Class is done!

And I got an A-.  But it wasn’t without drama.

About the time I was embarking on this crazy journey, plans came together to have a girls’ getaway in Asheville, NC.  The timing was going to coincide with the last weekend of the course.  I could get my part done early, but then I had to leave comments on six other classmates’ work as assigned by the instructor.  I requested our lodgings have internet, and it did, so I thought the matter was settled.

Ragged and I set off for Nashville to meet up with our co-funseekers, and we were off to Asheville.  We met up there with another of our group, and the merriment commenced.  I checked the wifi signal on my iPod Touch – loud and clear.  Excellent.  Dinner that night was Pasta Fresco.  Yum.

Saturday morning, we had awesome peach-stuffed french toast.  Before breakfast, I noticed that there wasn’t a wifi signal.  I reset the router, the signal returned, and I wandered off to enjoy breakfast.  Our day’s plans included a trip to the farmers’ market, which turned into a trip to the artisans’ marked, and a trip to Black Mountain.  After spending some time in a most wonderful yarn shop, we headed back to the house for grilled cheese and fresh salads.  That’s when I saw the wifi signal was off.  Not flickering, off.  I reset the router.  No.  I moved the router to another phone jack.  No.  Oh dear.  Ragged put a shout-out to her brothers for some ideas and got the great advice to go to Barnes and Noble to borrow a cup o’ interwebs.

At this point, I would just like to say that I owe my college career not tanking right then and there to Ragged.  She wasn’t feeling great, but she stayed with me, answered questions about topics she had no reason to, and generally supported my addled mind and spirit.  I should have bought much more stuff for her this trip.

Does it even need said that once we returned to the house, the wifi light was cheerfully beaming?  I thought not.

However later when I was able to use the internet, it dropped connection frequently, so I still believe we did the right thing.

That night I made dinner (Elsa’s famous Creamy Eggplant Pasta with Walnuts), and I’m not entirely sure all those wonderful women should have trusted my mental capacities to cook right then, but they did, and it turned out fabulous as usual.  I can take no credit for that.

The next day – I didn’t have to do anything for class!  Wooooooo!!!!!!  We spent the morning grazing, then were fortunate enough to be guests of Ragged’s brother and his wife (and adorable daughter) at their house.  Such creative amazing people.  We got clued into a serious shoe shopping opportunity, so we headed back to the house, rested, regrouped, and went in search of shoes.  Five women, one discount shoe store – guess what happened?

Nary a single pair was bought.  I was on the search for some comfy sandals (I had my eye on some Merrills or Tevas) and found nothing in my size.  Ragged was looking for her dream pair and was also let down.  It was a sad thing.

But then we went to Malaprops!  I love Malaprops!  I bought a hippy-dippy tie-dyed t-shirt and a copy of Bird by Bird.  (shhhh, I’m thinking about wandering back into writing)  It was late Sunday, so we missed several of our other favorite haunts (Earth Guild, Purl’s Yarn Emporium).  However, it made for perfect timing to meet up with Ragged’s brother and family for ice cream!

When the place you’re going to is named “Ultimate Ice Cream”, you kind of have an expectation.  Met and exceeded.  I had a scoop of Belgian Dark Chocolate and Salted Caramel.  It was perfect.

Lest you think we would let ice cream spoil our dinner, fear not!  Once again, our own magician in the kitchen (no, not me – I only had kitchen duty one night) whipped up a chicken alfredo that would make you weep.  We retired to the couches for conversation, knitting, and there may have been a movie.

The next day, Ragged and I had to leave our friends early, as we had a long way ahead of us.  The trip back was uneventful, despite the GPS’s best efforts otherwise.

It’s been a whirlwind of a week, and I’m just now starting to slow down.  Tuesday was spent catching up on the course I’m teaching.  Wednesday was my spinning group and a massage.  Thursday was my mom’s bronchoscopy.  Yesterday was more catching up on the course I’m teaching.  Today was Ramblin’s birthday and a grocery run.  It’s also the kickoff for Tour de Fleece!  (shhhhh, don’t tell the French, or they’ll be after us like the USOC was)  Tomorrow will be a trip to Mom’s for lunch.  We’re bringing taco fixins because it’s twelve million degrees here.

But I don’t have any more homework until August.  :)

 
Spinning from TDF Day 1