Rachel) had taken last year in order to pull some of them for the presentation I was supposed to do for the study abroad office today. My advisor, Dr. S, is teaching a "freshman experience" course, which supposedly introduces first year students to the wonderful life of the university. Professors always seem to be at a loss to make these courses interesting, and Dr. S's solution this week was to ask me and one of the peer advisors at the study abroad office, Alex, to come in and give a presentation about study abroad.

Alex studied abroad in China, so his stories are somewhat more exotic than mine, involving mountain-surfing and herds of yak. He and I spent a couple of hours in the study abroad office this morning putting our slideshow together and talking about what we wanted to say--or rather, just talking, since Alex, being an exceedingly friendly chap, loves talking to people. We laughed at each other's pictures. There was one of him on a narrow little street in China, standing against a wall, with everyone on the street staring at him: he's a lanky, fair-skinned, bearded, bright ginger chap in a street full of short, dark Chinese.

The study abroad office was quiet this morning. Ms. B, the secretary, discovered in the course of the morning that I haven't been getting paid for most of the work I've been doing, so after Alex and I finished, she sent me scurrying back to my apartment to pick up my planner, where I've written down all my hours, and to get that sorted out. I had just enough time to practice my flute for half-an-hour before Dr. S's class was supposed to start at noon.

Dr. S's class was upstairs in the English building, in the one classroom in the English building, where all English classes are held (at least it seems that way sometimes). One of the dullest rooms I've ever been in, except that it has windows on two sides running all the way round. Today the windows gave a view of an exceptionally lovely autumn noon, sunshine and golden leaves spiraling against the glass.

Alex gave his presentation about the basics of applying for study abroad first, and then we did our dual slideshow. We basically just told random stories the whole time--Paris, London, Shanghai, Pakistan, cows, yaks, abbeys in cow pastures, road trips across Mongolia, and various other odds and ends came into the presentation at different times. (See my pictures from the slideshow here.)

Class ended at ten to one. After class, I went down the hall with Dr. S to her office, and we spent half-an-hour talking about senior project. We had a good discussion, though: I'd turned in a paper last week for senior project, and she'd given me the dreaded A- on it (I abominate A-'s, in the immortal words of Josh K.) because the ideas weren't clear enough. When she asked me what I meant to say, and I told her, of course it sounded fine (then!), and we spent awhile honing it, coming up with an outline, etc. I left with her cheerful "Take care," ringing in my ears.

I went over to ACAC and bought a salad for lunch. Philip was working at Carrello's with Amy. Said hello to them, then went to PHIL 2113 at two o'clock. Today the professor finally decided to hand out a pop quiz on the fearsome Kant. I had done the readings, really and truly, but it had been two weeks ago, when the readings were due. So today I made a less-than-desirable score on the quiz.

After PHIL 2113, I had an hour-long flute lesson. I played through the entire Bach sonata for Professor R today, like running a marathon. The result was that I need to spend more time with my best friend, the metronome, making sure that the appoggiaturas are exactly on the beat. I played the Vivaldi for him, too. He'd brought a photocopy of a cleaner edition than the Rampal edition, which is the one I own. Rampal had removed at least ten bars of Vivaldi's original music from the flute part, so now I have a little bit of new music to weave into the piece, but I'm glad because it makes the concerto much more seamless, less chopped into sections.

When my lesson was over, I walked back to ACAC to buy milk. Tiny round leaves were swirling off the oak trees in the plaza between the library and the chapel, and the sun was setting fast behind the downtown skyline. Leaves falling today, far faster than last week. The trees are resplendent, golds and reds, and all their glory whirling away on the south wind.

In ACAC, Jenny M. was just getting off work at Carrello's, and Amy was working there. I perched on the edge of a table with Jenny and chatted with she and Amy about life. Jenny and I walked over to Mayo together. It was good to be able to spend time with her, even if it was just a walk across campus.

Just after she left, Rachel came back from the gym. I went to the caf to pick up some tea, a sandwich in a box. I ate it sitting at the table in our dining room with Rachel. We talked about maths classes, topology, her NSF fellowship essays, Dr. G's freshman Honors class, memories of that.... I read more of Out of the Silent Planet, and when she left for a meeting, I finally settled down at my desk to work on senior project.

At half eight I walked to the gym to run. In the gym, one of the basketball courts was occupied by a basketball game, another was occupied by volleyball, and the middle court was occupied by two people playing badminton. Quick graceful movements, shuttlecock flying, remembering walking nights up the road with Emmaline, Charlotte, Sarah W., and Andy L.

I ran and listened to my father's third lesson on James about treating everyone equally, as we have been treated by Christ, with grace. While I was running on the treadmill on the first floor, Philip was lifting weights in front of the mirrors nearby, pulling hideous grimaces every time his muscles tightened.

I rowed for ten minutes, then went downstairs to the atrium to meet the girls for prayer. None of them were there yet, but Philip was, lounging in an armchair, watching a football game on the enormous TV. We chatted until Alyson arrived, and then Rachel after her. Philip said good-night. The three of us sat at a table and talked about school. We shared prayer requests, for ourselves and for others, for the Knorrs, for the elections tomorrow.

Rachel and I walked back to our apartment after prayer. The evening was chilly with a strong southeast wind. A rich smoke-smell hung on the air.

Rachel is making tea for herself. I'm listening to the end of the Prince Caspian soundtrack, that Switchfoot song, "This Is Home". I need to take a shower.